Duster – Duster
Style: Slowcore, Slacker Rock, Shoegaze
Moods: Introspective, Lethargic, Existential, Hypnotic, Melancholy, Nocturnal, Rainy, Spacey
Musical Qualities: Slow, Noisy, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Riffs, Repetitive
2019
Heart of the Ghost – Live at Rhizome
Jarrett Gilgore (alto saxophone); Luke Stewart (upright bass); Ian McColm (drums)
with Dave Ballou (trumpet)
Style: Free Jazz
Moods: Adventurous, Earthy, Driving, Exploratory, Free, Energetic, Abstract, Colorful, Communal, Complex, Determined
Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Ostinato, Polyrhythmic, Dense, Acoustic, Uncommon Time Signatures, Instrumental, Dynamic, Live Recording
Širom – Svet, ki spe?e konju cvet (A Universe That Roasts Blossoms for a Horse)
Style: “Imaginary Folk”, Free Folk, Avant-Folk, Ritual-Psych
Moods: Mysterious, Ritualistic, Exploratory, Surreal, Tribal, Hypnotic, Psychedelic, Shadowy
Musical Qualities: Polyphonic, Complex, Polyrhythmic, Acoustic, Percussive, Progressive, Improvisation
Ka Baird – Respires
Style: EAI, Post-Minimalism, Psychedelic Experimental
Moods: Earthy, Visceral, Hallucinogenic, Tangled, Hypnotic, Surreal, Knotty, Intertwined
Musical Qualities: Electro-Acoustic, Pulse, Experimental Vocalizations, Improvisation, Repetitive
Instrumentation: Flute, Vocals & Keyboards, all processed through stereo delay effects
Angel Bat David – The Oracle
Style: Organic Beat Music, Bedroom Gospel, Spiritual Jazz
Moods: Heartfelt, Raw, Sombre, Spiritual, Flowing, Passionate, Mournful, Mysterious, Haunting, Cathartic, Eclectic
Musical Qualities: Home Recording, Collage, Beats, Improvisation, Solo, Loose, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Lo-fi
Instrumentation: Clarinet, Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion, Drums
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
Style: Singer/Songwriter, Synth Pop, Trip-Hop
Moods: Bittersweet, Sentimental, Warm, Romantic
Musical Qualities: Catchy, Lush, Vocal Harmonies, Polished Production
Big Thief – UFOF
Style: Folk Pop, Dream-Folk, Progressive Pop, Slowcore
Vibe: Spring, Warm, Intertwined, Ethereal, Introspective, Cryptic, Poetic, Misty, Gentle, Soothing, Bittersweet
Musical Qualities: Lush, Polished, Melodic, Progressive
Wet Tuna – Water Weird
Style: Country-Psych, Folk-Funk, Jam Band
Vibe: Aquatic, Summer, Warm, Groovy, Spacey, Laid Back, Playful, Stoned
Musical Qualities: Rhythmic, Atmospheric, Improvisation, Loose, Lo-Fi
Swans – leaving meaning.
