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 »
Jessie Ware – Devotion: My ears and my brain are working harder with Devotion than they did with That Feels Good!: While the latter felt like a familiar friend from the first note, the former is filled with sounds and layers and arrangements that don’t immediately make sense. Thankfully, they eventually come clear. I’m letting this record unfold slowly, and… Read more »
Rachel Chinouriri – What a Devastating Turn of Events: I’m continuing to peel back the layers on this one. My most pleasant surprise this week is the depth of her storytelling. Craig Armstrong – Nocturnes Music for 2 Pianos | The Space Between Us: I once played The Space Between Us at a weekend party in an upstate NY cabin,… Read more »
Rachel Chinouriri – What a Devastating Turn of Events: The production is big, the songwriting is simple yet powerful, the lyrics are funny one moment and heartbreaking the next, and the vibe frequently nods to some of my favorite British alternative/indie artists from the past four decades. This is the most excited I’ve been about a new pop/rock artist in… Read more »
Shygirl – Fabric Presents: For me, there’s a fine line between electronic dance music and mainstream pop, and I hate it when a DJ crosses that line in the middle of a set. I used to go hear Junior Vasquez on Saturday nights in NYC, but eventually I stopped because I just didn’t need to hear the latest Madonna or… Read more »
Grateful Dead – 12/19/73 (Tampa FL) / Dick’s Picks 1: I’d always assumed Dick’s Picks were complete concerts so this was an interesting reality check. On the positive side, I probably never would have listened to the full show without DiP1, and there are some stellar performances here (like “Sugaree” and “Row Jimmy” and even “Candyman,” which I typically don’t… Read more »
Grateful Dead – 9/20/82 (New York); 9/3/77 (Englishtown NJ): The 1982 concert has some absolutely wonderful moments, including one of my favorite versions of “Row Jimmy” and an early performance of “Throwing Stones.” Overall, though, it just lacks the magic of the show in NJ five years earlier. Beyonce – Renaissance: I love that Beyonce paid homage to classic house… Read more »
Grateful Dead – 9/20/82 (New York); 4/26/69 (Chicago); 4/27/69 (Minneapolis); 12/19/73 (Tampa): I was getting tired of Mydland-era shows so I went back to 1969 and rediscovered my love for the Pigpen era. Taylor Swift – Folklore: This has become indispensable late-night listening. All Hands_Make Light – Darling the Dawn: I’m coming up on my one-year anniversary with this record,… Read more »
Grateful Dead – 3/9/81 & 3/10/81 (Madison Square Garden); 6/17/91 (Giants Stadium); 5/2/70 (Harpur College): I keep coming back to the intangible magic of 3/9/81, and the acoustic first set of the 1970 show is amazing. I’m hoping to branch out into a few other shows in the coming weeks, but these have consumed most of my listening time. Hania… Read more »
Grateful Dead – Madison Square Garden, New York, 3/9/81 | 3/10/81: This week was a deep dive into these two shows. Some things that blew me away: