Honey Dijon – DJ-Kicks: This entire mix is fantastic. It hits its stride on “Dear Father in Heaven” and kept my rapt attention to somewhere around “Bessie.” This is one of the best new house DJ sets I’ve heard in years. Andrew Ryce’s review at Pitchfork is better than anything I could write, but don’t let his 7.7 rating scare… Read more »
Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera: This has been on my “need to listen” list for ages. I spent 90 focused minutes with it this week, then played it in the background a few times. I wouldn’t give it 5-stars, but it’s a solid 4 and maybe 4.5. Three things I enjoyed about it: Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um:… Read more »
Sly and the Family Stone: Stand!: I listened to What’s Going On a few months ago, and the words struck me as overly simplistic. Stand! lands in a much better place and the words here resonate so much more. Plus, unlike What’s Goin’ On, there’s no flute, just raw, fiery funk. Alice Coltrane: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda:… Read more »
Jessie Ware – Devotion: Upon spending a lot of time with this record, I understand and agree with comparisons to artists like the Blue Nile and Sade. This is such a good album! Jlin – Black Origami: I like glitchy, unexpected electronic music, but I doubt I’ll listen to this again. Which raises a question: Why not? This is intense… Read more »