[Concubine, by Kingsbury Manx]

I know, i know, it’s been awhile, more than six months since I last posted. Six very busy months, I assure you. But of course. For all of us, right? Obligatory apology for tumblr-slacking over.

As the grey struggles to lift (with varying degress of success, hour to hour) around Chicago, this one plays over and over and over again in my head. The new KM record (Bronze Age) generally’s got more kick to it, but I’m often a sucker for those quieter, contemplative tracks that hint at… something that feels… somehow deeply relevant. A pleasing melody never hurts either.

[Hi Life, by The Magnetic North]

Had the great pleasure of wandering around Rough Trade in London earlier this year, and allowed myself to choose one record, simply by cover art. Hit the jackpot with Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North - a delight for the eyes and ears alike. Melodies pulse and drift all over the 12 tracks, pulling you along to a faraway place off the coast of somewhere. Literally, figuratively, beautifully…

[Glass Frogs, by Michael Hearst]

Torture, picking a track from Songs for Unusual Creatures to share. All are inspired by “Earth’s Strangest Animals” - like the tardigrade and the blobfish (poor guy). How’s a girl to choose? Today Glass Frogs just sounds best.

There’s an amazing collection of musicians on this record, besides the ever-inspired MH, like Maragret Leng Tan, Kronos Quartet, and the League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots, and an equally amazing collection of instruments employed in the making - like the glass armonica, chopsticks, and the TUBAX! Not to mention the illustrations accompanying the CD, by Jelmer Noordeman… Oh, it’s all too much people!

Summary: You should own this one. Was years in the making, and so very worth your time.

[Walk the Furrows, Bowerbirds]

There are simple pleasures, like my recently discovered favorite snack - a medium handful of salted peanuts, nibbled on one by one, with a mug of hot black tea. Bowerbirds too. Not that the music’s basic (quite the opposite) but the contentment they inspire - simple. Deft, direct melodies, organic instrumentation, surprising rhythms, honest momentum, and genius word choice: “My conscience is an avalanche” from their last record still gives me shivers.

This time around:

Keep the secret
Walk the furrows
Mend the fences.

Which don’t seem to say much in this blog post. But have a listen. And then watch the mini-documentary, and check their tour schedule, save your date.

[Triangle Train Stop, by Dustin Wong]

Everything is happening quicker-ly and more densely these days, and Dustin Wong’s new record, Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads couldn’t be a more perfect soundtrack to all of the hypnotic bustle. It’s like I’m very, very caffeinated most waking hours. Except I’m only really caffeinated (albeit very caffeinated) for some of those hours. But this record sounds great during all of them. It’s full of pattern, and repetition, and sweet melody teased out by many guitars, various pedals and dizzying effects. A little more overt than many gallopinging offerings, true. But sometimes, directness is just the thing.