We interviewed John Cale in issue #156 around the time of his previous release, Mercy. He has just released POPtical Illusion, a collection of synth and keyboard heavy tunes that carry a heavy, and at times angry message about the state of the world. That is not to say that that Cale has lost all hope and there is optimism that we can still bring about change. POPtical Illusion was produced by Cale along with longtime artistic collaborator Nita Scott.
We interviewed producer and guitarist Blake Mills in Tape Op #115 and for our podcast in 2019. He’s produced newly-released records for both Lucy Dacus – Forever is a Feeling – and Perfume Genius...
Pitchfork TV (some spinoff of the horrible, snotty music crit site) has launched a series called A>D>D.
"The title for the series is based on the ADD/AAD/DDD codes that appeared on compact discs in the late 80s and early 90s, in which ADD...
You know those ads? Yeah, some Photoshop jockey took the GUI of a plug-in and made it look like a piece of outboard gear, a synth or something. Drives me nuts. For years I couldn't figure out if one plug-in, I think it was Trilogy, was "real" or...
It's not Idol, technically, but America's Got Talent and its dentally-impaired overseas cousin are still franchises helmed by Simon Cowell, who I think we can all agree has become somewhat of a figurehead for shitty pop music and...
It's always a good day when I discover that there is new music from Panda Bear. It hits all the marks for me; nods to the classics, modern concepts, sounds and presentations, and exceptional vocals and vocal harmonies.
Panda Bear's (aka Noah...
Released in 2024, Mdou Moctar's Funeral for Justice is a raucous, distorted guitar-driven album that, along with bands such as Tinariwen, turns the idea of "world music" on its head. The heavy tones of Moctar's guitar plus driving and trancey...
We had Rafiq Bhatia as a guest on our DISCussion podcast in June of 2023. His new release, a collaboration with pianist Chris Pattishall, Each Dream, A Melting Door, is a mind-melting work that pushes the boundaries of "jazz". It takes me back...
By Justin Douglas
When you hear a particularly moving piece of music, and you get that little chill that runs from the top of your scalp down your spine, that’s a specific network in your brain logging that music into your memory....
We sent intrepid reporter Jeorgia Anderson to cover this fascinating event. -LC
When I read that the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) was holding their 45th annual conference in downtown Los Angeles May 11-14, I went to...