No Song is an Island

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 »

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 »