Category Archives: Uncategorized

https://badaband.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-rolfstorp Genre: Space Rock Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp August 11, 2021 Somewhere in the outer reaches of Spaceman 3 and sometimes with a compositional style that reminds me of Jean-Michel Jarre these four tracks are fantastically psychedelic hypnotic rock’n’roll that probably woke up Bockstensmannen. And it’s on YouTube. What a cool place for aContinue reading “Live in Rolfstorp by BADA”

Genre: Hip Hop Rating: 5/5 If you’ve read anything that claims this is anything less than the genius… that you’ll hear a better hip hop album from 2021… anything that’s not gushing praise… consider yourself lucky that you came here for the truth. I was going to do a double review with Hitler Wears HermesContinue reading “Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B by Westside Gunn”

Sun Ra Perhaps it was because Sun Ra was disgusted with humanity that he rejected the notion that he, himself, was human. Not only did he refuse to participate in WWII but he told the judge, if sent, he would kill the first high ranking officer he could. He understood that monotheistic religions worship evil.Continue reading “Sun Ra”

Three different versions of the jazz standard Indian Summer: https://youtu.be/Lp60A2PaBdE Frank Sinatra – Vocals Johnny Hodges – Alto Sax Piano – Duke Ellington Arrangement – Billy May Recorded in 1967 Sinatra was 52 at the time. There’s some mention online that he was already struggling to hit the high notes. Maybe. But you either hitContinue reading “Indian Summer”

Genre: Drone Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp September 27, 2021 You never know, but I think I hear a William Basinski influence here. To be specific, tracks 4-7 feel more electronic compositional and the others more disintegrating tape loopy. Whatever the case, on all the tracks an effective mood is created that stand above theContinue reading “A Flare for the Turning by Micah Frank”

Brian Ferneyhough is definitely a more is more kind of composer. British by birth, now a long term resident of California, this former UC San Diego and current Stanford professor is credited as the father of a genre known as New Complexity. As soon as the genre was tagged with a name it started toContinue reading “Brian Ferneyhough”

https://riothomas.bandcamp.com Genre: Hip Hop Rating: 4/5 Modestly brief and beautifully soulful. Fantastic musical texture to rap on top over and the raps live up to the production. Smooth. Borrows heavily from 70’s era soul and recaptures the spirit for 2021. A tasty musical treat.

https://astraldoberman.bandcamp.com Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 5/5 I’d like to think this band is on the cusp of a Last Exit Style breakout. If not Last Exit then Fire! Orchestra or does this have a comparable presence? Anyway, the name drops are just hey if you like that try this if you haven’t. This is oneContinue reading ““everyone is rolling down a hill” or “the journey to the center of some arcane mystery and the entanglements of the vines and veins of the cosmic and unwieldy millieu encountered in the midst of that endeavor” by Crazy Doberman”

https://paleowolf.bandcamp.com/album/paleoshaman Genre: Neoclassical dark wave Rating: 3/5 released on bandcamp September 25, 2021 This is really well done. If you like Dead Can Dance there’s no reason you shouldn’t like this as well. It’s ambitiously (and perhaps unnecessarily) long as it slowly transitions from one tribal theme to another. This isn’t the kindest thing toContinue reading “Paleoshaman by Paleowolf”

https://humanhoodrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/your-own-working-class-will-bury-you-suburban-observances-volume-four Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 First off, the bandcamp notes from this STEM middle school teacher are very amusing and well-written. And the title is obviously fantastic. This is ambient adjacent experimental. It’s not “nervous music” music – that’s what this drummer I used to know once said to me: “You always listen to nervousContinue reading “Your Own Working Class Will Bury You (Suburban Observances Volume Four) by Howard Stelzer”

https://brucerussell.bandcamp.com/album/the-delta-blues-suite-sonaten-aus-opus-60 Genre: Experimental Rating: 4/5 This is a solo release by a very important boundary pushing musician from the noise punk scene of the past three decades. If you’re uninitiated a good place to start is Vain, Erudite And Stupid: Selected Works 1987​-​2005 by The Dead C https://badabingrecords.bandcamp.com/album/vain-erudite-and-stupid-selected-works-1987-2005 I’m just going to leave that formattedContinue reading “The Delta Blues Suite (Sonaten aus Opus 60) by Bruce Russell”

https://boguscollective.bandcamp.com/album/shoreline-recollections Genre: Vaporwave Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp September 25, 2021 Very short vaporblurbs. Songs this brief might seem undeveloped outside of punk but it definitely works here. I think part of it is being an experienced listener. Can you catch what’s being conveyed here? Like the short stories of Raymond Carver. It’s carved downContinue reading “Shoreline Recollections by Slime Era”

