The Flawless Vitality of Paris Paloma’s ‘The Fatal Flaw’
Paris Paloma tackles art, love, and everything in between through a feminist lens in her empowered sophomore album The Fatal Flaw.
Music Reviews
Loudon Wainwright at 80 Remains a One-Man Show
The concert was billed as featuring friends and family, but Loudon Wainwright wasn’t going to sit back and just watch others perform his songs.
The Fierce and the Dead Put a Unique Spin on Rock
The Fierce and the Dead have traditionally pivoted between stoner and psychedelic hooks, suffused with sultry grooves undulating beneath the murky words.
Gretchen Parlato Spins Jazz and Soul Into a Charmed Thing
Gretchen Parlato’s The Wise Ones is the perfect place to first encounter her. I still call it jazz, but we can also call it joyful, sublimely crafted music.
Ray Wylie Hubbard Tells the Full Story on ‘Reel 2 Reel 4 Real’
As Ray Wylie Hubbard rocks through Texas and southern swamps, he doesn’t sound like he’s running out of steam. Reel 2 Reel 4 Real should be a continuation, not a capstone.
Upper Wilds Blow Up the Universe with the Astonishing ‘Mercury’
Upper Wilds’ Mercury is for anyone raised on stoner rock, punk, or a combination of the two, who’s constantly complaining that nobody makes that kind of music anymore.
Joshua Bassett Digs Deeper on ‘Easier’
With his penchant for deep emotional hooks and insight, Joshua Bassett’s music has always been easy to get under your skin. Easier is his best.
Henry Threadgill and Zooid Evoke Old and New Jazz Elements
Henry Threadgill’s Cut You Where You Was has a pointillistic quality. It offers tapas from his kitchen: one main dish to start, plus a masterpiece of more than 12 minutes.
Plum Come Out Swinging with a Post-Punk Tour de Force
Plum are a hugely talented post-punk band and the songs on Bodies in Motion are tight, smart, and infectious. Turn the music up loud and dance like it’s 1980.
Mitch Woods Offers Big Easy Magic on ‘A Night in New Orleans’
Something sexy and sleazy is at work, even when Mitch Woods sings the blues, like the heat of a good Creole sauce can make even a crawfish feel like an epicurean pleasure.
Chat Pile Survey the Wreckage of Contemporary Life
Oklahoma noise band Chat Pile mix more melody into their bleak message on another powerful, unsettling collection, Who Loves the Sun.
Henry Threadgill’s Trio Creates Brilliant Art Jazz
For jazz that is still moving the art forward, Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer, and Dafnis Prieto’s Fifteen is right on the money.