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!
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’
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.
Wrote a long essay about Speedy Ortiz’s fantastic new record, Foil Deer for NPR Music’s First Listen series.
I wrote a short piece for NPR Music’s Heavy Rotation series on Courtney Barnett’s fantastically wordy new song “Pedestrian At Best” from her new album Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. You can read that over here.
Below, you can read the fuller version.
I wrote a quick couple paragraphs about Waxahatchee’s amazing new song “Air” from her upcoming album Ivy Tripp. You can read that as part of NPR Music’s Songs We Love series.
You can also read a slightly different version that was used for NPR’s Heavy Rotation series.
Below, here’s a much longer, and unedited ramble about Katie Crutchfield’s music, about being in transition and embracing change, even when it’s hard.
Continue reading Waxahatchee’s ‘Air’ Embraces Change And A Broader Palette
I wrote this short capsule review of “Milkman” by Bully — an excellent new band I first came across during this year’s CMJ Music Marathon, in a crazy early noon slot at Baby’s All Right in Williamsburg. You can read that over at NPR Music’s Heavy Rotation.
Below, you can find the longer version.
This was originally written for NPR Music’s First Listen series. Read the rest over at NPR Music or Soundcheck.
Whether you know its work or just its reputation, you’ve probably already made up your mind about Phish. Maybe you love the band and its music, maybe you can’t stand them, or maybe you liked them and have since moved on to other things. Phish is one of the most dynamic and celebrated live acts in all of music, with a loyal community any artist would envy, but it’s also divisive. This is a band that inspires passion with its multipart compositions, meandering improvisations, playful (often nonsensical) lyrics and unwavering positivity. For the same reasons, it also courts punchlines from its fervent detractors.
Been awhile since I’ve dumped some links. This time I seem to have a whole boatload…So let’s get to it then.