Talk Talk, Montreux 1986: Before the Silence
In July 1986 Talk Talk performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival while still touring behind their album The Colour of Spring. The live set reveals a subtle but noticeable shift: tempos become more fluid, arrangements open up, and familiar songs start to drift from their original structures. This performance captures the band’s early move toward a looser, more experimental sound that would later define their seminal later work. The recording offers a rare glimpse of the group before the artistic silence that followed in the early 1990s.
African Head Charge W/ Lee “Scratch” Perry :: Glastonbury Festival 1990
In June 1990 African Head Charge performed a 66‑minute set with dub pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry at Glastonbury, captured covertly by DJ Earthpipe on a Sony Walkman. The bootleg recording has circulated among collectors for decades, offering a raw glimpse...
Fela Kuti :: Live in Detroit 1986
Fela Kuti’s 1986 Detroit concert, recorded at the Fox Theatre, was captured on a smuggled tape less than a year after his release from Nigerian prison. The bootleg, later dubbed and re‑dubbed, preserves the raw energy of his first U.S....
The Lagniappe Sessions :: Big Bend
Big Bend’s first Lagniappe Session transforms recordings from their 2024 album *Last Circle in a Slowdown* into loose, free‑form covers. Frontman Nathan Phillips reshapes the material with spacious, intricate arrangements that echo the album’s Talk Talk influence. The reinterpretations retain...
Mildred :: Fenceline
Mildred’s latest release, Fenceline, is a concise 30‑minute record by the band’s unassuming four‑piece lineup. The album’s songs flow with a deliberate inertia, creating a seamless listening experience that feels like a single piece of wax on a turntable. Critics...
Adam Schatz :: A Test of Attention Spans and Contract Cleaner
Adam Schatz, known for producing artists such as Neko Case, Japanese Breakfast, and Landlady, is releasing his first solo record, Civil Engineering Vol. 1, on April 24 via Jealous Butcher Records. The album marks a departure into spontaneous composition, drawing on modal jazz...
Lee “Scratch”Perry & Mouse on Mars :: Rockcurry
Lee "Scratch" Perry, the legendary dub pioneer, has teamed up with electronic duo Mouse on Mars to release the single "Rockcurry." The track opens their forthcoming album *Spatial, No Problem*, slated for a June 5 release on Domino Record Co....
Wendy Eisenberg :: S/T
The article reviews Wendy Eisenberg’s debut release “S/T,” describing it as a musical Bildungsroman that weaves mature reflections on faded dreams, family dynamics, mortality, and self‑reinvention. The writer praises the work’s lyrical depth and experimental textures, positioning it as a...
White Fence :: Orange
Tim Presley, operating under the White Fence moniker, returns after a seven‑year silence with the album "Orange." The record pairs Presley’s signature jangly guitars with Ty Segall behind the drum kit and co‑producing duties, delivering a bright, optimistic sound. Critics...
Matching Mole :: S/T (1972)
After departing Soft Machine in 1971, Robert Wyatt assembled the Canterbury‑scene quartet Matching Mole. Their self‑titled 1972 debut fuses progressive rock, free‑jazz improvisation, and Wyatt’s distinctive “voice as instrument” approach. Wyatt handles both drums and lead vocals, delivering deconstructed pop...
All One Song :: James Jackson Toth on “Thrasher”
James Jackson Toth, the genre‑bending songwriter known for aliases like Wooden Wand and DUNZA, discusses his latest release, “Thrasher.” The album continues his tradition of eclectic, folk‑rock experimentation, delivering strange, funny, and powerful songs. Toth’s career mirrors Neil Young’s in...
Twisted Teens :: S/T & Blame The Clown
Twisted Teens, a New Orleans‑based garage‑punk outfit, released the track “S/T & Blame The Clown” featuring frontman CPN Hollywell’s raspy, blues‑tinged vocals. The song merges frantic slides, county‑flavored punk, and fuzz‑laden distortion, echoing influences from Greg Cartwright to Royal Headache....
The Lagniappe Sessions :: Shane Parish
Shane Parish, known for fluidly moving between original composition and reinterpretation, releases the latest Lagniappe Sessions, a series that reimagines songs from diverse artists. In this installment he tackles late‑90s southern gothic Cat Power, the cinematic pop of Lana Del Rey, early‑career...
Videodrome :: Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary (2023)
Hung Up on a Dream is a 2023 documentary that chronicles The Zombies’ unique blend of jazzy pop arrangements and breathy, romantic vocals. Rather than focusing on the rebellious edge of their British Invasion peers, the film highlights the band’s...
Terje Rypdal :: Odyssey
Terje Rypdal’s 1975 double‑album Odyssey cemented his status as ECM’s premier guitarist‑composer, delivering a searing blend of jazz‑rock that epitomized the label’s emerging sound. The release arrived as ECM was refining its atmospheric aesthetic, positioning Odyssey as a touchstone for...