Departure Street – Phantom Sightings
Thanks to Allan Kimmel for sending me this incredibly mellow record. Departure Street offers a sound that blends elements of shoegaze with a lo-fi take on post-rock and even shows hints of the legendary German Krautrock band Popol Vuh. It…
No Posts Today
There will be no posts today as it is Graduation Day for my seniors. I will begin again tomorrow.
Fränder – Fränder II
Nordic Notes offer a sophomore album by the Swedish/Estonian troupe Fränder. What separates this album from traditional folk or “World Music” albums is the ease with which the band can mix not only Nordic and Baltic sounds but even music…
SoRIAH with Metamorphic Mindphase – Black Ceremony ∞Yahualihui∞
Around 25 years ago, I had the privilege of tour-managing the English band Sol Invictus through a tour of the West Coast. It was a fun experience, and I’ve managed to keep some form of contact with a couple of…
Helena Espvall / Ernesto Diaz-Infante / Marjorie Sturm – A Shadowed Fulguration
Thanks ever so much to Ernesto Diaz-Infante for alerting me to his latest release with percussionist and Nepalese flute player Marjorie Sturm (his spouse, if I am not mistaken) and cellist Helena Espvall. Musically, there is a gritty, lo-fi feel…
Vaudou Game – Otodi
Vadou Game are from the African Republic of Togo, where they seem to have an absolutely wild funk scene. Singer Peter Solo has a voice that is as soulful as it is rich, and the guitars have a nice psychedelic…
David Thomas and two pale boys – I’m Alive!
We have sad news to report. Yesterday, David Thomas, singer of the legendary art-punk band Pere Ubu, passed away. We honor his memory by sharing a rather brilliant live album with his side project, David Thomas and Two Pale Boys. …
Marshall Allen – New Dawn
The fact that Marshall Allen is 100 years old and making his debut album in 2025 is utterly mind-blowing. I assumed that he must have released a few solo albums considering his pedigree as a member and eventual leader of…
Mental Health Food Store (Jeff Gburek) – Totemic Encounters, 2025
Stunningly bubbly electronic pop would be the best way to describe this joyful album. From the Mental Health Food Store Bandcamp site: “In early February, while developing and learning to operate this mysterious new modular synthesizer “ecosystem” — these tracks…
Soft Works – Abracadabra In Osaka (Elton Dean, Allan Holdsworth, Hugh Hopper, John Marshall)
MoonJune Records should be given a massive debt of thanks for preserving the Soft Machine legacy. Some of the core members are in excellent form in a live outing that happened in Osaka, Japan, and the live recording is sublime.