sawdustandgin: Best Albums of 2017 Drawn by me. 1. Violents and Monica Martin – Awake and Pretty Much Sober Pen, pastels. album review | buy Awake and Pretty Much Sober | website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud 2. Kacey Johansing – The Hiding Pencil. album review | buy The Hiding | website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | … Continue reading
Tag: best of 2017
Hungover with Violents and Monica Martin’s LP
sngalbums: This is the album everyone needs. I’ve been saying it all year, since its release last April: Awake and Pretty Much Sober is impossible to dislike. Violents is a project helmed by Jeremy Larson where he writes and produces music with an invited guest vocalist; previous projects include Stacy King (Eisley, Sucre), Olga Yagolnikov (Kye Kye), and singer-songwriter Annie Williams. In this iteration Larson … Continue reading Hungover with Violents and Monica Martin’s LP
Kacey Johansing No Longer Lives in Hiding
sngalbums: At the center of The Hiding is a lyric on the title track that gets at the heart of Kacey Johansing’s message. “Everyone keeps hiding what they long to find,” she sings, as if unveiling a universal truth that no one wants to admit that they knew. On this new record, she discusses relationships and love, often as an intrusive observer, though it could … Continue reading Kacey Johansing No Longer Lives in Hiding
Are Our Gods Best? Ruminating on Emay’s New LP, Ilah
sngalbums: Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Adams worked mostly solo on this record. A few guests contribute on the refrains, grounding the lofty project, but never detract attention away from what is largely autobiographical. Emay also produced all the backing tracks throughout Ilah, filling it with chopped drums and spliced samples for a unique listening experience, if not an acquired taste. The album’s production is … Continue reading Are Our Gods Best? Ruminating on Emay’s New LP, Ilah
Paul Bergmann Gives So Much on Nothing At All
sngalbums: My love for Paul Bergmann came about accidentally. He shared a bill at the Bootleg in August of 2016 with strong favorite of mine at the time, Oh Pep!; I hadn’t heard his music or even his name before the show, so I had no reason to anticipate anything revelatory. But once he began playing, I was instantly drawn to his sultry voice, expert … Continue reading Paul Bergmann Gives So Much on Nothing At All
Julie Byrne Finds Stability Within a Nomadic Life
sngalbums: Photo credit: Jonathan Bouknight Julie Byrne’s latest album is actually already over a year old. It came out on January 4th, making it the first new music of the year that I heard, and it clearly stuck with me. Not Even Happiness marks a personal journey in Byrne’s life, though not necessarily based in specific events; instead, the album is a series of highly personal … Continue reading Julie Byrne Finds Stability Within a Nomadic Life
Eat Your Fill on Gothic Tropic’s Debut LP, Fast or Feast
sngalbums: Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Cecilia Della Peruti has more in common with Father John Misty than meets the eye. It may have only dawned on her while we lounged at Echo Park Lake, as the Santa Ana winds ruined a family picnic nearby. After shamefully admitting I hadn’t heard Pure Comedy yet, she gushed, “the opening lyrics made me cry.” She began counting … Continue reading Eat Your Fill on Gothic Tropic’s Debut LP, Fast or Feast
May Roosevelt Speaks in Synths on New LP, Junea
sngalbums: Photo by: Marielise Goulene Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. They say that music is a universal language, and that could not be more true for today’s album premiere. Hailing from Thessaloniki, Greece, the artist and composer May Roosevelt began as a violinist when she was 12 years old, but eventually picked up the theremin, which she has since mastered. While it is one of … Continue reading May Roosevelt Speaks in Synths on New LP, Junea
vōx Envelopes the Pico-Union Project with Illuminating Performance
sngshows: Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Words by me, photos by Emery Becker. Her name speaks for herself, or rather for all of us. vōx, Latin for “voice” and often band shorthand for “vocals,” doubles as a symbol of unity for the LA artist–her voice is our voice too. It is her chosen instrument, and her new EP, I Was Born, is resplendent in vocoder … Continue reading vōx Envelopes the Pico-Union Project with Illuminating Performance
Experience the Loving Ease of M. Grig’s Still Lifes EP
sngalbums: Earlier this year I wrote about how integral ambient is to the fabric of music. In particular, I referenced two wonderful albums, Alessandro Cortini’s Avanti and Úlfur’s Arborescence, both which revealed distinct dimensions that this music can exist within. But what made a deeper impact was M. Grig’s soothing folk-inspired Still Lifes EP. I am convinced that the score of my mind and the … Continue reading Experience the Loving Ease of M. Grig’s Still Lifes EP
Sawdust & Gin 