Otis Shanty Make Jangle Pop Magic ‘Up on the Hill’
With Up on the Hill, Otis Shanty have taken the guitar-based, dream pop template and reinvented it beautifully for a new era.
Chris Ingalls
Chris is a Massachusetts native who spent seven years as a broadcast journalist in the U.S. Navy and was also a videotape editor for a CBS affiliate TV station, a newspaper editor at a military public affairs office in Naples, Italy, and a videographer for a cancer research institute. His currently works as an internal communications manager for a large Boston hospital. He was born in 1969 and has been a rabid music fan since at least 1970, thanks to his three older siblings. A PopMatters writer since 2016, Chris is also an occasional guest on the music podcast "Losing My Opinion," and is on Bluesky, Instagram, and X @Ingalls1969. He lives in the leafy suburbs outside of Boston with his wife, son, dog, two cats, and lots of records.
Max Jaffe Takes Experimentalism to Another Level
Percussionist Max Jaffe chronicles his years in New York City with the twitchy, unsettling, experimental jazz of Reduction of Man.
Masayoshi Fujita Embraces Melodic Calm on ‘Migratory’
Japanese multi-instrumentalist and composer Masayoshi Fujita weaves mallet percussion and synths together for an arresting experience on Migratory.
One Pioneer to Another: Laurie Anderson Meets ‘Amelia’
Trailblazing avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson tells the story of Amelia Earhart in a wonderful, engaging musical documentary.
Sima Cunningham Soars and Soothes on the Brilliant ‘High Roller’
The different lyrical, musical, and emotional avenues indie folk’s Sima Cunningham travels throughout High Roller shows an artist overflowing with ideas.
Frank Zappa’s Serious Transformation: ‘The Perfect Stranger’ at 40
A prolific conductor and a sophisticated synthesizer make for an under-appreciated but vastly important album in Frank Zappa’s prodigious catalog.
Budokan Boys’ ‘Are You Sick?’ Is Darkly Comic Madness
The deeply strange but sonically seductive duo Budokan Boys unleash a typically bonkers new EP. ‘Are You Sick?’ Highlights their odd, dark world.
Umberto’s ‘Black Bile’ Is Full of Graceful, Minimalist Ambience
Umberto is a master of creating moods that may be unfamiliar and alien but, like the best ambient music, are eventually welcoming in their own way.
Chuck Johnson Creates Shimmering Ambient Soundscapes
Chuck Johnson’s soundscapes have a widescreen feel with pedal steel guitar, twangy fingerpicking, and well-executed use of synthesizers and meditative drones.
Musical Experimentalist Jessica Ackerley Is Blazing Trails
Ever-evolving experimental guitarist and composer Jessica Ackerley talks about – among other things – their eclectic and ambitious new solo album.
Ben Seretan Unleashes His “Insane Italy Record”
Ben Seretan’s new LP is loud and cathartic, filled with psychedelic noise, gospel-tinged refrains, unhinged guitar mania, and a live-in-the-studio sound.
SUSS Nail Ambient Country Vibes with ‘Birds & Beasts’
Ambient country’s SUSS thrive on moody atmospheres and calm amidst the tension. Their music is imbued with the beauty and mystery of the American West.