old-fashioned (and neo-modern) record reviews
sngalbums: Originally appeared on the 405. The newest release on earnest Ontario label Other Songs is a fitting welcome for winter. I felt lucky to finally experience it myself when I left the desert to visit the midwest this past weekend. Snow fell for an hour in Minneapolis on my final day in the city; the neighborhood where I was staying was quiet save for … Continue reading Scott Orr’s Worried Mind is a peaceful welcome for winter
sngalbums: Originally appeared on the 405 as part of a four-part retrospective honoring the recent re-issues of several of Brian Eno’s back catalog. View this archived article here. Brian Eno knows a unique level of fame. He has worked with innumerable other prolific musicians, having been close friends with characters such as David Bowie, Robert Fripp, and David Byrne. He has produced for the mega-famous … Continue reading Music for Films represents a distinct era of Eno
sngalbums: Originally appeared on the 405. A mustachioed Duncan Nielsen is the mind behind DONCAT, having begun the project about six years ago. His last full-length effort was called Easy Cowboy, which demonstrated a more pastoral take on his evocative style of indie rock. Preservation may be more succinct than its predecessor but the emotion it channels is arguably more potent, once again able to … Continue reading Life-sized imagery brings DONCAT’s new Preservation of the Spirit LP to life
sngalbums: Photo by Bryan C. Parker Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. “Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth,” Pablo Picasso told The Arts reporter Marius de Zayas in 1923. More recently, in the spring of 2018, Loma revealed their own untruth at the Bootleg as part of a tour for their eponymous debut album. Even more lies await on … Continue reading Dive Headfirst Into Loma’s Mesmerizing Sophomore LP Don’t Shy Away
Photo by Bryan C. Parker Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. “Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth,” Pablo Picasso told The Arts reporter Marius de Zayas in 1923. More recently, in the spring of 2018, Loma revealed their own untruth at the Bootleg as part of a tour for their eponymous debut album. Even more lies await on their … Continue reading Dive Headfirst Into Loma’s Mesmerizing Sophomore LP Don’t Shy Away
sngalbums: The original interview appears on Grimy Goods. The introduction is reprinted in part below. The conversation that follows is a continuation of that article. After establishing her own rhythms, Pander Sera is ready to shake everything up again. Last spring, the Los Angeles noise artist, also known as Swan, released Bothy, a raucous explosion of percussion and wit. The sound of that record was … Continue reading Pander Sera Deviates From Her Own Deviations on Errant LP [Excerpts from an Interview]
The original interview appears on Grimy Goods. The introduction is reprinted in part below. The conversation that follows is a continuation of that article. After establishing her own rhythms, Pander Sera is ready to shake everything up again. Last spring, the Los Angeles noise artist, also known as Swan, released Bothy, a raucous explosion of percussion and wit. The sound of that record was unified … Continue reading Pander Sera Deviates From Her Own Deviations on Errant LP [Excerpts from an Interview]
Photo Credit: Bao Ngo Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. The phrase ‘representation matters’ has gained popularity of late, a rallying cry that accompanies demands that Hollywood diversify casting. Though the symptoms are different, an issue of representation persists today in the music industry as well. The ratio of white executives to executives of color at the most powerful companies is troublingly high, but even setting … Continue reading Bartees Strange Covers The National to Subvert the White Indie Scene on Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy EP
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. After the last couple weeks, I’m about ready to jettison off this planet. The successful SpaceX launch certainly makes the idea tempting. If you are similarly seeking an escape, look out for Azure, the brand new record from Vinyl Williams out now. The local psych artist, né Lionel Williams, has created not just one but 11 new worlds on the … Continue reading “Mithras” Music Video Reveals a Morsel of the Technicolor Universe on Vinyl Williams’ Azure LP
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. For anyone who was concerned that the stay-at-home order would dampen the sound of summer, worry no more. The Brazil-born, LA-based musician Das Kope has been steadily releasing sunny shoegaze singles since 2018; his contributions on guitar alone are entrancing. Now we finally see the release of his debut full-length album, Where I Live, a fuzzy fantasy experienced from afar. … Continue reading Sounds of Self-Isolation Define Das Kope’s Debut LP, Where I Live
Sawdust & Gin 