The Light of Smiles by Gary Wright
Yet another dollar-bin classic, certified by Amoeba: Light of Smiles is peak late-career Gary Wright, delivering on hooky pop masterpieces while centering his songwriting around Paramahansa Yogananda. Continue reading The Light of Smiles by Gary Wright
Peter Coccoma – “an invitation”
Out of grief comes acknowledgement of the dualities of life. Coccoma invites us to ponder the dichotomies together on A Place to Begin. Peter Coccoma | order A Place to Begin | website | Twitter | Spotify | Soundcloud | Bandcamp Continue reading Peter Coccoma – “an invitation”
Hyperion Drive – “Being of a Mountain”
Whatever’s Clever released the first in a series of benefit compilations in May. Proceeds for each record in the series will go toward an initiative selected democratically among the label’s staff. This month, they will donate to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF), an organization that works intersectionally to provide support for those facing financial or logistical barriers to abortion access. The album, and … Continue reading Hyperion Drive – “Being of a Mountain”
Sun Dawei – “早晨 Zǎo Chén”
A cold techno dawn. Sun Dawei | order 後 Hòu | Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud | Bandcamp 後 Hòu Continue reading Sun Dawei – “早晨 Zǎo Chén”
Field Guides – “Margaret”
Quiet and slow, “Margaret” plays an important role in Field Guides’ latest album, Gingko. En garde! Field Guides | order Gingko | Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud | Bandcamp Continue reading Field Guides – “Margaret”
Eleven Years Since Their Debut, Team Me is Still Something in the Making
Sometimes I lose hope in the nostalgia I have for bands of my youth. I’ve left my 20s, and school feels so long ago—especially, somehow, college. Life is so different, in ways that I should have predicted but would never have been able to see at the time. Could I have known that this twee Norwegian band would still light up my soul eleven years … Continue reading Eleven Years Since Their Debut, Team Me is Still Something in the Making
Melodic and Ambient, Gathering the Light Reflects Life
Nature is a strong influence. All around us, regardless of the specific environment, we are experiencing our surroundings; life creates its own music in genres that the industry would call ambient, or naturalist. Field recordings, also occasionally affectionately called “found sounds,” offer a sense of hyper-reality that, paired with the music itself, paints a vivid story of the listener’s choosing. Motohiro Nakashima achieves all this … Continue reading Melodic and Ambient, Gathering the Light Reflects Life
Floating Points – “Problems”
Exquisite electricity for the dancefloor. Floating Points | SnG coverage | website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Soundcloud | Bandcamp Continue reading Floating Points – “Problems”
Ghost Car – “Selfish, Spoiled”
London’s Ghost Car are preparing for an album release in October, and it’s shaping up to be a fun, punk caper. Their latest video, for “Selfish, Spoiled” is a hysterically gaudy satire. In fact, the more I watched it, the more sick I felt. I love the eat-the-rich philosophy, but honestly, if we let them ingest as many toxic and inedible things as in this … Continue reading Ghost Car – “Selfish, Spoiled”
Anteloper – “Delfin Rosado”
I have to address the art first: I have never seen a more perfect image. It’s so colorful, yet muted by all the blues. The dolphins look so happy but I am unsettled by their three eyes—on one side. Do they even have eyes on the other side to balance? The style of the waves is incredible and creates so much movement in such a … Continue reading Anteloper – “Delfin Rosado”
Sawdust & Gin 