John Jeffrey, the drummer of Moon Duo, let the spirit of improvisation move him from one sonic extreme to the next on his new solo record, Passage. From minimalist cosmic jazz to synth-centered motorik beat meditations, Jeffrey explores a vast spectrum of styles and sounds that interest him and shows just how versatile of aContinue reading “John Jeffrey – Passage”
Monthly Archives: October 2020
The Record Crates United Mixtape 2020 Halloween Special
Happy Halloween, dear readers and listeners! Seeing that it is especially difficult to get into the Halloween spirit this year, I had to enlist some reinforcements. John Anderson, the owner of the great Reverberation Vinyl in Bloomington, IL, curated and co-hosts this year’s Halloween mix, using nothing but selections from his own record collection. BeingContinue reading “The Record Crates United Mixtape 2020 Halloween Special”
October 2020 Roundup
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this autumn has been an especially phenomenal season for new records. With everything going on in the world right now, we needed it. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the very fine releases that we’ve been digging this month… SPAZA feat. Ariel Zamonsky, Gontse Makhene,Continue reading “October 2020 Roundup”
Howlin’ Rain – Under the Wheels, Vol 2
Howlin’ Rain have been raising hell since their formation in 2004, growing an ever rabid and devoted following in their wake. If there was ever an album to explain what all of the excitement is about, it’s Under The Wheels, Volume 2. While the band has a seriously sick discography of studio efforts behind them,Continue reading “Howlin’ Rain – Under the Wheels, Vol 2”
Old Smile – Glued
A new Old Smile release is indeed a cause for celebration. Hailing from New Jersey, Old Smile (AKA Tom Herman Jr), forges dreamy, homemade psychedelic rock. On Glued, Herman paints with an expanded palette of sounds, textures and styles, all while retaining his expert sense of song craft. Hints of jazz creep in throughout theContinue reading “Old Smile – Glued”
Jennifer Castle – Monarch Season
Jennifer Castle’s Monarch Season is as dreamy as it gets. Castle, a Toronto singer-songwriter, crafts graceful folk-inspired tunes that are richly influenced by the moon, the nature of relationships and of course, monarch butterflies. Her voice, which is usually treated with a healthy dose of reverb, is beautifully reminiscent of the vocals of Marissa NadlerContinue reading “Jennifer Castle – Monarch Season”
Liner Notes with Nick Mitchell Maiato
Nick Mitchell Maiato plays guitar, sings and writes songs in One Eleven Heavy, which as most of you know by now, is one of the best bands currently jamming these days. As I hope you’ve seen here, Maiato recently dropped his first solo record, Pino Carrasco, and it’s a total party. The LP bubbles overContinue reading “Liner Notes with Nick Mitchell Maiato”
Jerry David DeCicca – The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures
Now, if you’re a longtime reader here, you would know that I love nothing more than a record that is hard to define and exists somewhere outside of the neat confines of genre labels. An album that is best summed up as an unquestionably true expression of the artist. Jerry David DeCicca’s The Unlikely OptimistContinue reading “Jerry David DeCicca – The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures”
Brooklyn Drum Collective Presents...Live at Our Wicked Lady
The Brooklyn Drum Collective and Our Wicked Lady are both invaluable resources to indie and fledgling artists in the Brooklyn area, so it’s a total thrill seeing them team up together with a hellishly tight roster of indie garage and punk bands on this killer live release. The Brooklyn Drum Collective is a totally grassrootsContinue reading “Brooklyn Drum Collective Presents...Live at Our Wicked Lady”
Jill Tracy – The Dark Day
Most Octobers, I reach for the spectral music of Jill Tracy to get into the mood for Halloween. Yet this year, I’m visiting her latest work, The Dark Day, to process the catastrophe of the recent West Coast wildfires and to help provide aid to the victims of this disaster. Tracy is a San FranciscoContinue reading “Jill Tracy – The Dark Day”
Record Crates United 