Reviews

by Geno Thackara Sofar Sounds is a very well-kept open secret. Never heard of the name? I hadn’t before last week either. (It’s abbreviated from SOngs From A Room, which is worth mentioning just because I always give points for a good Leonard Cohen reference.) It Read More

Ceremony The L-Shaped Man Reviewed by: Matt Kelchner Album after album, west coast group Ceremony have pushed their sound into uncharted territories. Being brought up in the hardcore scene, the band’s reputation grew with each record. Ceremony’s evolution can be traced as far Read More

Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear Skeleton Crew Reviewed by: Dan Williams     It doesn’t get “rootsier” than this mother and son duo. They have become the epitome of an overnight success on the national stage, especially after an appearance on Letterman and n Read More

Holly Herndon Platform Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt Music for androids is how I might initially describe Platform, the latest album by pioneering electronic sorceress, Holly Herndon. With strange vocals, samples, and a wonderful if emotionally stark tone, Platform depicts at times Read More

Jim O’Rourke Simple Songs Reviewed by: Max Miller As I prepare to write about Jim O’Rourke’s Simple Songs, I am reminded of another review. I could have sworn it was on Pitchfork, but I cannot find a trace of it anywhere. The author described O’Rourke as having the worst Read More

by Dan Williams The TLA went dark and the massive upstage scaffold began to glow.  Silhouettes of ukuleles and other instruments hanging throughout came into focus.  Soon, bathed in shadows, five figures resembling druids walked to center stage while a heavy rhyt Read More