Adrianne Lenker’s ‘Bright Future’ Is a Big Record
On Bright Future, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker proves how much you can do with so little that you don’t need a ton of flash to craft a stunning record.
J. Simpson
Occupying the Interzone between criticism and creativity, J.
Simpson believes that great art makes the world a better place. Specializing in covering dark and experimental art, he believes there's
more to the world than meets the eye and more to life than chasing
the bottom line. He is also published with Spectrum Culture and Freq Magazine and edits the Forestpunk blog.
Kelly Moran’s ‘Moves in the Field’ Calms Fear and Anxiety
Kelly Moran explores the ghost in the machine on Moves in the Field, a delicate, thoughtful album of “solo” neoclassical piano explorations.
Pissed Jeans Laugh at the Absurdity of Life on ‘Half Divorced’
On their first album in seven years, Allentown, PA’s Pissed Jeans return with a short, savage, scathing and often hilarious takedown of the modern world.
A Kind of Beauty: An Interview With Ben Frost
Ben Frost, Australia’s premiere avant-garde composer, unleashes his first solo album in seven years by returning to the pitch-black metal he loves so dearly.
This Is Why Cassette Tapes Will Never Die
In his history music history book High Bias, Marc Masters argues that cassette tapes will never die because they never really went away in the first place.
A Guide to Lovers Rock: Reggae’s Romantic Side
Lovers Rock offers a politics of pleasure, as well as a deep love and appreciation of Black music, culture, and style from all over the Earth.
Eye Flys Highlight Their Melvins’ Influences on New LP
Sludge metal band Eye Flys take the low-down ‘n’ dirty, down-tuned sludge of the Melvins and heat weld it to massive, 21st-century post-hardcore riffs.
Kali Uchis’ ‘Orquideas’ Is a Striking Pop Album
On Orquisideas, Kali Uchis yet again proves she is the Queen of Concept, delivering a clever, thoughtful album inspired by the “sensual allure of the orchid”.
Art Pepper: The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings
Art Pepper’s The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings reveals a talent on par with John Coltrane at his most searching and uncompromising.
Godfrey Reggio’s Beautifully Bewildering ‘Once Within a Time’
Once Within a Time‘s beautifully bewildering carnival of pop surrealist imagery will haunt you long after its 51-minute concludes.
The Holy Mother: Madhuvanti Pal Plays the Rudra Veena
Sublime Frequencies correct a grave injustice with this stunning new two-LP from Madhuvanti Pal, the first-ever vinyl record of a woman playing the rudra veena.
Grails’ ‘Anches en Maat’ Takes a Cinematic Turn
Grails’ new LP is like listening to the soundtrack for an existential cosmic Western, Andrei Tarkovsky taking a stab at some Werner Herzog Mesoamerican mythologizing.