March

Mud season has arrived, as winter reluctantly relents to spring here in northern IL. “Lousy Smarch weather!”

February

Am I the only one that feels like we’re watching Pandora’s latest unboxing video?

January

There’s a 1.3% 2.2% 3.1% chance an asteroid will hit Earth in the next eight years. Sadly, it’s too soon to say if this is a good thing or bad thing.

2024 Albums of the Year

Once again, I listened to a lot of new music over the past 12 months, which is why I always enjoy taking this annual snapshot of where my head is at based on the music that resonated with me the most … very artsy, very poppy.

Beyond the first four, they’re listed in no particular order. Narrowing it down wasn’t easy – and there’s plenty of great stuff that didn’t make the cut – but I don’t believe in just handing out participation trophies. These are the best of the best.

• Clarissa Connelly’s World of Work is a masterpiece, plain and simple, and easily takes this year’s top spot. It’s a cascade of haunting vocal melodies, classical chord structures, 70s folk, and modern production, all infused with a sense of both the profound and the comical. (I mean, just look at the cover!) ★★★★★
• I will never tire of losing myself in the hypnotic sounds of a modular synthesizer, but it takes something truly special to sit comfortably in the top tier. Ethereal Dissolution, the latest from Hélène Vogelsinger, majestically belies the simple mechanics of patch-cord routing and dial twiddling. ★★★★★
• I was not prepared for this progressive folk triumph, having been unfamiliar with Haley Heynderickx before hearing Seed of a Seed. Her honeyed vocals, gentle finger-picked guitar, and sparse instrumentation weave compelling melodies that skillfully capture feelings of unvarnished serenity. ★★★★★
• Already a stand-out among my mid-year picks, Dana Gavanski earns the coveted fifth star and a top-spot with her beguiling Late Slap. It’s a brazen album of fun grooves and surprising vocal leaps, but not without an underlying sense of discomfort and earned perspective. ★★★★★

• Another mainstay from the first half of the year, indie trio Loma’s How Will I Live Without a Body? insists that we slow down and allow space for our minds to wander — awash in the roomy, reverb-heavy sounds of delicate acoustic guitar, brooding piano, shuffling drums, and Emily Cross’ exquisite vocals. ★★★★☆
• Given my love of all-things-Shana, this late-May tour de force from La Luz remains a turntable staple. News of the Universe leaves their surf noir stylings behind and embraces the hazy psychedelia hinted at on their previous album. ★★★★☆
• On Strange Medicine, Kaia Kater infuses traditional Appalachian sounds with her distinctly Canadian heritage. Kater is clearly an accomplished banjo player – and yes, this is primarily a bluegrass album – but there are unexpected jazz and soul influences at play as well. ★★★★☆
• Another album in regular rotation since its release back in March, Arushi Jain’s contemplative quest for Delight reimagines Indian classical music in a celestial sound bath of soft modular synths and shimmering vocals. ★★★★☆

• Annelies Monseré released the haunting I Sigh, I Resign back in June, and it’s remained at the top of my late-night listening stack ever since. The cover, featuring Annelies’s own sketches referencing female artists of the Dutch Golden Age, sets the tone for this intimate exploration of power structures and toxicity. ★★★★☆
• Fight the Real Terror is a fascinating album from Shara Nova, the artist behind My Brightest Diamond. Inspired in part by the death of Sinead O’Connor, this is an album of stripped-back art rock that tackles themes of injustice, empowerment, and the safety we all long for. ★★★★☆
• Indie rock heroine Mary Timony returns after a 15-year hiatus with her latest solo album, Untame the Tiger. This is powerful, guitar-driven indie rock – born of grief and difficult life experiences – with Timony’s distinctive vocals oscillating between sorrow and hope. ★★★★☆
• There’s a dreamy, gothic vibe surrounding the glitchy electronics, hazy beats, and immaculate production of the latest from Liela Moss, another of this year’s surprising new discoveries. On her unusually-titled Transparent Eyeball , Moss’ expressive voice is both tense and tender, as well as timeless and timely. ★★★★☆

Overall, it was a year dominated by indie and art pop releases, and that trend seems likely to continue. The new year is off to a strong start with music from Ela Minus, Heartworms, and Lou-Adriane Cassidy. And I must admit, I’ve been listening to the new FKA Twigs more than I ever expected. Will wonders never cease?

