I’ll be swamped tomorrow, so there will be no posts until Sunday.
Fred Elias & Buddy Sarkissian – Outtakes from Magic Fingers Play Cleopatra’s Favorites & Hellenic Near East Gems: Near Eastern Music in New England ca. 1957
From Canary Records’ Bandcamp Site: “These recordings were released on Aris/Aristophone in the early ’60s on two LPs, tracks 1-8 from the album Magic Fingers Play Cleopatra’s Favorites and tracks 9-14 from an album divided between them and the Greek clarinettist George Mirros titled Hellenic Near East Gems. Both seem Continue Reading
Marja Ahti & Manja Ristić – Transference
From the venerable Erstwhile Records’ Bandcamp site: “”Transference is a dialogue of sonic gestures and traces of visits to places and the spirit that occupies them. It unfolds as a map of subtle and drastic differences, a space where the contours of sound and silence merge, and where listening becomes Continue Reading
Hitomi “Penny” Tohyama – Tokyo Funk Diva
Wewantsounds Records maintains its impressive track record of high-quality reissues with its latest release. This time, they feature the music of Hitomi “Penny” Tohyama, a Japanese pop and funk singer whose style beautifully blends City Pop, funk, and catchy pop grooves, resulting in a fun listening experience. As always, the Continue Reading
Zbigniew Preisner – Effroyables Jardins
Quoting Wikipedia, “Zbigniew Preisner is a Polish film score composer, best known for his work with film director Krzysztof Kieślowski. He is the recipient of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis as well as the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He is a Continue Reading
Layma Azur – La Fruta Perfecta, Vol. 1
Our beloved friends Layma Azur have released a magnificent concept album that balances progressive rock and metal beautifully. This is the first of three, so I am looking forward to the other two parts coming out. To Santiago and Amandine, you never cease to amaze me!
Selective Hearing – Cobwebs
Mahorka Records has delivered a hazy, surrealistic piece of music that might not fit neatly into the ambient genre. However, the vibe allows listeners to immerse themselves in a soothing, repetitive groove that’s easy to get lost in. Kudos to Selective Hearing for producing this gem!
Jeff Gburek (Senin) – Grindu
We haven’t heard from Jeff Gburek in a while, but he offers quiet and meditative field recordings on his latest release. From his Bandcamp site: “Recordings made near the town of Grindu in Tulcea County, Romania (maps.app.goo.gl/roAuvvtzmLvmM2a48) on July 22 of 2025 and the 44 minute album might be called Continue Reading
Bloemfontein – Improvisational Sessions Volume Three
Unfortunately, the Canadian band Bloemfontein is no longer active, as they appear to be on a permanent hiatus. Still, the band produced several albums of excellent post-rock music—not the metal variety, but rather the atmospheric instrumental style that I personally prefer much more.
Various Artists – Vampisoul: Rangarang
From the Bandcamp site of the consistently solid record label Vampisoul: “”Rangarang” is a compilation of forgotten jewels from pre-revolutionary Iran. These songs tell the stories of an artisan community that flourished during the 1960s and 1970s before vanishing into oblivion. The pop stars who stayed in Iran were summonsed Continue Reading