https://deberengieren.bandcamp.com/album/less-is-endless Genre: Jazz Rating: 5/5 This is great jazz band with a proud history that includes a collaboration with the brilliant Susana Santos Silva. This release is part free and part third stream. I wouldn’t call it fusion but it still makes me think Weather Report. It’s driven, great composition, fantastic musicians. In a wayContinue reading “Less Is Endless by De Beren Gieren”

https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/album/stanotte Genre: Ambient Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp August 25, 2021 I know I’ve reviewed at least one other Lᴏɴᴛᴀɴᴏ Series https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/music release With by Rhucle and I enjoyed it a lot. And sorry for pitting the two against one another but ngl I like this one a bit more. Found it a tad moreContinue reading “Stanotte by Michele Andreotti”

https://seilrecords.bandcamp.com/album/if-theres-any-tinge-of-this-world Genre: Ambient Rating: 3/5 released on bandcamp September 21, 2021 A requiem for Snow Country, Japan. I took the dog photo. And yeah I’m just being random but that’s a great book. I lived in Hirosaki, Japan in Aomori prefecture and it sure did snow a lot there. Beautiful mountain culture. Onsen. This isContinue reading “If There’s Any Tinge of This World by Hiroshi Ebina”

https://boguscollective.bandcamp.com/album/early-morning Genre: Vapor Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp September 20, 2021 The way vaporwave is transforming from melted ghost nostalgia into something more now is hard to catch and write about. But this isn’t a caretaker revisitation record. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but this is riding a different wave. It’s carved outContinue reading “Early Morning by XURY”

https://ericplaks.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-eel-live-in-brooklyn Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 5/5 released on bandcamp September 15, 2021 It seems like I’ve written a review of this artist before but the search engine … I can’t find it if I have. This is free jazz but it’s highly structured. You could almost call it abstract hard bop. Percussionist Leonid Galaganov hasContinue reading “Sonic Eel – Live in Brooklyn by Eric Plaks”

https://aberounds.bandcamp.com/album/the-confidence-to-make-mistakes Genre: Free Jazz Percussion Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp September 17, 2021 Visually he’s kind of got a Kaepernick type of thing going on. I like the image. Free and cool. Richie Havens perhaps. But am I going to be feeling Max Roach or Art Blakey here? Well… not exactly but maybe I shouldContinue reading “The Confidence To Make Mistakes by Abe Rounds”

https://scotray.bandcamp.com/album/sacred-profane Genre: Orientalist American Primitivism Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp September 18, 2021 These folks have been up to it for a while but this is the first recording to make it my way. The idea and musicianship is fantastic. It’s a microtonal raga approach to American Primitivism and they can definitely pull it off.Continue reading “SACRED & PROFANE by GUTPUPPET – Bill Barrett, Scot Ray”

https://seikomart.bandcamp.com/album/slush Genre: Vaporwave Rating: 3/5 released on bandcamp September 20, 2021 3/5 is positive rating and it basically comes automatic based on what this music is conceptually. The beats are weird faded and slow. It does indeed do what it’s meant to do and that’s cool. It’s always a good feeling when you’re car startsContinue reading “slush by VAAV Social Club”

Alexander Scriabin is one of the most important composers of all time. He was a Russian who died in 1915. Music historians like to beat around the bush about this but he was one of those people who can hear colors and see sounds and . I don’t know how deeply associated that phenomenon isContinue reading “Alexander Scriabin”

Genre: Jazz Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp September 14, 2021 Here we have a three piece jazz ensemble going into the heart of jazz as I think most people perceive it to be. I spend much more time with free and avant garde jazz than with less abstract stuff like this. Jazz like this reallyContinue reading “Life Lessons by Marc Cary”

https://muscut.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-odesa Genre: Dub Rating: 4/5 released on bandcamp June 4, 2021 Chillera lay down some mellow instrumental dub tracks with traces of psychedelia. Reminds me of one my favorite bands, the shamefully obscure Angel’in Heavy Syrup. Chillera have a great chemistry and balance. Growing up in Atlanta, back in the 80’s there were a surprisinglyContinue reading “Live from Odesa by Chillera”

https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/album/lugares-comunes Genre: Ambient Rating: 3/5 released on bandcamp July 16, 2021 I’m not going to carryon too much about this one. Just going through the LONTANO discography and it’s reliably really good. This is a solid release. Interesting mellow peaceful vibes with cool sounds.

https://lontanoseries.bandcamp.com/album/with Rating: 3/5 Genre: Ambient Rhucle gives their fans some peaceful vibes to help them defeat the unwanted moods. I felt a tragic mood stifling me when I woke up this morning. Then I found this in my bandcamp feed and felt peace return to my head. Maybe I should be doing something besides fightingContinue reading “With by Rhucle”