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.

July

Is the year half empty, half full … or maybe just half-baked?

The Best Music of 2024 So Far, Pt. 3

Wrapping things up with my last set of picks of the year’s best music so far. All in all, it was extremely difficult to keep it to just 15, but I always appreciate the clarity that comes with having constraints. It will be interesting to see which ones end up on my year-end list — especially with all the promising albums scheduled for release in the coming months.

• It’s no secret that I adore everything Shana Cleveland touches, and the latest from La Luz is no exception. News of the Universe largely leaves the band’s surf rock stylings behind and embraces the hazy psychedelia hinted at in previous releases. It’s a beautiful album — expansive yet intimate, but still quirky as ever. ★★★★☆
• Experimental guitarist Dean McPhee weaves celestial soundscapes on Astral Gold — where psychedelia, new age, and folk seamlessly intersect. It’s both dreamlike and meditative, but also hints at things beyond our understanding. ★★★★☆
• Astrid Sonne’s deeply personal Great Doubt is her most fully-realized work to date. This contemplative and emotionally charged mix of hazy vocals, sampled strings, warm synths, and fractured beats strikes the right balance between introspection and abstraction. ★★★★☆
• I was obsessed with Japanese math rock in the late ’00s (Lite, Mouse on the Keys, Té, etc.), though most of it feels pretty dated now. But the seminal Toe has returned after a 10-year break with the reinvigorated Now I See the Light to remind us all that they’ve still got it. ★★★★☆

I tend to avoid the steady stream of over-hyped indie pop, but I was blown away by the latest from St. Vincent. All Born Screaming, my third honorable mention, sheds the personas of previous albums, revealing an authentic, dark, and aggressive Annie Clark. It’s loud, unapologetic … and the hype is completely justified.

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.

The Best Music of 2024 So Far, Pt. 2

As promised, here’s my next set of mid-year picks of the music that’s excited me the most so far …

• With a back catalog of consistently ambitious jam-oriented psych-rock, you never quite know what to expect from a new Causa Sui album. But the lush cosmic grooves of From the Source easily rank among their best. ★★★★☆
• Guitarist (and psychoanalyst) Ezra Feinberg enlists an impressive ensemble of fellow musicians (including harpist Mary Lattimore) on the aptly-titled Soft Power, mixing light chamber jazz, bossa nova, and new age to conjure a richly textured psychedelic experience. ★★★★☆
• Arushi Jain reimagines Indian classical music with Delight, a celestial sound bath of soft modular synths and shimmering vocals. I’m loosely reminded of both Sheila Chandra and Kelly Lee Owens. ★★★★☆
• Oddarrang – an “odd arrangement” of guitar, cello, trombone(!), and spectacular drumming – go out on top with their self-titled final album. It’s a genre-defying mix of rhythmic melodies, wordless vocals, and delicate electronics. ★★★★☆

My second honorable mention has been in steady rotation since its release — the angsty garage rock of Sprints and their explosive debut, Letter to Self. The critics were right about this thing, it’s a damn solid album.

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.

The Best Music of 2024 So Far, Pt. 1

We’ve reached the year’s midpoint (already?!), and I’m taking a moment to share the music that’s excited me the most so far. The last six months have delivered an eclectic mix of fantastic releases from some longtime favorites as well as a handful of shockingly impressive new discoveries.

I’ve judiciously selected 15 albums – 12 personal picks and three universally-praised honorable mentions – that I heartily and enthusiastically endorse. So without further ado, let’s get started …

• With A Chaos of Flowers, Big | Brave fearlessly stretch the boundaries of post-rock and metal, taking inspiration from classic poetry and traditional folk music. It’s undeniably massive, yet meditative and even delicate at times. ★★★★☆
• Guatemalan cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti’s new album, Sentir que no sabes, is an intense cinematic work of emotionally affecting avant-pop. This one is certain to turn up again on my year-end list. ★★★★☆
• Dana Gavanski returns with the beguiling Late Slap, a brazen album of fun grooves and surprising vocal leaps, but not without an underlying sense of discomfort and earned perspective. Fans of Cate Le Bon take note (but rest assured, this is no cheap copy). ★★★★☆
• Indie trio Loma’s How Will I Live Without a Body? insists that we slow down and allow space for our minds to wander — awash in the roomy, reverb-heavy sounds of delicate acoustic guitar, brooding piano, shuffling drums, and Emily Cross’ exquisite vocals. ★★★★☆

My first honorable mention goes to the soulful folk-jazz of Arooj Aftab’s enchanting Night Reign. This album has made a big impression on just about everyone, and rightly so.

