It’s not exactly Christmas music (today is when our Armenian brothers in the faith celebrate theirs, and we celebrate ours tomorrow), but any opportunity to hear the music of the excellent Armenian-American pianist Tigran Hamasyan is a happy event. May you all enjoy your holy day!
United States
Barre Phillips – Ahoy!
The world of improvisational music lost one of its biggest icons a couple of days ago. Barre Phillips, a bassist known for his being adaptable to any style, passed away on December 28. He worked with legends like Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, Archie Shepp, Peter Brötzmann (whom we also lost Continue Reading
Lisa Bella Donna – Afterimages
Lisa Bella Donna is a composer and performer whose release, Afterimages, is a rich tapestry of moogs, loops, drone and a tip of the cap to the Berlin School made famous by Tangerine Dream. A touch lo-fi, but I enjoy the overall effect.
JOHN 3:16 – Terror
Forgive the long delay in posting great albums, kids. Appendicitis has a way of slowing things down, but the scribe is on the mend. Our great friend JOHN3:16 offers a thunderous single. Terror, appropriately named, has the tribal fury of bands like Savage Republic but with even more bone-shaking depth. Continue Reading
Ancient My Enemy – Ancient My Enemy
Once upon a time, there was an astounding good band based in Los Angeles called Pressurehed. They were utterly phenomenal to watch live, and were kings of the “20-minute psychedelic jam,” so to speak. Members would form the equally brilliant Farflung, whom I had the privilege of working with briefly Continue Reading
Ezra Sturm & Ernesto Diaz-Infante – Live at Day of Noise
This is the second time I get to present the father-son due of Ezra Sturm and the consistently wonderful Ernesto Diaz-Infante. In this live improvisation, I get to hear more of a space rock sound. There is a sci-fi element to the music, which makes the performance that much more Continue Reading
Slermpy Fishkins – I WANT TO PRODUCE FOR MY FAVORITE RAPPERS BEFORE THEY DIE
This is a weird one, admittedly, but it has enough charm for me to share it. Slermpy Fishkins hail from Riverside, California, not terribly far from where I lived in California before moving to China. They produce a grubby, lo-fi hip-hop laced with some very strange samples and cut-ups. Interesting Continue Reading
Deficit – Elämä Toisesta Paikkasta (With Marcelo Diaz / Mads Records)
Deficit is a project of Vyacheslav Ismagilov, an author of electronic experimental music from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, so says his Bandcamp site. The drones are rather gentle for noise music and made for a fascinating listening experience. This is one you want to use your headphones for. His collaborator, Marcelo Diaz, Continue Reading
Dean & Britta & Sonic Boom – A Peace of Us
Dean Wareham is someone who could be called Shoegaze royalty. He has been partnering with Britta Phillips for some time now making some fine records, but this is a different, even more interesting beast. The Spacemen 3 centerpiece Sonic Boom collaborates with Dean & Britta for an album which combines Continue Reading
Karolina Ossowska & Jeff Gburek – Witch-Hazel
We have another elegant experimental/electroacoustic album by violinist Karolina Ossowska and her partner in this release, Jeff Gburek. There is a Nurse With Wound-meets-György Ligeti vibe to this release, maybe even references to Krzysztof Penderecki’s earlier avant-garde works, but given a gritty, ghostly treatment. Another glorious release.