The Afghan Whigs Pick Up Where They Left Off on ‘How Do You Burn?’
The Afghan Whigs’ How Do You Burn? may take a few spins to resonate, but spooky treasures lie beneath when you take the deep dive.
John Garratt
John Garratt is a music fan who has been publishing with PopMatters since 2010. He holds a BA from Hanover College and lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and two daughters.
Max Johnson Lets His Double Bass Weep on ‘Hermit Music’
Jazz bassist Max Johnson’s Hermit Music could be the soundtrack of Charles Mingus’ mid-1960s mental breakdown in a good way.
Battle Trance’s ‘Green of Winter’ Blends the Beautiful and Eerie With Saxophones
Battle Trance’s Green of Winter goes further down the rabbit hole of abstraction, minimalism, and impressionism while testing the limits of the saxophone.
Electronic/Industrial Acts Remix Danny Elfman’s ‘Big Mess’ As ‘Bigger. Messier.’
If you thought Danny Elfman’s Big Mess was crazy, wait until you hear ‘Bigger. Messier.’ featuring remixes from Squarepusher, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Trent Reznor, Iggy Pop, and more.
Inside ‘Modern Folk One’ lurks one strangely fascinating Americana album.
Modern Folk One rings from serenely pastoral to shockingly different, making it a terrifically new twist to some sounds that are, on their own, not that surprising.
Justin Roberts Goes Power Pop for the “Kindie” Set on ‘Space Cadet’
Never indulgent and always disarming, Justin Roberts’ Space Cadet is a fun little power-pop journey for children that will entertain everyone.
Bassist Max Johnson Explores Different Jazz Angles on ‘Orbit of Sound’ and ‘Sketches’
Bassist Max Johnson gives us a traditional bop album recorded with two veteran musicians and a contemporary jazz LP with two younger but no less adventurous artists.
Isotope 217’s ‘The Unstable Molecule’ Still Sounds Like the Future 25 Years Later
The Unstable Molecule is unstable in all the right ways. Isotope 217 play modern jazz, post-rock, and funk but never fully commit to these genres within any given bar.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Shows That Beethoven’s Symphonies Remain Open to Reinterpretation
Beethoven’s symphonies remain open to reinterpretation, as Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe demonstrate.
Wire Finally Embrace the Old, Forbidden Bootleg ‘Not About to Die’
Not About to Die is a bootleg cassette of scrappy Wire demos recorded in the late 1970s that circulated in the early 1980s. It’s finally an official release.
Interpol Make Artistic Baby Steps on ‘The Other Side of Make-Believe’
Interpol’s The Other Side of Make-Believe has its share of moments that sound good while they’re playing but just can’t make a lasting impression after they stop.
Vadim Neselovskyi Takes Us to ‘Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City’
Taking inspiration from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Vadim Neselovskyi takes us on a guided tour through the city of his childhood, leaving a bittersweet impression.
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