Julia Mark Creates Engaging Indie Piano Pop on ‘Keeping You’
Listeners will enjoy Keeping You, the new LP of piano-led indie pop ballads from Julia Mark, but the reasons lead to a cloudiness of thought.
Music
Jockstrap Stretch Pop Music and the Notation of Genre
Jockstrap’s experimental pop makes their debut I Love You Jennifer a bewildering yet rewarding listen. Jockstrap play with expectations to keep listeners on their toes.
‘The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra’ Gets Its Most Crucial Reissue
The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra hearkens back to Sun Ra’s big band roots and his determination to create a genuine exploration of otherworldly space.
Nils Frahm’s ‘Music for Animals’ Is a Musical Waterfall of Monumental Proportions
Nils Frahm’s Music for Animals is for those who don’t mind taking ten minutes to let a chord come to full bloom as their patience leads to truly transcendent moments.
Joan Armatrading’s ‘Show Some Emotion’ at 45
Joan Armatrading swerves from one musical idiom to the next, and yet, Show Some Emotion never feels chaotic or inconsistent. It’s a surprisingly cohesive work.
Walden Pond Punk: Henry Thoreau and the Punk Rock Aesthetic
Henry David Thoreau was the original punk. A punk of individual liberty, authenticity, and the rejection of conformity amidst a mindless society.
20 Years Ago OK Go Debuted With an Underappreciated Power-pop Gem
After 20 years, it’s clear that OK Go’s most complete album is their self-titled debut which combines a penchant for big hooks and a love for big guitars.
Beth Orton Embraces Her Past on ‘Weather Alive’ to Shape Her Future
Having only put out five albums in the past two decades, Beth Orton’s Weather Alive embraces her electro-folk past while embracing a weathered, gorgeous future.
Todd Snider Returns As ‘The Storyteller’ in His New Recording
Americana’s Todd Snider delivers his story songs with gusto and tells his shaggy dog tales with mischievous glee on Live: Return of the Storyteller.
Julian Lage and Bill Frisell Combine Abilities on ‘View With a Room’
Julian Lage’s sound has the warmth of Joe Pass, the bite of Les Paul, and the dexterity of both, as exemplified by View With a Room.
Janet Jackson Made Her Album Debut 40 Years Ago
If Janet Jackson wanted to declare independence from her famous family, she didn’t entirely succeed with her debut LP. It wasn’t until 1986’s Control that she fully emerged.
Sampa the Great Soars Aabove Her Whole Industry on ‘As Above, So Below’
On Sampa the Great’s As Above, So Below, she makes music with incredible clarity of purpose and affirms a sense of interconnected self and heritage.
