While many bands attempt to take on an entire sonic spectrum, Leaping’s latest, Vacant Page, zeros in on a narrower landscape, and in no way is that a limitation. By focusing on a certain mood, fixating on a rhythm, Leapling uncovers hypnotic hooks in the most unexpected places. From a delicately orchestrated minimalism of “Going Nowhere”… Continue reading Leapling- Vacant Page
Category: Music Reviews
Music reviews and the such.
Invisible Familiars (Interview)
As creation stories go, Jared Samuel – chief songsmith of NYC band Invisible Familiars – has one, just like the rest of us. It begins in suburban New York State, and crystallizes in Brooklyn, where he doubles these days as both session-man and bandleader. “A couple years ago,” Samuel remembers, “when I first started to… Continue reading Invisible Familiars (Interview)
The Pluto Moons- E$pooky Ep
The Pluto Moons play with magic. It’s your garden-variety, bass-based, synth and sample, four-on-the-floor sort of magic, but magic no less. Their latest, the E$pooky EP, is something of an evolution from their debut, Mannequin Legs, but retains the playful instinct that’s a staple to most of their music. “$pooky,” the first song on the… Continue reading The Pluto Moons- E$pooky Ep
Zs- XE
Brooklyn experimental trio Zs has always been defying expectations, and their latest release, the mesmeric Xe (pronounced Zee), is no different. The record features some of Zs’s most accessible work, yet remains as challenging and captivating as any of their previous releases. “Corps,” the third track on the album, begins with the hypnotic plucking of… Continue reading Zs- XE
Salt Cathedral (Interview)
The songs off Salt Cathedral’s latest, Oom Velt, are richly dense and often futuristic affairs. The instrumentation on the EP is vast in the way of electron clouds. Made up of many swirling but intertwined parts, the music creates something seemingly impenetrable, a gorgeous and shimmering base layer, which on closer inspection reveals an astonishing openness… Continue reading Salt Cathedral (Interview)
Tiny Hazard (Interview)
Tiny Hazard isn’t content to remind themselves of the better angels of our nature. At times delightfully angular, steeped in melody, they occasionally detour into dissonance, mining the darker parts of the human psyche too. The juxtaposition is a credit to Alena Spanger, who leads the band as singer, keyboardist and head songwriter. The Deli sat… Continue reading Tiny Hazard (Interview)
Archie Pelago (Interview)
Archie Pelago is the musical equivalent of a cyborg. Part programmed music, part live instrumentation, the trio is made up of three classically trained musicians, Hirshi (trumpet/DJ), Cosmo D (cello/Ableton) and Kroba (sax/Ableton). The music they create strikes a fine balance between the energy and precision of a DJ set and the dynamism and proficiency… Continue reading Archie Pelago (Interview)
Coffee: A Love Story
By: Emilio Herce Have you ever had that thought, after the mornings first (or fourth) cup of coffee, that the addictive, psychoactive substance you just ingested may be doing you more harm than good? Yeah, me neither. For most of us, myself included, coffee is a necessary part of life. More than just a beverage,… Continue reading Coffee: A Love Story
The Teen Age [Interview]
Expectations for your mid-20s are fuzzy at best, and The Teen Ageseem set upon doing what comes naturally. The band creates some of the best locally-sourced, fuzzed out garage rock (although brewed in Brooklyn basements), but what really sets them apart is an ability to seamlessly incorporate styles like doo-woop and surf punk into their… Continue reading The Teen Age [Interview]
5 US Cities With Incredible Music Scenes
1) AUSTIN Austin’s music backlash has already begun. Inundated each year by throngs of musicians and music lovers alike for South By South West (SXSW; it’s still worth going) and Austin City Limits (ACL), Austin puts up with a lot in terms of music tourism. But can they really blame us? Live music is an… Continue reading 5 US Cities With Incredible Music Scenes