The Emerald Down harnesses an obvious love for the shoegazer scene of the early ‘90s, matching it with more modern songwriting possibilities. Truly, these songs sound much like Slowdive, et al, but are far, far more structurally interesting and developed (see especially ‘7AM,’ which twists and morphs to utter disbelief
This morning while exiting the subway terminal, a man, well-dressed – to get straight to the point, quite normal-looking – was ascending the stairs next to me. Jamming his way up as quickly as he could, he tripped halfway up the stairs and came too near permanently affixing the middle
Swedish chanteuse Stina Nordenstam surprises with an eclectic mix of musical styles and influences, aided to unforgettable effect on two tracks (‘Trainsurfing’ and ‘Keen Yellow Planet’) by Suede’s Brett Anderson. This album is a mystery: underneath each, seemingly very simple, hardly written song, is a bona-fide gem, standing
For the second time I spent the first part of a week in D.C. and – for the first time – I rode the Amtrak Acela, perhaps best described as the Eastern seaboard’s very own Bullet Train. My thoughts of the Acela: nice seats, ho-hum lighting, (same) awful food,
Disruptive, foreboding, (and mostly) instrumental, The Order of Things (a reference to French Structuralist Michel Foucault?) is often a somber affair. Taking this into account, one should not steer away from this finely crafted album, the intricateness and depth of which absolutely astounds. Transporting. Favorite tracks: ‘Adonai,’ ‘Popul Vuh,’ ‘Death
Rhythm of Black Lines makes invigorating, sweeping Prog, as elusive as it is enchanting, with guitar, bass, and drums individually—and uniquely—pushing the limits of your comprehension. This is Prog that evokes the classic strains of Yes and Genesis, not the neo-Prog of the Thrill Jockey set: look
It’s that time of year again, it’s probably sometime this week, and, rest assured, you’re going to make an ass of yourself: the office holiday party. Consider these Office Party Tips from Christmas.com that range from the logical Select an alternative location for the party if
Because his cocaine use at the time was so heavy, David Bowie does not remember 1976, the year this album saw release. I suppose it’s just as well, since much of Station to Station sounds like the work of someone in a very unique place, much as this album
Yesterday on my way to work I saw a man, possibly in his seventies, helping someone dressed in a full chicken costume out of the back of a van. After the ‘chicken’ was safely removed from the truck, the man looked to this teenager, presumably knowing him, said, ‘See?’ and
Awkward and backwards, North Carolina’s Polvo surprises at every turn. ‘Is this the part? No, wait, here it comes.’ Repeated listens won’t deter the confusion, but the songs always sounds good, and Polvo knew when to keep the good bits going, and when to cut the meaningless meanderings
