Wrote a little thing on Shaun Fleming’s new music video under his moniker Diane Coffee: “Everyday” from the upcoming Everybody’s A Good Dog. It’s a record that sounds a lot like the Technicolor record collection-pillaging rock of Foxygen, the band Fleming is best known for — and this fun video sorta nods at that with the glam rock moves.
Read that piece over at NPR Music’s All Songs Considered.
Continue reading Diane Coffee Gets The Band Together In ‘Everyday’ Video
Had the chance to write about one of my favorite artists, musicians — and now bands — Son Lux, a.k.a. Ryan Lott. Now a full band with Ian Chang and Rafiq Bhatia, Son Lux has just put out another fantastic record, Bones, which I got to hear a preview of last week at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Spent a lot of time delving into the intricacies and themes of this album, for NPR Music’s First Listen series. Check that out here and go buy this record and see the band live!
Here’s a short thing I originally wrote for WNYC’s Soundcheck about the Brooklyn band all boy/all girl’s song “OK Poncho.”
Continue reading All Boy/All Girl: Timeless And Charming Orchestral Pop
From time to time, I get to contribute to NPR Music’s series Heavy Rotation, which asks public radio stations across the country to talk about some of their favorite songs of the moment. Here’s another one I got to write, on Elvis Depressedly‘s song “New Alhambra” from his latest album of the same name. Check it out and other songs here.
Continue reading NPR Heavy Rotation: Elvis Depressedly, ‘New Alhambra’
Shot some photos of Courtney Barnett performing for Soundcheck at WNYC’s Greene Space on May 20.
Continue reading Photo Gallery: Courtney Barnett, In The Greene Space
Here’s a short thing I wrote to accompany a premiere for Sea Cycle’s song “Diving Bell,” over at WNYC’s Soundcheck. You can read the full thing there if you like.
Continue reading Sea Cycles: A Dreamy Score For Becoming Lost In Thought
Wrote a very short thing for NPR Music about Spoon’s bizarre and dreamlike music video for the phenomenal song “Inside Out,” my favorite song from last year’s They Want My Soul.
Got another opportunity to write about one of my favorite new bands, Joanna Gruesome, for NPR Music’s First Listen series. The new record, Peanut Butter, is sweet and abrasive and loud. It’s great.
This short piece on the song “Bruise” by a band called Vomitface was originally written for WNYC’s Soundcheck.
Continue reading Vomitface: Two Minutes Of Bracing, Bruising Punk
Punk has always had the capacity to speak uncomfortable truths. It’s loud, aggressive music that can provide a platform for expressing frustrations and anger: Some bands focus on the micro level, channelling and working through personal pain; others work in the macro by addressing larger social issues, corrupt institutions, or political disenfranchisement. Downtown Boys specializes in the latter, writing combustible and challenging songs that forcefully face difficult subjects head-on.
Continue reading Downtown Boys: Empowering A ‘Wave Of History’
