How many other groups who have been active for 25 years can pull a rabbit out of their hat like the Berlin-based duo Mouse On Mars just did on their new album? Dimensional People is a suite of exhilarating electronica, revelling in new sound and wide-ranging collaborations. It’s ushered in by woodpecker rhythms laid down […]
Suddenly, the Ex have a new album out! 27 Passports finds these Dutch anarchists plowing ahead with a sound that fuses jagged postpunk din to the circular rhythms of various African styles. The giddy rush of “The Heart Conductor” is a stunning thing to behold for newcomers and long-time fans alike. 27 passports by The […]
On his new single, “There’s a Light,” Jonathan Wilson offers “an anthem of pure positivity” to combat the darkness of our current times. “The point,” he explains, “was to put these words of peace love and hope in the mouths of whoever sang along.” I know, I know — these are cheesy sentiments, but Wilson’s […]
Dead Meadow are music lifers, cranking away at their distinctive psychedelic hard rock for… Jesus, has it been twenty years?? I like to think of that kind of commitment as a welcome mat for newcomers — after all, it’s not like you can’t get up to speed on the story so far rather quickly. On […]
Just when you think you’ve seen every kind of musical personality under the sun, Caroline Rose comes along with something unexpectedly fresh. Her new album Loner demonstrates a keen talent for crafting sharp pop-rock hooks, getting an engaging sound from a simple four-piece format, and telling witty, relatable stories. “Soul No. 5,” a playful tweak […]
If winter feels like interior drama — the sound of your breath and your thoughts amplified by thick headwear over your ears — then Loma soundtrack the season with music of startling cinematic intimacy. A project featuring Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater vocalist and occasional SIO columnist), and Emily Cross and Dan Duszynski (of Cross Record), Loma […]
Who is this young dude Hannes Ferm, and where has he been keeping this ebullient, symphonic psych-pop? Apparently in Sweden, under the guise of HOLY — a name that evokes the potent joy found in this astonishing music. Like a child who discovers the sustain pedal on a piano and bangs out a glorious chord, […]
Unpopular opinion: the Stone Roses’ recorded oeuvre goes downhill after the first track of their first album. Okay, before you throw your phone to the floor in outrage, let’s just agree to think warmly of “I Want To Be Adored,” with its magical fade-up, twinkling guitars, and gentle vocals. Bay Area doom-gazers King Woman are […]
Two correspondents debrief at the annual Sound It Out retreat in Mendocino, California. LN: As I live and breathe: Funky Donny Fred! FDF: Hey man! Bring it in! [They hug.] LN: Where you been? FDF: Just got back from my North American fall mycology fieldtrip… shroom hunting! LN: Oh, of course. Why doesn’t that surprise […]
Last Friday, a new collection of obscure blues legend Marvin Pontiac (1932-1977) surfaced. The Asylum Tapes appeared with no advance warning or publicity materials, just this statement: “Marvin Pontiac was anonymously sent a 4 track tape recorder during the years he was held at Esmerelda State Mental Institution. This is what he did with it.” […]