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.

June

Who else is excited about celebrating National Insurance Awareness Day?!

”The future disappears into memory with only a moment between.”

By default, I avoid most memoirs — particularly those from actors, musicians, and (especially) entrepreneurs. They’re often a verbose assortment of things I already knew, things I didn’t care to know, and a few things that were probably better left unknown. Occasionally, you get an interesting anecdote or bit of insight, but the bulk of it is little more than an exercise in self-indulgence.

And Rush frontman Geddy Lee’s My Effin’ Life is no exception. Or is it?

Admittedly, Geddy has led a life most only dream about, yet he exhibits a remarkable degree of raw honesty and self-awareness. I was quickly drawn in by the opening chapters and the gripping story of his parents, both Polish Jews, surviving the holocaust. It’s both heartbreaking and inspiring that even in the most horrific of circumstances … love finds a way. I also enjoyed the recounting of his early years as a rebellious aspiring musician, his budding friendship with lifelong co-conspirator Alex Lifeson, and the turbulent formative years of Rush. But once the indelible Neil Peart replaces original drummer John Rutsey, and the band starts to experience some degree of success, the story enters much more familiar (and subsequently less interesting) territory.

As Geddy works his way through the writing and recording of almost 20 studio albums over four decades, sharing humorous road stories from touring the world, and paying tribute to the family and friends lost along the way, I felt myself transported back in time — revisiting the events and cultural milestones that shaped my own personal experiences. I still vividly remember drinking in the park while plotting our escape from suburbia with Exit … Stage Left blaring from the boombox, buying Hold Your Fire on release day for my then girlfriend who I was absolutely certain was the one (spoiler: she wasn’t), listening to Test for Echo for the first time (on the radio no less!) with my co-workers shortly after landing my first real gig as a designer …

And that’s why I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was less about what I was reading per se and more about how it inspired me to follow along and reminisce about my own effin’ life. ★★★☆☆

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.

March

Ahh, I can finally stop second-guessing myself every time I need to spell February.

February

We’ve reached winter’s halfway point in the Northern Hemisphere, that special time of year when superstitious Americans eagerly delegate weather forecasting to a portly ground squirrel.¹

Icebergs & Ice Chips

Words matter. Nuance matters. But, more importantly, context matters. Because I tend to care passionately about certain things, it’s often tempting to ascribe deeper meaning and intent – either positive or negative – when an interesting chunk of ice floats by.

“Turn it up, I freakin’ love Rush!”

“Really?! Me too! I’ve seen them live at least six times, and have read most of Neil Peart’s books. I really appreciate his unique perspective on life, and I can remember how important those lyrics were to me growing up …”

“Uhhh … yeah, I just think this is a pretty cool song.”

“Oh. Right … totally … great song.”

It’s impossible to know what may or may not lie below the surface unless you make a point to actually look before diving in.

Now Playing: Inner Symphonies by Hania Rani & Dobrawa Czocher

Pianist Hania Rani teams up with renowned cellist and childhood friend Dobrawa Czocher for the perfect accompaniment to a quiet Sunday afternoon.

If you only listen to one song, try “Malasana.”

Quote of the Day

The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

Now Playing: Welcome to the Machine by Monkey3

I’ve been a huge fan of Monkey3’s unique blend of Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, and just a pinch of Mastodon from the beginning, but they’ve really outdone themselves with their latest release.²

If you only listen to one song, try “Collision.”

There are no heroes or villains, only differing points of view.

I’m making a conscious effort to read more fiction this year, beginning with Madeline Miller’s much-lauded Circe — a radical recasting of the transmogrifying goddess from Homer’s Odyssey. In her original incarnation she’s mostly an obstacle to overcome, but here she’s given a meaningful and imaginative story that manages to be both epic yet surprisingly intimate. Circe’s journey of self-discovery and inherent disdain for godliness is poignantly portrayed in sharp contrast to the pride and self-importance of the Titans and their Olympian descendants.

I particularly enjoyed the latter half of the book, centered around Circe’s evolving relationship with her young son and what it means to be a good parent.

