October 2016 ~ Points of View

in

"It's interesting to compare the parallel careers of Solange and her sister, who both released albums in 2016 that are largely about black pride and the empowerment of black women. With her lower pop-profile, Solange seems to be able to come at it from a sharper angle - the lyrics more plainly and assertively hew to the theme, and the music is more stripped down, much further out from the center of pop radio accessibility. Delightfully, the album still hit number 1 on the charts."

Featuring: Deerhoof, Kate Tempest, Danny Brown, EL VY, and more. 

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November & December 2015 ~ Back in the Saddle

in

"Lately I've been serving as iTunes valet for my favorite 11-year-old. We sit and search for songs that she wants downloaded on her iPod, with her largely guiding the search and me trying to throw golden nugget in front of her ears every once in a while. To my utter horror and amazement, I found myself feeling a sense of relief when we landed on Britney Spears. It's an experience I would have sworn would never happen."

Featuring: The Arcs, Carlos Malcom, Kronos Quartet, Pell, and more. 

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June 2014: Psych Around the World (Cup)

in

I sent myself down a deep rabbit hole of international psychedelic music from the '60s and '70s. That's a deep deep hole, as it seems like almost every spot on the globe (Cambodia, Turkey, Nigeria, Brazil, Korea, Iran!) went through the process of working through the psychedelic rock revolution and found a way to reconcile it with their own indigenous sound. Some results are better than others.

Featuring: Kim Jung Mi, clipping, alt-J, Otis Redding, and more.

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Surachai

in

"These tracks are from standout electronic albums from the past couple years, it doesn’t really reflect what I’m listening to at the moment - that changes on a weekly basis, depending on the current obsession. For the most part, I’m choosing the 'goth kid' in the albums - which are not necessarily the best representation of the albums they’re associated with."

Featuring: Drumcell, Autechre, Nine Inch Nails, and more.

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