A couple weeks ago I sat down with Bill Ocean, head honcho over at The Minimal Beat. We went to Big Star and had some tacos while we talked about the projects he keeps himself busy with over on his site. I’ve been a fan of his stuff for a while, and I’m actually surprised you’re here reading this because you should be over on … Continue reading Blog On Blog: Interview With The Minimal Beat
What happens to art when we extricate it from the artist? Does it lose the hold it has on us, or does it grow stronger? Perhaps in manufactured pop or radio music, a song like “Sorry” wouldn’t be so popular if it didn’t have the Bieber brand attached to it. On the flip side, I’ve often heard songs whose title eluded me, and whose performer … Continue reading Nobody-Turn
I went to a free show at The Empty Bottle last Monday to see Willis Earl Beal. I’ve been a fan of his work since he blew up in the Chicago scene at the beginning of the decade, but this was my first time seeing him live. There was no talk of doing an interview beforehand, but my friend August Forte, who works in the … Continue reading Willis Earl Beal Interview At The Empty Bottle 2/27/2017
Willis Earl Beal has the most mesmerizing voice in music today, and no one else comes close. Not since Julee Cruise‘s spooky/sexy vocals were heard on Twin Peaks has a sound so instantly caught my attention and held it. He puts that power to great use on his newest LP, the just-self-released Experiments In Time that came out last week. With sparse accompaniment Beal creates a whole world, layering his voice on top of itself and keeping a quiet rumble of synths beneath to fill in the outer reaches of the soundscape.
If you’re familiar with Beal’s work, imagine the vibe of “Wavering Lines” slowly caressing your ears for 12 tracks, and you’d have a pretty good idea of what Experiments In Time has in store for you. It can be dark at times, swimming through the primal recesses of Beal’s mind. But, like the man himself, it is never without hope, looking toward a brighter future.
Continue reading “Willis Earl Beal-Experiments In Time”
25. Jamaican Queens–Wormfood 24. Dr. Skinnybones–A Last Hurrah For The Glory Of Drinking Alone 23. The Thermals–Desperate Ground 22. Smith Westerns–Soft Will 21. Night Terrors Of 1927–Guilty Pleas EP 20. Deltron 3030-The Event II 19. Yeah Yeah Yeahs–Mosquito 18. Portugal. The Man.–Evil Friends 17. The All-About–Suburban Heart 16. Fort Frances–Harbour 15. Killer Mike & El-P-Run The Jewels 14.Camera Obscura–Desire Lines 13. Rilo Kiley–RKives 12. Golden Bloom–No Day Like Today 11. Christopher Owens–Lysandre 10. Islands–Ski Mask 9. Janelle Monae–The Electric Lady 8. Of … Continue reading Top Albums Of 2013: 25-1
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