Music Reviews

Eli & Fur’s ‘Dreamscapes’ Casts a Low-Lit Spell

Eli & Fur’s ‘Dreamscapes’ Casts a Low-Lit Spell

Built on pulsating beats, minimalist synth touches, and immaculate sound design, British EDM duo Eli & Fur’s Dreamscapes casts a low-lit, wee-hours spell.

Pixies’ New LP Is a Fine Addition to Their Second Act

Pixies’ New LP Is a Fine Addition to Their Second Act

Pixies’ latest LP, featuring new bass player Emma Richardson, is another solid but not earth-shattering effort. It’s clever, if not cute, with a charming theme.

A Place to Bury Strangers Don’t Let Up on ‘Synthesizer’

A Place to Bury Strangers Don’t Let Up on ‘Synthesizer’

The Loudest Band in the World, A Place to Bury Strangers, draw from seminal, post-punk influences while taking things to new places on Synthesizer.

Chat Pile’s Bleak View Goes Global with ‘Cool World’

Chat Pile’s Bleak View Goes Global with ‘Cool World’

Chat Pile’s new album does not offer catharsis; it is just an unflinching account of the violence we inflict on each other on an individual and global scale.

Amy Speace Remembers Her ‘American Dream’

Amy Speace Remembers Her ‘American Dream’

Amy Speace needs to look deeper into herself. What she doesn’t say makes her well-crafted songs easy to swallow. That’s a blessing as well as a curse.

Galaxie 500 Remain Celestial and Earthbound on New Collection

Galaxie 500 Remain Celestial and Earthbound on New Collection

Uncollected Noise New York ’88-’90 is a new compilation of unreleased tracks, B-sides, and rarities that restores and dismantles the myth of Galaxie 500.

Alison Moyet Gives Her Greatest Hits a Winning Makeover

Alison Moyet Gives Her Greatest Hits a Winning Makeover

Alison Moyet’s approach to her oeuvre is to treat her old songs like a new batch of tunes, divorced from any baggage or expectations.

Kelley Mickwee’s Soulful, Spirit-Driven Affection

Kelley Mickwee’s Soulful, Spirit-Driven Affection

From the first song on Kelley Mickwee’s Everything Beautiful, you hear her expressive joy and feel her desire to create a cohesive and provocative piece of art.

Greensky Bluegrass and Holly Bowling Crush the Fillmore

Greensky Bluegrass and Holly Bowling Crush the Fillmore

Greensky Bluegrass’ magical jam factor is elevated to the next dimension when Holly Bowling is on board with her unique sonic alchemy.

The Clearwater Swimmers Dive into Warm, Fuzzy Distortion

The Clearwater Swimmers Dive into Warm, Fuzzy Distortion

As they’ve proven on their debut, the Clearwater Swimmers click beautifully as a quartet but are also guided by songwriting of the highest order.

Nick Cave’s ‘Wild God’ Benevolently Sweeps Through Berlin

Nick Cave’s ‘Wild God’ Benevolently Sweeps Through Berlin

The start of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ world tour brings transcendence to the German capital and shows there is no taming the Great Bard.

São Paulo’s Nomade Orquestra Sounds a Brassy Revolution

São Paulo’s Nomade Orquestra Sounds a Brassy Revolution

São Paulo band Nomade Orquestra’s ‘Terceiro Mundo’ is a shining example of a group capable of being original, inventive, and nonetheless broadly appealing.