instrumental Archive
25 Oct 2017
Album Review: Yonder — Pearl Diver
Some music insists upon itself; rock ‘n’ roll, for example – when it’s done right – is designed to be impossible to ignore. So, too can other forms – progressive […]
09 Sep 2017
Album Review: Gel-Sol — Horse Head Bookends
It’s inevitable: the first thing one notices about Horse Head Bookends, the latest album from Andrew Reichel (d/b/a/ Gel-Sol), is its stunningly original album artwork and packaging. The vinyl LP […]
11 Aug 2017
New Music Review Roundup, Part 3
Today I wrap up three days’ worth of reviews of new music. Dig if you will. The Pollyseeds – Sounds of Crenshaw, Vol. 1 As far as I know, none […]
09 Aug 2017
New Music Review Roundup, Part 1
I’ve got lots of new music to tell you about. Eighteen albums in all, which I’ll cover over three days. Let’s get started. The Brigadier – Wash Away the Day […]
04 Jul 2017
Jean-Michel Jarre: Embracing — Yet Remaining Wary of — Technology
A pioneer in electronic music, French composer-performer Jean-Michel Jarre is as well-known for his stage spectaculars as for his innovations in ambient and new age music. Though he has always […]
26 Jun 2017
Album Review: Jean Jacques Perrey — Moog Indigo
Perhaps Jean Jacques Perrey shouldn’t be thought of in the same context as Jean-Michel Jarre, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and other early pioneers of the synthesizer-as-musical-instrument. His work wasn’t as edgy and […]
19 Jun 2017
Russian Circles: Making Music in a Post-rock World
In a valiant attempt to provide helpful points of reference for music listeners, journalists have concocted all manner of genre labels. Some – folk-rock, for example – are useful in […]
06 Mar 2017
Album Review: Attilio Mineo — Man in Space with Sounds
A breathlessly earnest announcer welcomes the listener to the record as a wonderfully evocative orchestra creates an instrumental backdrop meant to evoke outer space. With the help of some gee-whiz […]
30 Jan 2017
The New Mastersounds: Funky Collaborators
The New Mastersounds have a long-standing and close relationship with music fans in Asheville. Founded in Leeds, England in 1999, the soul jazz / fusion / funk band played its […]
09 Dec 2016
Album Mini-review: Jake Shimabukuro — Nashville Sessions
File next to: Michael Hedges, Joe Satriani Generally associated with Hawaiian music and culture, in recent years the ukulele has gained wider acceptance and credibility as a musical instrument suitable […]