It was an honor to write about why Omnivore's Rounds is such a hidden gem. This record has been a favorite for the past decade since it was released, but for some reason it pulled me back in hard this year, and I noticed when I would play songs from it for others that they… Continue reading Omnivore’s “Rounds” Bends Circuits and Fears About Female Agency
Here it finally is! I worked on this for about two months. It's the opening act of the work I am doing on the book the world needs about how Northeast Ohio modernized rock music and played an enormous role in shaping the last half-century of culture in America. Anton Fier's departure from this realm… Continue reading The Cup, the Dream, and the Tin Can: Kicking Out Half a Century With David Thomas
I am so very pleased that I finally got to publish the phrase "Heather Lewis's heartfelt a capella rippers." This is a favorite of the year and a record that is a really interesting document of a lot of different threads in American music converging at the same time--check it out! © COME AWAY WITH… Continue reading Cheri Knight’s American Rituals AOTD
It was my honor to be trusted with writing up this must-listen solo debut from Kyle Kidd on American Dreams Records, and it is my joy that Kyle feels so seen and honored by it. I'm glad all the time I spent dancing with the bubbles in the the bath to it paid off. Check out the album… Continue reading Kyle Kidd’s Soothsayer AOTD
For July's TLR I wrote about two fascinating tape labels--Orb Tapes out of central Pennsylvania and Tymbal Tapes out of Lincoln, Nebraska--both of which are extremely thoughtful and well-curated labels run by people who are passionate listeners and devoted workers in DIY music culture. Definitely check it out if you are down for some truly… Continue reading Tape Label Report, July 2022
It was my honor to finally profile one of the most important labels and event promoters in contemporary music culture: Interdimensional Transmissions. Please check out all of the work they have done to keep proper underground dance music thriving in its home territories and to bring many sides of genre together for immersive events which… Continue reading Interdimensional Transmissions Explores Electronic Music’s Outer Limits
I was grateful for the opportunity to shed some light on the debut album from Rocio Zavala and to sit down with her in this suburban Chicago pizzeria she loves to talk about the process leading up to its creation before she took off for LA. It's absolutely one of the best drone albums I… Continue reading Rocio Zavala Creates Music From Light
When Matt Helgeson invited me on his CrossFade podcast, I realized in studying and discussing Erase Errata's Nightlife for the show that this was a really dense and fascinating album that really commanded more time and attention than we could give it. I got the Bandcamp editors to let me write about it and had… Continue reading Erase Errata’s Nightlife Gave Entertainment an Agenda
My guide to the revolutionary Dog Faced Hermans finally arrived and made a good splash. I had a great time researching and writing this and just finished work on a Dog Faced Hermans-inspired playlist for Modern Soul Records in collaboration with Andy Moor and Wilf Plum from DFH, so that will be available soon. It's… Continue reading The Uncompromising Creative Politics of Dog Faced Hermans
Well, this was a doozy of a career to write about for my struggling retrograde ass brain. But it's finally here for everyone to read about! Thanks to Tara Jane O'Neil for being such a fascinating artist and subject and all the Bandcamp editors for being tip-top, as always. It continues to be such an… Continue reading The Vast Career of Tara Jane O’Neil
COME AWAY WITH EMD 