Fruit Bats’ Eric D Johnson Hits The Terrapin Crossroads
Fruit Bats’ Eric D. Johnson recently had a conversation with the Terrapin Crossroads Podcast. “The wide-ranging conversation,” writes the podcast synopsis, “covers Johnson’s prolific recent run of albums, his evolution as a songwriter, the economics and frustrations of being a career indie artist, his early break opening for Modest Mouse and signing to Sub Pop, his lifelong […]
The Daily Vault Appreciates David J’s Diverse Capabilities
David J‘s new LP Tracks From The Attic Revisited showcases the “diverse capabilities” of the Bauhaus and Love and Rockets Founder, according to the Daily Vault. They write, here, “Considering his globally revered full band work, you might expect doom and gloom here, but J opts for classic country nods, ’70s New Wave and Nick Drake-ish bouts. J put much care […]
Roger Pairs Black Nile With Walter Mosley
AmApAc’s Roger Turlington reads a lot, and he also listens to music. Often, he does those two activities together! We asked Roger to tell us more for the first installment of a new feature called Roger’s Record Pairings. Here’s the first: Many people who read have strong opinions on what, if anything, to listen to while reading. Vocal […]
The Free Press Details Funkadelic’s Stunning New Version Of Maggot Brain
“If any music deserves an overdue brush-up,” writes Detroit Free Press, “it’s the dark, danceable funk-rock of Funkadelic‘s Maggot Brain, recorded by George Clinton and Co. at Detroit’s United Sound Systems. For years, collectors endured reissues of varying dubious quality, including some even cut at the wrong speed.” Now, there’s a stunning remaster of the album, and it’s at radio now […]
GULFF Announces Listening Party and LP Details
GULFF is a duo that, according to member Tod Lippy, “formed to create music, art, and public interventions that engage with the ruptures of our current era.” They are releasing their self-titled debut album next week, and celebrating on Thursday, September 24 with a listening party in the Sound Room at Public Records in Brooklyn. Lippy will be joined virtually by his […]
Austin Town Hall Recommends Charm School
Austin Town Hall writes that, on the newly-released Steve Albini mix of Charm School’s “Simulacra,” it “really feels like the guitars have a bit more sharpness and the bass grumbles less in favor of more of a bob-and-weave… The availability of this mix allows us to celebrate the great breakdown around the 1:36 mark where you’ll find a quick […]
Premier Guitar Interviews Pluralone
Premier Guitar recently interviewed Josh Klinghoffer, aka Pluralone, about his new album A Drop In The Ocean. “Working at what he calls a ‘relaxed’ pace,” the site writes, “Klinghoffer began recording A Drop in the Ocean in earnest last May and had it finished by October. Like its predecessor, the new album carries a thematic thread: The cover art—a trash can […]
Mystic Sons Praises Vox Pterous
According to Mystic Sons, “Revisiting an earlier album can easily become an exercise in repetition, but Vox Pterous approaches the idea from a more constructive angle. Rather than simply adding vocals to material from 2023’s Pterous, Dren McDonald uses the human voice to alter the emotional function of those compositions, turning instrumental reflections on grief into something more conversational and collective… […]
Indie For Bunnies Is Down With The “Lively” New Fruit Bats LP
Italian site Indie For Bunnies calls The Landfill “one of the liveliest albums in the Fruit Bats catalog, in which Eric D. Johnson explores the themes of memory, consequences and possibilities… [Johnson] knows how to move between folk, rock and pop tones with incredible sweetness, never forgetting even beautiful melodies.” The new set is out now via Merge and at radio. Read the […]
New Reissue From Funkadelic
Org Music, in partnership with Westbound Records, has reissued Funkadelic’s groundbreaking 1971 masterpiece Maggot Brain with newly remastered editions cut directly from the analog master tapes. Founded by George Clinton in the late 1960s, Funkadelic transformed the boundaries of popular music by combining psychedelic rock, heavy funk rhythms, politically charged lyricism, and experimental studio techniques into a singular sound. […]
Adverse Effect Reviews IPR Releases
