Welcome to Planet Caravan
Typing by thumbs from vacation just outside Asheville, so forgive any typos. I’m visiting the folks and hoping to visit the Moogseum, the Asheville Pinball...
Mystic Folk, Hill Country Black Metal, Psychedelic Hardcore
Raymond Byron's Bond Wire Cur was already on my list of albums to recommend this week. ESP-Disk' had sent a copy that I finally placed on the turntable and...
He's Out There Setting Fires to the Demons in His Head
Y'all ever get tired of music nerds telling y'all how getting into music was different back in the day? Yeah, me neither. Liner notes, zines, cable access...
Vocaloid Emo, Egyptian Specters, Finnish Prog
Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe made me giggle for 87 straight minutes. (Heh heh he said "straight.") Subplots are sorta rushed to the finish line (heh...
Japanese Metalcore, Numbskull Arena-Rock, Chinese Psych-Pop
Sometimes you listlessly tweet about wanting to hear a Pedro the Lion song done in the style of Jawbreaker, and then someone makes it on his lunch break....
I Finally Fell in Love with Boiled Peanuts
Born in the North, raised in the South by the grace of God. My family moved to Georgia when I was 7 years old and, within days, I knew I was home. Drawn to...
Ren Faire Synth-Pop, Jungle Splatter, Noodles & Choogles
Summer pro-tip: Lemon pepper is underrated. Applied liberally to unbuttered chicken, the seasoning has persisted in American cuisine as an oven-baked, dried-...
Sit Still, Listen and Conduct the Air
In Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, the world-famous concert pianist stops into a truck stop. Behind sunglasses and under a large trench coat, the...
Quiet Music in an Unquiet Year
At the end of 2017, I was feeling pretty raw about the state of things in the U.S.: rising fascism, threats against women's autonomy and immigrants' safety,...
Gritty Post-Bop, Myst Ambient, Tropi-Psych
We'd been craving paletas — and Mexican snacks generally — ever since we vacationed in CDMX years ago. Sweet, spicy and sour chamoy creations, corn chips...
Guitar Drone, Faustian Black Metal, Bedroom Rave
Flowers bloomed, raced and spun across the floors and walls with a digital gust of wind. The room spun, but didn't. Children ran, skipped and hopped to keep...
Pedro the Lion's Subdued Set Felt Quietly Subversive
Some loosely organized notes on a recent Pedro the Lion gig at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C.: Burly, but bruised — never have I met a guitar tone that...
Swedish Christian Fuzz, Post-Punk Trompe-L'œil, Afro-French Jazz
This is my burger, give or take a topping: Bun, mayo, pickles, cheese, patty (maybe two), tomato, lettuce, bun. In that order. Add-ons can be nice — who am I...
Epic Metal, Japanese Noise, Digital Cumbia
Gern Blandsten is closing up shop after 30 years. I can't speak to the label's imprint on the New Jersey indie rock and punk scenes, but GB proved crucial in...
The Drum Fill in "Everlong" Makes Me Cry
Foo Fighters' "Everlong" is a song measured in chills per minute... from the hushed opening and distorted guitar strums;to the moment Dave Grohl first...
Medieval Metal, French Folk, Harp Improv
On a recent trip to rural Virginia, we brought along a cheap kite that'd been buried deep in the recesses of a closet. Having not flown since childhood, I...
Ambient Pop, Finnish Black Metal, Brazilian Free-Jazz
Some professional news: After two years producing it, I'm now the host of the Best Music of the Month podcast from NPR's All Songs Considered! Basically, I...
Ukrainian Blackmetalpunk, Bassoon R&B, Indonesian Hardcore
The situation in Ukraine changes day to day. Like so many, I watch with worry and heartbreak. I don't pretend to write about things I don't know or...
I (Do Not) Long for Eternal Frost and Black Winters
Greatest Blashyrkh wait for me your deepest realms I'll find / With songs that sound eternally for you my call is ever so strong Winter does not agree with...
D&D IRL, Squirrel Power, Old Man Michelangelo
I am, by no means, a comics expert — I barely know the major story arcs of Marvel and DC from the last decade, and, in fact, find most of them tedious! But...
