Released: February 19, 2021 I’ve always steered clear of compilations like this. The reasons became painfully clear as I listened to Trance Party 2021. First, it’s not a mixed set. Part of the joy of this kind of music is the seamless movement from one song to the next, one mood to the next. Second, there’s no flow. Anyone who… Read more »
Released: October 2, 2012 Every time I listen to this record, I hear something different. One day I hear Bill Laswell, the next Parliament, the next Bowie or Prince or Zappa. I heard the Grateful Dead once, but even though I’ve tried, I just can’t find that vibe again. I hear dodgy wanker music on Monday and then on Tuesday… Read more »
Released: July 1, 1986 The list of records that I love that a lot of people hate is probably not all that short, but the one that always comes to mind first is Discharge’s 1986 LP, Grave New World. Some treat it as a departure or even a sellout (the worst of all punk rock sins) by the godfathers of… Read more »
Released: March 19, 2013 As a DJ, producer, and label owner, Ellen Allien has pushed the boundaries of techno and electronic music for decades. Her music recreates the energy of Berlin much in the same way Coltrane’s music recreates the energy of New York City. One thing I like about Ellen Allien is her willingness to experiment, to risk failure… Read more »
“I do not think there are any wrong reasons for liking a statue or a picture.” – E.H. Gombrich, The Story of Art If music is art (and Gombrich is correct about art), the quote above should be applicable to music as well. And I certainly think that music is art. But it is also entertainment. It is also a… Read more »
Released January 27, 2014 The opening track, “Forgiven,” creates a grey mood from its first notes. Its factory-like drone stretches for over seven minutes, the two chords changing in small and interesting ways yet staying the same. It’s the kind of song that could be annoying but makes me excited to hear more. Unfortunately, Ghettoville doesn’t deliver on the promise… Read more »
Released: April 22, 2016 Appearances are a strange part of being a music fan. Sometimes it feels more important to like music that has been accepted by cultural tastemakers than to vulnerably and proudly wear our own tastes. Upon listening to Therapy Session, I immediately recognize that NF is the kind of musician that tastemakers love to ridicule. He’s Christian… Read more »
Released: January 29, 2021 When Lester Bangs’ character in Almost Famous said the Guess Who had the “courage to be drunken buffoons,” I always remembered it as the “courage to be stupid,” which while incorrect, really got to the character’s point in that scene. The notion of that kind of courage made sense to me even as I so often… Read more »
Released: March 22, 2019 This is night music. This is music that waits until the party is over and the doors are locked and the beats are tucked snugly into the DJ’s case of records. This is music that guides you home when the sky is black and the streets are deserted and your feet are throbbing. This is music… Read more »
Released: February 18, 1966 In the 1960’s, Motown was in the business of making money and they accomplished that by producing a great product. The Supremes’ I Hear a Symphony is one of the crowning achievements of that plan. It is an album that existed somehow in the past and present simultaneously. Originally conceived as a Motown take on old… Read more »