MUSIC

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2020 Roundup of the Best Albums

As often tends to happen, the trend of posting late year-end wrap-ups continues…..and this year it is even more belated. In looking at my 2019 post of the best albums, published to the site on the flagrantly delinquent date of March 29th, there was a surety that would never happen again. Yet here we are, already a third of the way into 2021 and the window on 2020 reflections has clearly closed.  Nevertheless, stubbornness will prevail in almost all instances....

Ryan Adams Writing Songs for 30 Year Olds

Not that I have made any great forays into the research, but I am assuming a fair number of us grew up with a pet bird in the house.  Some friends had a parrot, others a cockatiel, maybe something else we never knew what to call. In my house we had several parakeets at different times throughout my childhood.  They were messy and high maintenance, often shrill and relegated to a corner of the house so their sounds were made...

Staying Edgy in a World of Post-Reverb Rock

I’m definitely paraphrasing when discussing an interesting quote in Lizzy Goodman’s oral history compilation Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011. This quote stood out for being both blunt as well as resoundingly true. If you are not familiar with this seminal 2017 publication, Goodman basically took thousands of hours of interviews with some of the most important musicians, critics, and record producers of NYC’s Rock resurgence, including The Strokes, The Rapture,...

Sonikseek: Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes Drop Blue Fire

Tomorrow is the release date for an album that has been absolutely teased to the brink of delirium. Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes, two British producers and Jazz instrumentalists, will give us a look at the final product of a collaboration that has brought us “Nightrider”, quite possibly the sleekest, stylish, most outrageously dope and laid back Jazz-Hop track ever (that also features one of my favorite rappers Freddie Gibbs). What is most interesting about this song and all the...

Suddenly There’s Time! Looking Back at the Best LPs of 2019

Okay, I get it …. it’s almost April and I’m trying to do a recap of 2019. The audacity! Here’s the excuse: early 2020 was a very busy time. It would appear I overextended myself with extracurriculars… and also the day job really ramped-up. This post was like an itch I just couldn’t scratch, constantly being put off to my chagrin. However, it was always my intention to do a re-cap, because it’s not a great feeling to leave things...