Bjork’s Vocal-Focused ‘Medulla’ is Still Filled With Countless Surprises
Issued 15 years ago today, Björk’s ‘Medulla’ jettisoned every-day instruments in favor of the purest one: the human voice.
Archive for August, 2019
Lemon Clocks – ‘Between Time and Space’ (2019)
The Lemon Clocks thrive on experimentation, and their enthusiasm for the music they play is infectious.
Why ‘Wakafrika’ Should Have (Finally) Made Manu Dibango a Huge Star
The star-packed ‘Wakafrika,’ released 25 years ago, somehow didn’t raise Manu Dibango’s profile in the U.S.
Steve Lehman Trio + Craig Taborn – ‘The People I Love’ (2019)
Even with standard formats, Steve Lehman is dragging jazz into the future kicking and screaming. Tough love never sounded that good.
The Beatles, “Old Brown Shoe” from ‘Past Masters’ (1969): Deep Beatles
It took a while, but “Old Brown Shoe” has emerged from the shadow of being a Beatles B-side.
How Bachman-Turner Overdrive Pushed Back Against Prog With ‘Not Fragile’
‘Not Fragile’ hurtled Bachman-Turner Overdrive to stardom 45 years ago this month with an old-fashioned recipe of hard rock rooted in the blues.
Yes, “Lightning Strikes” from ‘The Ladder’ (1999): YESterdays
“Lightning Strikes” definitely has a different feel than the prior two songs on Yes’ ‘The Ladder,’ but that is in no way a slight.
When the Libertines Finally Broke Through the Media Frenzy
Issued 15 years ago this week, the Libertines’ surprisingly nuanced self-titled album helped me take the band seriously.
Tanika Charles, Alex Sill, Isaiah Sharkey + Others: Five for the Road
Tanika Charles, Alex Sill and Isaiah Sharkey are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately …
Chicago, “Waiting for You to Decide” from ‘Chicago 16’ (1982): Saturdays in the Park
‘Chicago 16’ as a whole is superb, and “Waiting for You to Decide” is an integral part of that.
