Aural Fixations
BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL
Halo Star
(Projekt)
Halo Star, the latest album from the venerable Gothic music institution black tape for a blue girl, is a very different beast from the ensemble's last record The Scavenger Bride. While that project was a story-heavy masterpiece of contemporary art song, Halo Star returns the band to its Gothic rock roots. (more)
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS
The Dirty South
(New West)
The Drive-By Truckers are getting predictable. The Dirty South is their sixth album; surprise surprise, it's great, just like all the others. (more)
DUKE ELLINGTON
Blues in Orbit
Piano in the Background
Piano in the Foreground
(Columbia/Legacy)
Legacy continues its salute to the great jazz big band leader, pianist and composer Duke Ellington by reissuing a trio of historically underappreciated releases. Blues in Orbit, recorded in the late 50s and originally issued in 1960, takes its title to heart, with pieces that definitely draw on the blues as a base. (more)
MUSHROOM
Glazed Popems
(Black Beauty)
Oakland's synapse-frying jazz/prog/funk/acid rock aggregation Mushroom has been threatening to deliver a masterpiece for years. With the two CD set Glazed Popems, the instrumental band has finally done it. (more)
What We're Listening To
- Michael Toland, Editor-in-chief:
- The Hellacopters—By the Grace of God
- Michael Rank—Coral
- Johnny Thunders—So Alone
What are you listening to? Tell us, and we'll tell the world.
