Our Lives Are Guided By Addiction
Gregor Hens’ new non-fiction work, Nicotine, is an exploration of one particular niche in the addiction dialogue.
Christopher Laird
Christopher Laird is a teacher and a writer from Alton, Illinois. His hobbies include writing and teaching and playing floor hockey. Find him on Twitter: @SeaLairdPop
Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time / The Art of Walking / The Song of the Bailing Man
Pere Ubu is known mostly for their first two records, The Modern Dance and Dub Housing. This subsequent trio of releases showcases a noted change in the direction of the band.
Various Artists: Microcosm: Visionary Music of Continental Europe, 1970-1986
Light in the Attic's lovingly curated collection is an excellent introduction to such a massive influence on modern music.
Soundgarden: Badmotorfinger (Deluxe Edition)
Twenty-five years on, the populace gets a renewed look at Soundgarden’s contribution to the year punk broke with a fully loaded reissue of their career-changing Badmotorfinger.
Lower Plenty: Sister Sister
On Sister Sister, Lower Plenty has made a move towards something a little slicker, more intentional.
Jay Som: Turn Into
Melina Duterte of Jay Som has had quite the whirlwind year, and to cap it off, she is re-releasing her 2015 album Untitled as Turn Into on Polyvinyl.
Romare: Love Songs: Part Two
“Love” is a wide word, having many different meanings in many different contexts, so these song collages take inspiration from all over the spectrum of audio love.
Jacuzzi Boys: Ping Pong
Jacuzzi Boys' new album, Ping Pong, enters swinging. This little garage rock band of boys might have matured a bit.
The Notwist: Superheroes, Ghostvillians & Stuff
All of Superheroes, Ghostvillians & Stuff” does not reach memorable heights, but it's not from a lack of trying.
Balance and Composure: Light We Made
The Pennsylvania post-hardcore band Balance and Composure have changed a bit. Is it a slick and successful movement toward a fresh sound, or is it an awkward stumble?
Low: The Exit Papers
In 2000, in between the career-defining albums Secret Name and The Things We Lost in the Fire, Low created the EP The Exit Papers, a stab at making film music.
Jóhann Jóhannsson: Orphee
Orphée is the first album by Jóhann Jóhannsson not associated with a film since 2009’s Fordlandia, and from the opening track, it shows itself as a work to be heard on its own terms.