Archive: 2020

Music with a cause is not necessarily the same thing as music for a good cause, but 20 X 20 largely succeeds on multiple fronts. Twenty different artists recorded in isolation during the course of this ill-fated year and the Little Village Foundation has collected it to share in one fell swoop. In doing so, […]

Strategic planning has not hurt anybody as yet and if this statement does not manage to steer your inflexible presumptions about the world, the slot’s history will surely do so. Remember, what Napoleon was famous for? What means did this diminutive man have that allowed him to subdue nearly the entire world? That’s right! He […]

Cat Ridgeway’s singing supersedes the lyrics so finely-printed inside the digi-pak of Nice To Meet You. But that’s no criticism of the words to the seven songs, only an observation/reminder the human voice is rightly regarded as the greatest of all musical instruments. On this the woman’s fifth recording, however, she also demonstrates her multi-instrumental […]

When Matt Dorrien moved from San Francisco to Portland with his girlfriend, it was supposed to be the beginning of a new chapter. After two folky, ethereal, guitar-based records under the name Snowblind Traveler, Dorrien was looking forward to experimenting with writing songs on the piano, the first instrument he ever learned to play. As luck would […]

Brooklyn based TOLEDO (Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz) shine on their spacious and warm-hearted new single “It’s Alive!.” A soft and inviting vocal delivery is supported by tasteful acoustic rhythm guitar, a deep and mellow bass groove, with stunning and swirling harmonies. TOLEDO makes gorgeous music with poignant lyrical wordplay seem effortless and simple. “It’s Alive! uses […]

maxime., born Maxime Trippenbach, makes alt-pop music – whose sounds are lush and distinct – from his room in Ottawa, Canada. In December 2019 he self-released an ambitious 18-track debut, whatevernowiscalled. Featuring him as its sole writer, producer, performer, and engineer, the album saw maxime. come into his own. On cerulean (FINAL), his forthcoming sophomore […]

Oddnesse is the grungy dream-pop project of songwriter and producer Rebeca Arango. Arango, a guitarist who loves baselines, writes songs and makes records with collaborators when not daylighting as a copywriter. With tasteful guitar application and subtle synth color, Oddnesse shines with a woozy and lush warmth on her new single “Hot Air.” This versatile composition is […]

Chadwick Boseman’s final performance is one for the ages.

Kool kats! Welcome to the sleek world of frigidkitty. Following a 40-second introduction that feels like you’re entering an upside-down Disney netherworld, Lexington, Kentucky’s Kim Conlee bares claws. To scratch an itch? To draw blood? The answer depends on the listener, because Conlee is the kind of sonic seducer that leaves you wondering if you […]

When is a seasonal album not a seasonal album? When the artist who made the record, in this case, the Michael Falzarano Extended Family, illustrates how the sentiments permeating the music are worth savoring at times beyond the holiday proper. A bandleader in his own right as well as an erstwhile member of Hot Tuna […]

Hailing from Laurel, Maryland but born to Nigerian parents, Omolola has always had a love for songwriting and music, from singing in church since she was a child, to writing her first song back in middle school. From the support of friends and family, and joining the collective Supa, she is able to share music […]

Lydia Luce grew up in a strict musical household where her mother was a professional conductor for the Ars Flores Symphony Orchestra and learning the violin was not presented as a choice. A virtuoso from six years old, she excelled in numerous philharmonics. She obtained her master’s at UCLA in the viola but knew her path […]

Amazon Music hosted three short concerts as ‘Holiday Plays’ streaming on Amazon Music and their Twitch Channel on Tuesday nights at 8pm Eastern. The first featured Kiana Lede, the second Miley Cyrus, and the third, on December 15th, presented Lil Nas X hosting The Foo Fighters, with even more overt holiday decorations and themes. While […]

The Melvins usher in 2021 with “Melvins TV: Volume 1, New Year’s Evil,” a 5-song livestreaming event also featuring interviews and extras, on Dec. 31 at 12 noon pacific/3 pm eastern/8 pm gmt/7 am aedt. $5 tickets are available now via https://melvins.veeps.com. A limited-edition, commemorative poster and t-shirt, both featuring artwork by Junko Mizuno and Mackie […]

Leti Garza has always believed fiercely in the importance of creating her own narrative, building her own platforms, and developing fully as an artist. Her music shimmers with vitality and honesty, mined from the rich reserves of her life experiences. ​Her lyrics display a plainspoken wisdom that cuts to the marrow of human relationships. And […]

The Chilean Metal band Nuclear took a few years to release their new album, Murder of Crows, but it was worth the wait. What fans received was an interesting evolution in their sound, but not a shift in their sensibilities. While the guitar parts bring in the warmth of traditional Thrash, the vocals often take […]

When you receive music from Voodoo Rhythm Records, you can bet that it’s going to be something unusual. But even if you’re prepared for something unusual, you’re probably not entirely prepared for Degurutieni. Degurutieni is a one-man band who grew up in Osaka, Japan. He began creating music when he was 16, using whatever he […]

The Mojave is a desolate dreamscape, a vista of mind-bending scenery that seems to transform with every sand-swept step. There’s something exquisitely wild about it, tinged with a hint of danger. On the surface it can appear sparse—even foreboding—but a deeper examination proves it teaming with all the tragedy and transcendence of life. The same […]