Man, Jayson wasn’t kidding about today being a big day. In amongst the marquee stuff that’s dropped in, I noticed a bunch (a slew even) of great and/or interesting records that I figured were worth running down here. Even still, I’m sure there’s stuff of note that I missed. Feel free to drop some science [...]

I realize I’m probably picking a bad time (entire Replacements discography and all) to trot out a laundry list of random-seeming records that you just Have to Download Now! but… let’s just call it Save For Later-bait? Ok, cool.
I’ve posted here before about leaning on lists to augment my all-consuming music nerd habits, but December [...]

Ariel Pink is megaprolific LA-based songwriter who sits at the center of a whole constellation of artists making homemade, rinky dink could-be-hits. Using often outdated, underpowered and/or rudimentary equipment, Pink (née Rosenberg) makes quirky pop music that sounds like a sun-damaged, slowly melting version of 1970s FM rock. Since first hitting record on the boombox [...]

I’m the kind of listener who gets stuck on songs and moods. I find one mood I like and suddenly it starts appearing everywhere before me, echoes of the ideas ubiquitous. Right now two songs dominate my consciousness, both precious, contained, and beaten down by life. One is “Black Lake” from the new Real Estate [...]

Our fall will sound like summer. Not everyone’s but certainly indie rock’s, and three bands (a trend) — the Drums, Girls and Beach Fossils — will be partially responsible. Some of their music will remind you of surf rock. More of it like the electrified cicadas of early R.E.M. Most of it like California. And [...]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, aka every non-jazz listener’s favorite jazz record. You’ll see a lot of excellent essays this week about the impact of Blue and what it has meant to jazz and culture at large since. What you won’t see are many attempts to place the record [...]

Usually when I think of summer jams, I think big and bold and bright. I think of swooping Beach Boys harmonies or “Heat Wave”-y romps or, ya know, Summer Jam. I’ve noticed recently, though, the ease of which I’ve stockpiled a bunch of scratchy new lo-fi summer favorites. I know “lo-fi” is a bit of [...]

When it comes to jazz, pretty much everything I know is bullshit. I traffic in half-truths and shallow assertions and hope that no one ever asks a followup (if they do, I’m all ears no mouth). If I’m completely honest with myself — and I’m doing my best to be — then I must admit [...]

Nothin but good things to say about this – via Peter Eavis
Just wanted to give a shoutout to one of my favorite new favorite tumblrs, Little Deaths. It’s basically structured like an old-fashioned mp3 blog: post one song, gab about it a little. As the owner of the tumblr writes:
“A good song is like [...]

As we come to the close of another week, we wanted to shine the light on a few records that may have fallen through the cracks — lovely, small albums that deserve a bit of spotlighting. They pretty much range across all genres, and the only thing they really share is that we like [...]

A deeply weird and haunting clusterfuck of an avant-garde record came into eMusic on Friday. It is filed under Jazz, but the only distant relation it bears to Jazz is the fact that it is completely improvised. Otherwise, it lays about thirty miles safely outside of any genre borders. It is called The Songs, [...]

Can I talk about Glasser for a sec and about how she was on the eMusic Selects compilation and she played this awesome/awkward show at SXSW that I loved and how her new Apply EP is really really great? Can I please? The EP starts with “Apply,” the song that made the compilation, and then [...]

When push comes to shove, Galaxie 500’s Copenhagen might be my favorite record ever. Aside teenage obsessions (say what’s up Gallagher brothers, Beatles and the entire 1994 DGC roster), it’s certainly the record I’ve listened to the most. Galaxie 500’s final release, recorded at the end of a European tour, is a live album, and [...]

It ain’t summer yet, at least in New York. Today, it’s not even very spring-like — although I suppose April showers are part of the deal. Point is, if you’ve got any glum residue left, any room in your psyche for a few more ruminative, mournful, moody, drippy musical moments, then I have the album [...]

Over the weekend, the new Breeders EP, Fate to Fatal, hit the site (a total surprise to us) and OMG is it incredible. I count Pod and Pacer among my all-time favorite records (they certainly rank among my most-listened), and Fate to Fatal scratches that itch exactly. The title track is Amps-y, a little fuzzy [...]

My friend Ben’s obsession with the perfect-spring-music pop album that Phoenix is about to release (I am late on the Phoenix train by at least three years, but hoo boy I’m on board now) led him to Google the term “Lisztomania,” the title of the first track off of the upcoming Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. [...]

Back here in the 17 Dots cubicle at eMusic HQ, we’ve all fallen pretty hard for a blog called Live Wrong and Prosper, which offers a daily proposition: what ridiculous, disturbing things would do you do for a million dollars? Questions have ranged from the scatological (unprintable here) to the ridiculous (would you replace your [...]

In 1995, Deion Sanders — nicknamed “Prime Time” — was a two-sport star fresh off a 1994 Super Bowl victory with the San Francisco 49ers, newly signed to the Dallas Cowboys and still hanging onto a baseball career, then with the Cincinnati Reds. As the heir to Bo Jackson’s two-sport crown, Prime Time was at [...]

Confession time. While yes, we are clearly the most knowledgable people about everything, sometimes we get some help. Both the Aquarius (especially for doom metal and Krautrock) and Other Music newsletters are particular in-house favorites — we discover a ton of great music thanks to the super smart and sincere folks at both stores.
This week’s [...]

Good News From Africa is a 1973 album from the South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim that I heard for the first time last week at the suggestion of Rob, head of label relations here and in-house classical and jazz nerd/savant. It was also prominent featured in Britt Robson’s User Guide to Abdullah Ibrahim. For [...]