Two children he had had, and he had not seen either clearly. But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults.

Miller has a gift for evocative analogies and clever turns of phrase which often gave me pause. For example, as someone who’s spent many years wearing my self-imposed pursuit of perfection as some sort of merit badge, this passage hit me hard:

I remembered what Odysseus had said about her once. That she never went astray, never made an error. I had been jealous then. Now I thought: what a burden. What an ugly weight upon your back.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While at times the pacing is a bit uneven, and I wasn’t completely won over until about the half-way mark, Miller crafts a rich character arc culminating in an extremely satisfying final act. ★★★☆☆

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.

I want the stuff no algorithm would ever find.

One of my favorite things about Bandcamp is seeing who else purchased the albums in my collection. Often times I won’t recognize anything they own, but it’s when I notice a small amount of overlapping interests that things get interesting. It’s a chance to discover something new from a kindred musical spirit, not a predictable algorithmic best guess based on what I’ve liked before.

I’m reminded of a quote from Steven Johnson’s book Where Good Ideas Come From, where he highlights the concept of the “adjacent possible” (first introduced by biologist Stuart Kauffman) …

The strange and beautiful truth about the adjacent possible is that its boundaries grow as you explore those boundaries.

I’ve been looping Astrid Sonne’s latest, Great Doubt, since its release late last month. Like Tirzah’s Trip9love…???, it’s a gloriously unconventional album of woozy, off-kilter R&B with layers of both electric and acoustic instruments under Sonne’s cool and affectless voice. Picking it up on vinyl was an easy decision.

An album I kept seeing in the collections of those who also bought Sonne’s was Suntub by ML Buch, a name I’d not heard before. Given my love for modern primitive guitar, I was immediately smitten by the organic instrumentation, breathy vocals, and subtle electronic elements. I’ve appreciated getting lost in this intriguing and unexpected discovery, all thanks to my Bandcamp friends.

And that’s the thing, I want recommendations from an actual person who adores music as much as I do. I might love it. I might hate it. But it’s always an opportunity to survey my own musical boundaries … and the adjacent possible.

Eno

Gary Hustwit debuted his new documentary about musician and producer Brian Eno at Sundance, and it certainly doesn’t sound like your typical bio-pic:

Eno represents a new idea about how films can be made and watched. The film is assembled dynamically by a generative software platform I developed with Brendan Dawes drawing from new interviews and footage we shot with Brian and hundreds of hours of unreleased material from his archive. The result is a film that’s never the same twice. Every time Eno is shown, it’s a different movie with different scenes, different music, etc.

Normally I’d be pretty skeptical of such AI-hype. But Eno has been pioneering generative music since the 90s, and given his direct involvement in the project, it all kinda makes sense. Plus, Hustwit and Eno have collaborated before; Eno scored the filmmaker’s 2018 documentary Rams, a portrait of German industrial designer Dieter Rams.

Needless to say, I’m excited to see it.³

January

Apricity (aˈprisədē)
noun rare: the warmth of the sun in winter

2023 Albums of the Year

Before we get too far into the new year, let’s revisit a few of my favorite albums released over the last twelve months. In addition to the familiar faces, there were some real and unexpected surprises.

Beyond this first group of absolute favorites, they’re in no particular order. Hopefully, you too will find something special – maybe even surprising – in this eclectic mix of genres and temperaments.

• Easily my album of the year. Hania Rani’s exquisite third album, Ghosts, floats gracefully between modern classical, avant-garde jazz, and electronica. One of the most beautiful albums I own. ★★★★★
• I instantly fell for the stripped-down guitar, pulsing synths, and plaintive vocals of Miss Grit’s Follow the Cyborg. But it’s the emotional depth, beyond those infectious hooks, that keeps me coming back again and again. ★★★★★
• On the sublime Manzanita, Shana Cleveland’s melodic voice and gentle fingerpicking conjure an intimate nighttime portrait of the California wilderness that’s both soothing yet slightly unnerving. ★★★★★
• Based in New York, but drawing on her European and Middle Eastern roots, Faten Kanaan’s instrumental Afterpoem is bewitchingly beautiful. Its minimal, swirling patterns draw me into a mystical world within worlds. ★★★★★

