Category: ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC

Essential New Music: William Basinski’s “A Shadow In Time”
In the 15 years since William Basinski began releasing The Disintegration Loops—his epochal tape-loop masterpiece that’s become inseparable from its

Essential New Music: Ryan Adams’ “Prisoner”
Ryan Adams and I have had our differences over the years, the majority of them in the pages of this

Essential New Music: The xx’s “I See You”
On its second album, 2012’s Coexist, the xx doubled down on the minimalist aesthetic that made its debut an instant

Essential New Music: Austra’s “Future Politics”
If there’s one thing that immediately stands out in Austra’s music, it’s the rafter-raising voice of leader Katie Stelmanis. As

Essential New Music: Whores’ “Gold”
Whores’ first full-length comes charging right out of the gate and doesn’t let up. Call it angular hard metal largely

Essential New Music: Gillian Welch’s “Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg”
Revival, Gillian Welch’s 1996 debut, is a cornerstone of Americana, or alt-country as it was called at the time. It

Essential New Music: Thee Oh Sees’ “An Odd Entrances”
If you’re looking for the meltingly hot wall of sound that California garage-rock champions Thee Oh Sees are known for

Essential New Music: Luke Temple’s “A Hand Through The Cellar Door”
A Hand Through The Cellar Door finds Luke Temple stripping down his performance to the bare minimum. Subtle acoustic bass,