Style: Gothic Americana, Neo-Folk, Post-Rock
Moods: Brooding, Existential, Shadowy, Eerie, Sombre, Spiritual, Apocalyptic, Contemplative, Cryptic, Hypnotic, Focused, Nihilistic, Patient, Philosophical, Suspenseful
Musical Qualities: Slow, Lush, Vocal Harmonies, Repetitive, Lyrical, Droney, Rhythmic, Atmospheric
The Art Ensemble of Chicago – We Are On the Edge
Style: Modern Creative, Chamber Jazz, Experimental Big Band, Great Black Music, Avant-Garde Classical
Vibe: Communal, Triumphant, Suspenseful, History, Eclectic, Colorful, Intricate, Ritualistic, Patient, Open, Complex, Theatric
Musical Qualities: Poly-Free Improvisation, Dynamic, Collective, Progressive Structures, Technical, Orchestral, Percussive, Reductionism, Suite, Polyphonic
Instrumentation: Trumpets, Upright Bass, Spoken Word, Operatic Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Saxophone, Cello, Violin, Viola
Tinariwen – Amadjar
Style: Tishoumaren, Desert Blues
Vibe: Desert, Hypnotic, Journeying, Spiritual, Flowing, Psychedelic, Mellow, Communal, Uplifting
Musical Qualities: Slow, Group Vocals, Repetitive, Percussive, Rhythmic
Elkhorn – Elk Jam
Style: Folk Rock, Psych, Jam Band
Vibe: Scorched, Summer, Desert, Stoned, Pastoral Peaceful, Sunny, Traveling, Psychedelic
Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Instrumental, Improvisation, Fuzzy, Mellow, Riffs, Loose
Hiss Golden Messenger – Terms of Surrender
Vibe: Contemplative, Tender, Soothing, Warm, Bittersweet, Rustic, Open, Pastoral, Light
Themes: Family, Existential, Spirituality, Love
Musical Qualities: Soft, Melodic, Vocal Harmonies, Atmospheric Production, Lyrical
Instrumentation: Vocals, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Banjo, Piano, Organ, Harmonica, Mandolin Synthesizer, Electric Bass, Lap Steel Slide Guitar, Omnichord, Drums, Percussion
Kendra Amalie – Intuition
Style: Space Rock, Folk Rock
Vibe: Desert, Spacey, Western, Moody
Musical Qualities: Riffs, Repetitive, Driving, Atmospheric
Loren Mazzacane Conners & Daniel Carter – The Departing of a Dream Volume VII
Style: Drone, Free Improvisation, Ambient
Vibe: Suspenseful, Haunting, Murky, Mysterious, Meditative, Responsive, Noir
Musical Qualities: Lo-Fi, Improvisation, Noisy, Atmospheric, Heavy Reverb
Bill Orcutt – Odds Against Tomorrow
Style: American Primitvism, Ambient Blues, Solo Electric Guitar
Vibe: Meditative, Longing, Spiritual, Pastoral, Loose, Kinetic
Musical Qualities: Improvisation, Dissonance, Instrumental, Sparse
Jessica Pratt – Quiet Signs
Style: Chamber Folk, Singer/Songwriter
Vibe: Mellow, Morning, Soothing, Bittersweet, Warm, Introspective, Ethereal
Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Sparse, Soft
Land of Kush – Sand Enigma
Style: Avant-Garde Big Band, Arabic/Egyptian Folk, Psychedelic Jazz
Vibe: Intense, Sombre, Cathartic, Psychedelic, Complex, Ritualistic, Communal
Musical Qualities: Dense, Progressive, Dissonant, Acoustic, Percussive
Instrumentation: Santur, Upright Bass, Piano, Saxophones, Vocals, Percussion, Drums, Clarinet, Flute, Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello), Keyboards, Synthesizer, lap Steel Guitar, Electronics, Harp
Richard Dawson – 2020 [Review]
Style: Progressive Songwriter, Art Rock, Progressive Pop
Vibe: Satirical, Depressive, Anxious, Dystopian, Bright, Eccentric, Existential, Longing, Pessimistic, Urban, Storytelling
Musical Qualities: Complex, Dense, Progressive, Intricate, Dynamic, Conceptual
Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah – Ancestral Recall
Style: Organic Beat Music, Spiritual Jazz, Cybernetic Jazz, Progressive Jazz
Vibe: Ritualistic, Triumphant, Poetic, Tribal, Afro-Futurism, Epic, Moody, Earthy
Musical Qualities: Beats, Structured Improvisation, Polyrhythmic, Progressive, Percussive
Natural Information Society with Evan Parker – descension (Out of Our Constrictions
Style: Avant-Garde Jazz, Ecstatic Post-Minimalism, Psychedelic Trance Music, Gnawa-Influenced
Vibe: Hypnotic, Meditative, Psychedelic, Ecstatic, Spiritual, Cathartic, Mosaic,
Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Live, Minimalistic, Acoustic, Instrumental, Polyphonic, Polyrhythmic, Repetitive
Instrumentation: Guimbri, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Harmonium, Drums
Loren Connors – Beautiful Dreamer (for Steve Dalachinksy)
Style: Dark Ambient, Free Improvisation, Ambient Blues
Vibe: Murky, Meditative, Washy, Haunting, Suspenseful, Mysterious, Ethereal
Musical Attributes: Solo Electric Guitar Improvisation, Sparse, Atmospheric, Slow, Lo-fi
