Satoko Fujii, Torrent (Libra Records)
In this, her ninth solo album, jazz pianist Fujii explores “new musical territory in a completely improvised concert performance.” Usually the thought of jazz improv has me running for the exits at full bore (years ago I somehow became the central repository for that stuff Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/06/01”
The Waymores, Greener Pastures (Chicken Ranch Records)
This one comes with a backstory that’s kind of encouraging for artists slogging away in more remote, less arts-centric areas of the country. We’re talking about throwback-country/bluegrass stuff here, the real deal, and this duo’s success came about when they released a two-song Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/05/25”
Gridfailure and Interstitia, Sunyata Ontology (Pax Aeternum Records)
Imaginative collaborative album from North Carolina-based Interstitia (the noise-rock nym adopted by Graham Scala) and New York-based Gridfailure (a solo project from David Brenner, also of Diminishing). This is underground aggro ambient, if I’m going to try to put a finger on Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/05/18”
Julian Loida, “Giverny” (Gratitude Sound)
Preview title track from the album of the same name, which will be out in a couple of weeks. Art wonks will recognize Giverny as the small town outside of Paris where Claude Monet lived and worked, a place and feel that jazz/ambient Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/05/11”
Bobcat Goldthwait, Soldier for Christ (PGF Records)
So, an album featuring ’80s/’90s/whatever comedian Bobcat Goldthwait performing a standup set recorded last year at Lincoln Lodge in Chicago. Like Gallagher with his watermelon-smashing Sledge-O-Matic (which has been outdone by approximately 367,000 YouTube prank videos last time I looked), Goldthwait has had Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/05/04”
T3nors, Naked Soul (Frontiers Records)
Had a weird little exchange the other day, on either Facebook or Twitter, I forget, where this one guy was saying that every album put out by Frontiers Records sounds the same as all the others. I can’t say I concur with that, only because Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/04/27”
Messa, Live At Roadburn (Svart Records)
Meanwhile, back in the doom-metal sphere, we have this new four-song LP from an Italian crew whose unlikeliest press quote came by way of Spin magazine: “If you’ve ever longed for an album that could reconcile Stevie Nicks at her witchiest with the sublime Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/04/20”
Dan Montgomery, Cast-Iron Songs and Torch Ballads (Fantastic Yes Records)
The overall takeaway from “Start Again,” the opening tune from the New Jersey-bred singer-songwriter’s seventh full-length record, is, if you ask me, redolent of Iggy Pop singing for Bread. So it’s vintage-sounding, taxicab-radio stuff, which is apparently the way he Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/04/13”
Poh Hock, Gallimaufry (self-released)
According to Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, the definition for the word “gallimaufry” is “a confused jumble or medley of things.” That tracks with respect to this EP, as Poh Hock Kee’s latest songwriting foray blends jazz, prog, classic rock, soul and disco. This one launches with a Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/04/06”
Glitter Wizard, Kiss The Boot (Kitten Robot Records)
Sure, these guys are good for what they do, which, for over a decade, has been sort of a cross between T-Rex and the first two Kiss albums (stop cringing). This is a crew of five dudes from San Francisco who are Continue reading “Album Reviews 23/03/30”
