Héctor Lavoe’s 1976 “Periódico de Ayer” (Yesterday’s Newspaper) is a bitter but danceable salsa classic about lost love. But like many of his finest songs, it can also be understood as about the trappings of fame and the fleeting nature… Read More
Formed in 1977, Manchester’s A Certain Ratio were part of the post-punk class of 1979, with their jagged debut single, “All Night Party”, an early song released by the Factory Records label. Success on the British indie single and album… Read More
Growing up on the east coast of Canada in the ’90s, a vital part of any teenaged musical education was MuchMusic, that endearing and chilled out counterpart to America’s MTV. Its late-night programming showcased thrilling independent and underground music videos… Read More
During a recent session at the Thriving Roots AmericanaFest event, the multi-Grammy award-winning producer John Leventhal and singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz discussed the problem of “demoitis”. Succinctly defined, “demoitis” occurs in the recording studio when an artist and producer start out… Read More
A global pandemic, populist authoritarianism, fake news, police brutality, terrorism, widespread socio-political discontent. There’s been a good reason to feel a certain existential dread over the last few years. Art often provides a means to explore and reflect on these… Read More
Alright Alright is a husband-and-wife duo comprised of Seth and China Kent. Based out of Denver, the couple’s latest album, Crucible (out 23 October), is folk at its most free-flowing. More musically broad than inward-looking, the Kents explore tones and… Read More
Multidisciplinary artist Devi Mambouka’s musical incarnation, Masma Dream World’s debut album, Play at Night, releases on 25 September via Northern Spy. Influenced by the likes of Amel Larrieux, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, and Zap Mama, Mambouka became a voracious listener… Read More
One of the great things about popular music is that it’s layered. You can peel away the glamorous reverbs and studio trickery, the Auto-Tune, and the perfect ticking of a digital drum machine. You can wash off the vocal mannerisms… Read More
There are glimpses of many unique and illuminating human stories in Gianfranco Rosi’s Notturno. But this elegantly lensed yet emotionally frigid documentary (screening at the mostly virtual New York Film Festival) about people trying to find their way in the… Read More
17th century England: King James II (Sam De Grasse) enjoys being entertained by his court jester, Barkilphedro (Brandon Hurst), who is a cruel and Machiavellian individual. It’s Barkilphedro who suggests that a rebel lord’s young son, Gwynplaine Clancharlie (Julius Molnar),… Read More