ANDREW BIRD-LIVE IN 2007

Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha was one of the better albums of 2007 that I didn’t get my ears on until 2008. Making my best of 2007 list somewhat less than complete. Oh, well. Can’t hear everything, I suppose. But today I try to make up for that shortcoming, just a little, by posting this September [...]

EMPTY ROOMS-”Lacuna” (EP)

Those of you who were with me when I was on Blogger may recall that in 2006 I picked a little-known record by a band called Empty Rooms as one of the best offerings of that year. It’s taken them a while, but they’re back. And they’re still excellent. “Lacuna” finds Empty Rooms as spooky [...]

ASTER-”Some Things Seldom Heard Of”

Texas-based Aster’s 2007 release, “Some Things Seldom Heard Of,” is actually, apparently, a 2008 release. Go figure. But whatever year you put it down in, it’s worth your eartime. I’m not going to call it shoegazer, because it’s much more than simply soaring. Yeah, it’s lush, with light and airy vocals, trippy beats, and piano [...]

A to ZEVON (HAPPY BIRTHDAY WARREN!)

Warren Zevon is probably my favorite songwriter. I dig his classic hits, which always inject bitter humor, like “Lawyers, Guns, and Money” and “Werewolves,” but I also like his lesser known ironies, like “Something Bad Happened to a Clown” and “Rottweiler Blues.” I also appreciate his tender moments, like “The French Inhaler” and “Tenderness on [...]

PICTURE OF THE DAY

SLUG. AESOP. BLUEPRINT. AND MORE. “Freestyles”

In the zip file below, you’ll find 18 unreleased freestyles of various quality and length from some of the most popular indie rappers around: Slug (of Atmosphere), Aesop Rock, Eyedea (of Eyedeas and Abilities), and Blueprint (of Soul Position). Joining them are Illogic and Sage. I know most f you readers aren’t hip hop fans, [...]