• It’s easy to lose all sense of time and space in the hypnotic pulse of Föllakzoid’s aptly titled V, an icy psychedelic journey awash in reverb-laden guitars, droning synths, and thumping 4/4 kicks. ★★★★☆
• Nous’klaer Audio continues their streak of cracking new releases with Martinou’s latest full-length, Chiral. This nine-track exploration of lo-fi techno, dreamy house, and euphoric electronica engages both my head and my feet. ★★★★☆
• On The Drowned Ground, Less Bells evoke dusty landscapes and the wordless mutterings of long-forgotten ghosts. Above the soaring strings, lap steel, and muted percussion, listen carefully, and you’ll hear the sound of distant coyotes on the desert wind. ★★★★☆
• Euphoric Recall caught me completely off guard, as I was unfamiliar with Braids. But the Montreal trio have created a pop electronica album of aching intensity, full of cinematic ideas and a sense of raw authenticity. ★★★★☆

• Holocene may well be The Ocean’s most arresting release. Synths and textured guitars are more pronounced this time around, but they still bring the heavy when necessary. The final chapter in an odyssey inspired by the geological epochs of our planet, it doesn’t get more “metal” than that. ★★★★☆
• Tirzah’s hazy vocals over looped piano, sparse guitar, and the same beat on every track? Yes, and it works. Trip9love…??? offers a rule-breaking blend of R&B, trip-hop, and shoegaze, revealing genius in a place of beguiling simplicity. ★★★★☆
• Craven Fault’s Standers reminds me of a particular scene from A Clockwork Orange. Alex walks home alone through a bleak, post-industrial landscape after a night of the ol’ ultra-violence. But, unlike the movie, there’s a glimmer of hope within the rhythmic analog synths and slowly evolving melodies. ★★★★☆
• Lankum’s evocative storytelling is dramatic, beautiful … and heavy. Look elsewhere if you want jaunty Irish folk music. But if you’re ready for an excursion through the darker regions of Ireland, False Lankum is for you. ★★★★☆

We're only a month into 2024, and there are already some promising year-end contenders. Check out the excellent new albums from Donato Dozzy, Torres, and Astrid Sonne. Now, where did I put my wallet …

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.

Quote of the Day

Our great mistake is to try to exact from each person virtues which he does not possess, and to neglect the cultivation of those which he has.

Now Playing: Incunabula by Autechre

While I typically reach for the more surreal Amber when the mood strikes, I am now reminded of just how damn good their first album is.

If you only listen to one song, try “Eggshell.”

Now Playing: A New Nature by Esben and the Witch

I finally picked up this 2014 release, their third, on gorgeous bronze-gold vinyl. Not sure I’d call it post-rock, but certainly lives in that neighborhood — with tenebrous undertones, dynamic arrangements, and Rachel Davies’ haunting vocals.

If you only listen to one two songs, try “The Jungle” or “Dig Your Fingers In.”

Quote of the Day

The truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.

Now Playing: Music for Nine Postcards by Hiroshi Yoshimura

Yoshimura writes in the liner notes that he was inspired by “the movements of clouds, the shade of a tree in summertime, the sound of rain, the snow in a town.”

If you only listen to one song, try “Blink.”

December

Ho-ho-holy hell, where did the year go?

Heavy Rotation: Gondwana Records

It’s not a far-fetched notion to think of Gondwana as a modern-day equivalent to iconic jazz labels such as ECM or Blue Note. Personally, I count them amongst my favorite labels operating at the moment, as just about every release resonates with me in a quietly assertive way.

• Hania Rani’s third album, Ghosts, is a masterful blend of her classical roots and avant-garde explorations. Absolute perfection, and sure to land a top spot on my year-end list. ★★★★★
• An Ever Changing View is another fine addition to the blissful œuvre of British trumpeter and band leader Matthew Halsall.⁵ ★★★★☆
• Have Mammal Hands really been going for a decade? On their fifth album, Gift from the Trees, the trio deliver their strongest collection of songs to date. ★★★★☆
• On Terrain, Portico Quartet lean into the minimalist and ambient textures that have lurked beneath the surface of much of their work. ★★★☆☆

A note about ratings: Fives are reserved for only the truly special — the ones I’d grab in a fire. Four-stars indicate exceptional releases that I return to again and again. Those I enjoy and respect receive three stars, and certainly something I’d recommend checking out. Now, a two isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not particularly memorable.