by Mark Saleski This song, from Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica, wouldn’t feel out of place on Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music. Part field holler, part rambling genius. Well I put down my bush ‘n I took off my pants ‘n felt free The breeze blowin’ up meRead More

I wasn’t familiar with the work of vibraphonist Bill Ware (though a quick Allmusic search said that he’s played with the Jazz Passengers, Groove Collective and even Steely Dan) but I was, then as now, a sucker for the sound of vibes. What’s more, I’ll buy anything with the nameRead More

by Tom Johnson After an embarrassing attempt at recapturing the limelight he had with his first big hit (“Barely Breathing”), Sheik focused once again on the dark-hearted pop that he’s so good at. He missed the mark here and there, but more often than not, this unfortunately overlooked disc deliveredRead More

Muse released one of the most completely self-indulgent, ridiculously over-the-top fun albums I’ve heard that didn’t bear the name Queen.

by Tom Johnson As a long-time fan of the group, I’ve simply come to expect to be perplexed by what electronic-noise pioneers Autechre put out. And, as it turns out, the more perplexed I am upon immediate inspection of the new material, the longer I tend to be interested. FirstRead More

by Tom Johnson For their major label debut, the Decemberists didn’t pull any punches. If anything, they seemed to have gone off the deep end, as if attempting to get the label to cry fowl. But they played along (“13 minute songs? Sure, why not?”) and we the listeners benefitedRead More

A quick glance at the credits on Britsh ex-pat keyboardist John Escreet’s new album The Age We Live In indicates a knack for bringing together some of today’s most prominent forward thinking New York jazz musicians: David Binney, Wayne Krantz, Marcus Gilmore, Tim Lefebvre, and so on. But listening toRead More

German pianist Christian Pabst is still studying (at the European Jazz Master’s Programme at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam), but his new CD with his longtime trio shows that he’s already learned a lot. Maybe it only seems that way because of the rapport he’s developed over the years with drummerRead More

by Tom Johnson An eclectic and, for lack of a better word, spazzy releases, Yo La Tengo’s Beat Your Ass actually worked because it lacked focus. Rather than get bogged down in one particular style, the band instead pretty much covered every bit of territory they have ever touched upon.Read More

by Mark Saleski I came very, very late to the Nick Cave game. How late? 2004, and Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus. That album blew the top of my head clean off. I listened to almost nothing else for a couple of weeks, allowing the music to soak in deeply. InRead More