Ahhh, the 90s - Clinton, Jordan, Berman...  the days of Twin Peaks and Surge soda, of flannel shirts and irony somehow look quite comforting in the rearview mirror! Yep, the ‘90s gave birth to the legendary Silver Jews, whose star only glistens brighter each time we check in with them. What happens to the Silver Jews in the future? We have no way of knowing. But they're so heavily ingrained in our collective conscience, it's as though David Berman is lurking upstairs, right... (read more)

Have you forgotten so soon? It was summer in America. The music was hot and rays were long. The air was alive with the sound of bitter discontent. It lies below the surface of everything we do in this cursed nation - but we'll stay here or die fighting! Now as winter threatens to ice us over, Dope Body is bringing back the heat with the first video from their droppin'-now third album, Lifer. Simmering and smoldering before the invariable - and actually, super-dope... (read more)

Jessica Pratt's self-titled 2012 debut has been much-murmured about in the time between yesterday and today. People respond to the austere, pristine clarity of the performances, the gentle strength, marvel at how much comes from so little: just a voice and a guitar or two! They speculate on just who is the personality behind this Jessica Pratt? It is hard not to respond to the sound of her music, to not want more right away. Now, two years on, Jessica's very new... (read more)

THE ZOUNDS OF MUSIC

You can hear it! You've got it in you! It makes the world go round! Face it. Follow it. The hills are alive with the sound of it! It's for the masses! It sounds better with you! It chose you. Let's face it and dance! It comes from the Body! It comes from the Spheres! It comes from Big Pink! It comes from Metal Machines! It comes from "The Elder." It comes from... (read more)

On November 18th, Drag City re-aquaints the world with Japan’s greatest (yeah, we said it) pop export—Eiko Ishibashi! The American release of Car and Freezer combines both the Japanese and English versions of the record, with Eiko’s delicate vocals sweeping through both languages. Car and Freezer has a swinging openness, with loose, rolling rhythms suitable to the exploritory mood and introspective nature of Eiko's songs. Consisting of Toshiaki Sudo, Hatano Atsuko, Yamamoto Tatsuhisa and Jim O’Rourke (who also produced... (read more)

Limbo as the space between heaven and hell where unblessed babies float, sighing; limbo as the supple-spined Calypsonian dance craze: here twists Elisa Ambrogio’s solo debut The Immoralist! The bewitchery and bewilderment of Magik Markers are often obscured by their ability to flash into xprmntl/noise/improv mode, but for her solo debut, Elisa Ambrogio delves into pop sounds, holding them inquisitively like fragile antiquities and crafting bedroom window ballads out of their ashy remains.

Flashes of youthful innocence and playful conceit glimmer... (read more)

The "Quail and Dumplings" single plays in the wake of Singer's Grave a Sea of Tongues, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's latest album which exists simultaneously as a new album, an alternate-reality version of Wolfroy Goes To Town, and the concluding record of two separate perceived trilogies within the Prince's catalog. There is much on the table here, and "Quail and Dumplings" manages to balance contrasting perspectives within itself - one of great lack and wanting, and the other... (read more)

In ‘98, Royal Trux had emerged from their Virgin contract buyout, proudly bearing the brand of SELL-OUT! tattooed on their forehead by the angry mini-hordes of indie rock. As always, out was in and the only direction was UP. The year is now 2000 — Y2K and all that jazz. Innarestin’ times! The next move for Royal Trux started by reconvening their Floridian rhythm section of Dan Brown and Chris Pyle, who’d been a part of the Virgin act. Together with Kenny Nasta (who’d come on later... (read more)

Blurry guitars, sea-legged rhythms, somnolent tempo - must be Mick Turner! Last November, we released Mick Turner’s post-rock opera masterpiece, Don’t Tell The Driver and Mick isn’t quite done being “The Navigator.” To reach the exalted next-level listening experience that Don’t Tell The Driver warrants, Mick has graced us with a brand new video for one of it's elegant songs, “Sometimes!” Caroline Kennedy-McCracken’s breathtaking vocals are accompanied by equally as striking Mick-strumentation, as well as visuals courtesy of the Melbourne sea-side, bringing... (read more)

It's been awhile since we've heard from The Red Krayola - but then again, it's been awhile since they've heard from US too, hasn't it now? It seems like longer than just six months back that we pumped back into the "marketplace" (such as it is) new vinyl copies of their long-OOP albums Coconut Hotel and Hazel along with a first-ever pressing of the compilation Singles. In the absence of new music from The Red Krayola, those have gone a long way to... (read more)