Adverse Effect magazine got ahold of several recent Independent Project Records releases and the reviews are all here. The review of David J‘s Tracks From The Attic Revisited cites the Bauhaus and Love & Rockets founder’s “oozing” talent and praises the album’s “carefully hewn arrangements.” Woo’s Whichever Way You Are Going, You Are Going Wrong is hailed for its “understated charm.” The Louder Than You Think soundtrack is […]
Stereophile Cruises With Fruit Bats
Stereophile says new LP The Landfill finds Fruit Bats “at cruising altitude [with] a sound that seems lived-in and warm. They are polished not by intent but by the confidence of musicians who understand exactly how to serve the song, where ‘big’ and ‘small’ are equal in impact.” Read the site’s review of the album, which is at radio from Merge […]
Motel Void Says Dren McDonald Rewards Patience
Dren McDonald’s Vox Pterous, says Motel Void, “is ultimately a record that rewards patience. It is not built around obvious hooks or conventional songwriting structures, but around atmosphere, texture, precision, and gradual emotional development.” The site praises the record’s “remarkable ensemble of vocalists” and “layered sonic worlds.” According to the reviewer, “The Things He Could Bury” (featuring Amelie […]
Post-Punk.com Hears Iconic Influences In Charm School’s Sound, Including The Fall, Magazine, The Birthday Party, and Mekons
Charm School is at radio now with Simulacra Remixed, which revisits the band’s earliest song and includes a mix by the legendary, late Steve Albini. When the original was released, Post-Punk said “this track bursts forth with lo-fi grit, howling with urgency. It calls to mind the chaotic brilliance of The Fall, the jagged edges of Magazine, and the brutal […]
Inara George Relives Her Youth In Podcast Form
The Reliving My Youth Podcast has a conversation with Inara George and writes, “Noel Fogelman catches up with Inara George, who has one of the most beautiful voices around. Her latest album, Songs Of Douglass & Littell, is a collaboration with longtime friends Eliot Douglass and Philip Littell, showcasing reimagined songs first written more than 30 years ago. Inara is one half […]
Tunite Compares Dren McDonald To Philip Glass and Brian Eno
Tunite Music writes, “Vox Pterous by Dren McDonald is an album with a minimalist soul. Built on layered guitar harmonies, repetitive melodic patterns, and beautifully interwoven vocal performances, it creates an atmosphere that feels both intimate and expansive. Rather than treating the voice as the dominant storytelling element, McDonald blends each vocalist into the instrumental architecture, allowing the human […]
Josh Klinghoffer Gets Pure
The Purist has an interview with Josh Klinghoffer, whose Pluralone project is at radio now. “In an effort to strip things down to more of the essential elements. I wanted to create an album [new LP A Drop In The Ocean, at radio now from ORG Music] that felt smaller and more like one person making it, which it is. I […]
Goldmine Finds Fruit Bats Compelling
According to Goldmine, Fruit Bats “sounds fresh and vital at every turn… after more than 25 years of making exceptional albums and mining a style that finds a divide between accessible power pop and intelligent indie rock.” New LP The Landfill, out now via Merge Records, is “a compelling collection from beginning to end, and indeed, a fine reflection of […]
Voxwave Enjoys Dren McDonald’s Meditative New LP
Dren McDonald, Voxwave notes, “is regarded as one of the most versatile and nuanced composers working in today’s interactive media space.” The site has a review of McDonald’s new LP Vox Pterous, a musical reflection on grief that breathes “human life into the impressionistic sonic fabric of [Pterous, his] previous [instrumental guitar] album… Returning to the past with […]
New Music From Charm School, With A Track Mixed By Steve Albini
Charm School is the latest project from Louisville, KY born and LA-based multi-hyphenate artist Andrew Sellers and his longtime collaborators Matt Filip, Drew English & Brian Vega. Sellers grew up immersed in Louisville’s underground music scene, soaking up local legends like Slint, Crain, & Rodan, as well as the catalogs of Chicago’s famed indie labels Touch & Go and […]
