Two things happen when Moon King play “Apocalypse” straight into “Roswell” in this live performance video. First, the songs reveal themselves as variations of each other. “Apocalypse” is the one with the extended introduction, “Roswell” the one that ends with the extra chords, but both convey the same exuberant motion, drawing out a few chords […]
The past couple of years have offered a nice corrective to women who received one too many mix tapes that opened with The Beatles’ “Julia” in the early 90s because, yes, they were named “Julia.” (Three and counting for this Julia. What can I say? I attracted sensitive, mix tape-wielding souls.) While arguably the greatest […]
Holy hell, what is this? My friends, this is psychedelic music as you may not have heard in years or (if you’re young enough) at all. I’m not talking about the exercises in feedback, drone and repetition associated with “psych rock”; the 1960s-inspired noodling of jam bands and their indie-rock counterparts; or the inevitable mindf–kery […]
Sometimes a record’s appeal is more about a mood or an overall sound than any specific elements. The last two records from The War on Drugs (Lost In The Dream and Slave Ambient), Junip’s 2013 self-titled release, and Lord Huron’s 2012 debut Lonesome Dreams have such distinctive tonal qualities that it’s easy to hear any […]
Look, I have no space left in my iTunes for another “Beach” group. Beach House, Dirty Beaches, Beach Fossils, Nude Beach — when is this going to stop? But… I’ll make an exception for the Brooklyn group Beech Creeps, and not just because they tweak the usual “beach” spelling. As presented on the video for […]
These Chicago lads—and by lads I mean just that: tight-knit hanging with attitude—make a certain sound that belies their young age. Although initially on hearing “In the Morning (in the Evening),” they’re newest 7-inch release, I wondered how Lou Reed had managed to come back to earth to record with the Birthday Party, with some […]
Even in England, famous for its eccentrics, nutters and rabble-rousers, Julian Cope stands out. After establishing his neo-psychedelia bona fides with short-lived group The Teardrop Explodes, chasing the “120 Minutes”-era brass ring as a solo artist (“World Shut Your Mouth,” anyone?), and finding artistic vindication with 1991’s Peggy Suicide, he dropped off the radar of […]
I’m so jazzed that one of the 2015 releases I’ve been especially looking forward to is now in sight: Lower Dens‘ third album, Escape from Evil. The Baltimore quartet tease its release next month with “To Die In L.A.”, their first new music in three years. Lower Dens made their splash with an austere, icy […]
Did you know that April 18 is Record Store Day? What? Yes, an entire calendar day devoted to an actual brick-and-mortar joint that sells some stuff called vinyl. This is a happy thing for sure. This year’s is also an occasion when the turn-of-this-century metal band Mastodon will release a limited edition 12″ picture disc […]
Dan Deacon is a highly prolific and relentlessly energetic creator/performer of electronic music. He started releasing records as a college student in 2003 and has since accumulated an impressive body of work, gradually broadening his scope to include contemporary classical elements, film scoring, and collaborations. Deacon is a true oddball (in the best sense of […]