Putting the Eyebrows on It: Frank Zappa’s ‘The Yellow Shark’ at 30
The orchestral music of Frank Zappa is required listening for any fan of 20th-century classical music, and The Yellow Shark is the best place to start.
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.
Katie von Schleicher Isn’t Trying to Be Cool
Brooklyn alternative pop artist Katie von Schleicher discusses her brilliant new, dreamy album, and why she allows the freedom to be herself.
Ivo Perelman and Nate Wooley Go Berserk on ‘Polarity 2’
Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley explore the limits of free jazz on this welcome sequel with its power of boundless musical interplay.
Gold Dime Make a Torrent of Beautiful Noise on ‘No More Blue Skies’
Gold Dime’s No More Blue Skies can be loud, fast, and urgent but will also disarm you and create a deeply unsettling atmosphere. It’s well worth the wait.
Mare Berger Mesmerizes and Enchants on Gorgeous ‘Dreaming Blue’
Mare Berger’s Dreaming Blue is a richly melodic ode to love, grief and nature, and it wears its Joni Mitchell and Joanna Newsom influences well.
Family Dynamics Release Their Long-Lost Album in Physical Form
The sole release from the experimental collective Family Dynamics gets the long-awaited vinyl treatment, and it’s an exquisite, impossible-to-classify gem.
Richard Sears Expertly Mixes Jazz, Ambient and Musique Concrète
Piano and tape loops provide the basis for pianist Richard Sears’ most satisfying, compelling release to date, Appear to Fade.
Jessica Pavone Interprets Womens’ Work Through the Ages
Eclectic composer Jessica Pavone pays tribute to women-made inventions through powerful musical compositions and performances in her new string ensemble album.
JOBS Return with the Tense and Multilayered ‘Soft Sounds’
With Soft Sounds, Brooklyn quartet JOBS continue to guide us out of predictability and into previously unknown musical avenues, lush with possibilities.
Charlie Kaplan’s ‘Country Life in America’ Is Delightful, Breezy Power Pop
The sophistication of Charlie Kaplan’s gorgeous LP is impressive and a reminder that sometimes the simplest, sincere gestures are the warmest and longest-lasting.
Thelonious Monk’s Seminal ‘Brilliant Corners’ Gets Reissue Treatment It Deserves
As the latest entry in a carefully curated audiophile series, jazz icon Thelonious Monk’s 1957 masterpiece Brilliant Corners sounds better than ever.
Everything’s a Dollar in This Box: Tom Waits’ ‘Swordfishtrombones’ at 40
Tom Waits’ 1983 album Swordfishtrombones signified a seismic shift in the singer-songwriter’s sound. His music would never be the same again.