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.
Reviews
Reviews of popular culture related areas, including music, film, TV, books, games, comics, and more.
Colson Whitehead’s ‘Cool Machine’ Is Powered by His Ruminating Prose
Like The Intuitionist, Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine is a deeply interior novel in which Borgesian surreality is grounded by ruminative observations.
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.
The Bird Calls Offer an Uncommonly Beautiful Take on Indie Folk
The Bird Calls have crafted yet another album combining sterling songwriting with exquisite musical arrangements. It’s Sam Sodomsky’s best work yet.
Tess Clare Becomes Her Own Permission on ‘Diva 98’
Tess Clare’s debut album, Diva 98, is made by someone who decided she had waited long enough and mostly proves she was right.
Mist and Raindrops Give Bayonne’s ‘Filters’ a Refreshing Glow
With Filter, Bayonne demonstrates how the lushness of adult pop can coexist with the modular logic of modern bedroom production.
Tedeschi Trucks Band Rock Out for a Future With Soul
Tedeschi Trucks Band take the audience on a ride to spiritual freedom, with a cathartic feeling woven throughout the show at Berkeley’s Greek Theater.
Dexys Midnight Runners Marry Disparate Cultures on ‘LOVE’
LOVE is the first album credited to Dexys Midnight Runners since 1985, an apposite gesture since the themes and undertones link back to Don’t Stand Me Down.
Ruthie Foster Embraces Joy and Life on ‘Just Say Yes’
Ruthie Foster’s new LP succeeds because its optimism is carried by a voice that remains one of the most expressive instruments in contemporary roots music today.
Nicola Miller Expertly Guides Her Jazz Combo on Fantastic LP
Nicola Miller’s SPIT! is a fun, exciting, boundary-smashing jazz experiment among five deeply talented musicians with an uncommon gift for musical telepathy.
Physicist Christophe Galfard Takes on Who We Are in ‘This Is Life’
With the techniques of a novelist, Christophe Galfard uses engaging prose, mastery of knowledge in many realms, and remarkable skills of synthesis to explain what is known about life on Earth and possibly elsewhere.
Beartooth Capture Aggression and Pop on ‘Pure Ecstasy’
Pure Ecstasy‘s highlight is Shomo’s undeniable talent for pop songwriting; however, it also pushes Beartooth’s heaviness into new directions.