Elkka – Prism of Pleasure: I gave Prism of Pleasure a second listen as I was driving on winding backroads at sunset on Friday night, and it rewarded me dearly. Elkka brings vulnerability and human connection into tracks like “Break All My Walls Down” and “Crushhh.” The highlight, though, is the nearly 10-minute flow of “Passionfruit,” whose piano riff conjures… Read more »
Love – Da Capo: I was working in a record store and playing in a band in NYC when Nevermind came out in fall 1991, and I can talk for hours about how all the bands and records of that time fit together: the ones who paved the way, the ones who blew up, and the ones who eventually killed… Read more »
Chet Baker – Chet Baker Sings: Late on Sunday night, I want to unwind with night music that won’t require too much from me. I mentally flip through my records and stop when I get to Chet Baker, and it is perfect. Young Fathers – Dead | 28 Years Later (Original Soundtrack): The first two songs on the soundtrack, “Promised… Read more »
Pulp – More: During my first listen, I read along with the lyrics and wondered why More was getting such glowing reviews. My second listen was more consistent with how I fell in love with Different Class and This Is Hardcore: Loud, in the car, and singing along with the handful of words I knew. Not surprisingly, the glowing reviews… Read more »
Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere: I’m a sucker for long songs and Everybody has two great ones in “Down by the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand.” The guitar solos are stellar, and that’s coming from a guy who hates guitar solos. Gracie Abrams – Good Riddance | The Secret of Us: I can’t… Read more »
Mitski – Puberty 2: Last year, I tried and failed to understand why people like Mitski. This week, it clicked with Puberty 2. The record keeps my attention from start to finish, and it gets better with every pass. “Happy” is the early standout. Loscil – Lake Fire: I listened on a plane while waves of clouds burned below us… Read more »
Ethel Cain – Preacher’s Daughter: My first reaction was that this could be about the women in Grateful Dead songs. No, Jack Straw didn’t ride a Harley and rob ATMs, but roll it back 100 years and the women he and Shannon shared could be here. Mac DeMarco – Salad Days: This reminds me of Weezer, Beck, and John Lennon,… Read more »
Gloorp – Gloorp ‘Em Up: I’ve listened to Gloorp ‘Em Up three times now. If I’d heard it in 1992, I would have gone bananas over it, but I don’t have that reaction in 2025. What I like, though, is that Garrett Burke physically played pretty much everything here. Is it novel? No. Is it cool? Yes. And that leads… Read more »
Nils Frahm – Paris: I had the privilege of seeing him in a beautiful concert hall with amazing sound, and I picked up Paris at the merch table. He opened both the recorded show and the show I saw with the haunting “Prolog” and the only thing the recording doesn’t capture is the excitement of watching him create it live…. Read more »
Carlita – Fabric Presents Carlita: I’ve kept Carlita’s Fabric mix in heavy rotation this week, and every time I listen to it, I like it a little bit more. The last four tracks make my soul move. Tim Hecker – Shards: Hecker is one of my favorite artists and I have all his records, but I have absolutely nothing of… Read more »