Short books about albums. Published by Bloomsbury
“One hand, clenched in a fist, in the middle of a puffed chest and the other outstretched as if the voice were launched like a frisbee. If one could distill a genre to a gesture, this would be the posture that portrays opera.”
A guest post by Ginger Dellenbaugh.
“I’m often amused when people roar about something they don’t like—as if said roaring attests to some value or characteristic they wish to have—when what it is they’re roaring about actually has a lot in common with what they’re more than happy to tell you they’re into.”
A guest post by Colin Fleming.
“I came to hear the wordless, cinematic Track 3 “Ondas (Na Óhlos de Petronila)” as a devastating protest of 1979 Brazil from afar.”
A guest post by Dan Sharp.
“Naná Vasconcelos’s superb time surfaced several times when I talked to the producers, engineers, and musicians that knew him best … Naná could easily work without a click track, or dance around the pulse of a click track, producing parts that don’t feel pinned down by its tyranny.”
A guest post by Dan B. Sharp
“Again and again, Naná Vasconcelos paid no mind to feuds between fans, crossing between musical genres and playing with musicians on both sides of entrenched divides.”
A guest post by Dan Sharp
“Of the over 300 recordings that Afro-Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos made over five decades, there is one in particular that best offers a glimpse into his life, his artistic vision, and his priorities… My hope is that this post might lead to finding it.”
A guest post by Dan Sharp
benevolence are on display in a special wing of life’s museum. The wing is accessible all the year ‘round, but it attracts the most visitors during the season of Yule. There’s a soundtrack that doesn’t feature at the rest of the year—unless you fire up A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector and The Nutcracker in April, as I do—and everything just feels different. Good different.
Kirk Hammett lives according to, what he calls, “curiosity without boundaries.” The lead guitarist of Metallica provides an impressive, but unpretentious reminder that many observers of the heavy metal and hard rock juggernaut might forget: Despite their unlikely mainstream status, after selling more than 125 million records worldwide, Metallica navigates strictly according to their own cartography. On October 1st, I interviewed Kirk Hammett about the Black Album, his philosophy of creativity, and the often misunderstood identity of Metallica.
Whether you’re going all out in your favorite costume, planning a Halloween bash, or just chilling on the couch with a bowl of candy, you still need some spooky tunes to jam out to. Listen now by following our Halloween playlist on Spotify or listen here on our blog. Afterwards, explore our series to learn more about each artist covered in the playlist! Revel in monsters, thrillers, and ghosts🎃
In 2003, Stones Throw Records flew photographer Brian “B+” Cross out to Detroit to snap some promotional photos of J Dilla, who was then working on the Jaylib project. If you follow this sort of thing, you know these photos: the blue and orange ensemble, a pinwheel cap for the Detroit Stars, the city’s Negro League baseball team, cocked on the side of his head. Classic material. In one of these photos, Dilla’s flipping the bins at Car City Records. Now closed, Car City then was an institution in St Clair Shores on Detroit’s East side, just south of Clinton Township, where Dilla was living at the time.