Yves Jarvis – The Same but by Different Means
Style: Psychedelic Gospel Folk, Bedroom Soul, Experimental Singer/Songwriter
Vibe: Woozy, Imaginative, Cryptic, Warm, Ethereal, Stoned
Musical Attributes: Lo-fi, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Vocal Harmonies, Vocal Manipulation, Eclectic, Collage
Solange – When I Get Home
Style: Modern Soul, Art Pop
Vibe: Reflective, Lush, Mellow, Confident, Groovy, Introspective, Summer, Warm
Musical Attributes: Melodic, Soft, Suite, Vignettes, Polished, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Beats
The Clandestine Quartet – One for the Fossa, Two for the Wolverine
Released in 2019 on 33-33 Records Format: LP Style: Free-Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Experimental Rock Influences: Arabic Folk Music, Free Improvisation, Drone, Indian Classical Music Vibe: Exploratory, Cathartic, Ritualistic, Psychedelic, Spiritual Musical Attributes: Improvisation Members: Sir Richard Bishop (Guitar, Piano), Chris Corsano (Drums), Alvarius Bishop (Bass, Vocals), Michael Flower (Japanese Banjo)
Moon Bros – The Easy Way is Hard Enough
Released in 2019 on Western Vinyl Format: LP
Deep Rotations: 2019 — 40+ Essential Records + Mixtape
40+ album released in 2019 worthy of some deep listening, plus an accompanying mixtape recorded straight from these records
Moor Mother – Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes
Released in 2019 on Don Giovanni Records Format: LP, grey vinyl
Matana Roberts – Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis
Released in 2019 on Constellation Records Format: LP
A.A. Bondy – Enderness
Style: Singer/Songwriter, Ambient Pop
Moods: Apathetic, Introspective, Surreal, Sleazy, Melancholy, Sleek, Mellow, Sensual, Depressive, Ethereal, Stark, Meditative
Musical Qualities: Soft, Sparse, Lyrical, MIDI, Smooth, Polished
Glass Tree Season – Colour [Track Review]
Months after introducing us to the hazy bedroom-psych of his debut EP, songwriter/producer Ainsley Scullion returns with a glossy new single under his Glass Tree Season moniker. “Colour” features an upgrade in production and fidelity, without much alteration to his chilled out style of psychedelic dream-pop. The track begins with a slow, melancholy chord progression …
jaimie branch – Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise
Released in 2019 on International Anthem Recording Co. Format: LP
Dave Harrington Group – Pure Imagination, No Country
Innovative guitarist and producer Dave Harrington (Darkside) uses his latest record to explore the outer reaches of improvisation and compositional post-production. Pure Imagination, No Country is jazz-rock fusion stripped of its retro connotations—fusing hard grooves, free flights of collective improvisation, and futuristic ambience to create something that is at turns atmospheric and in your face.
Recommended for fans of Bill Frisell, Terje Rypdal, or Jaga Jazzist
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – Tracing Back the Radiance
Washes of piano, harp, and other ephemeral sonic artifacts float through Ledesma’s peaceful, almost static atmospheres like a night breeze through the quiet woods.
Efrim Manuel Menuck & Kevin Doria – “are SING SINCK, SING”
Released in 2019 on Constellation Records Format: 12″ EP
Sarah Louise – Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars
Released in 2019 on Thrill Jockey Records Format: LP Limited pink vinyl
Glass Tree Season – EP
Producing solo music can be an isolating, obsessive experience that creates somewhat of a disconnect with the outside world, yet this very experience often results in intimate forms of self-expression meant to forge new connections with listeners. UK songwriter & producer Ainsley Scullion (Glass Tree Season) seems to relish in this alone time, patiently refining …
Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society – Mandatory Reality
Released in 2019 on Eremite Records Recorded in 2017 Format: LPx2, Screen-printed jacket
Bibio – Ribbons
On his latest, producer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Bibio blends serene folk pop, lush instrumentation, pastoral guitar instrumentals, nature field recordings, Walt Whitman-esque lyrics and beat-oriented grooves into the perfectly crafted springtime album. Ribbons feels like daydreaming in a garden or out in the woods under a tree or by a trickling stream.
Tom Chandler – gone
These transcendent drone meditations will envelop you in a dark blanket of fuzzy guitars and blooming synthesizers.