Category Archives: Featured Articles
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Modern Composition
Sweetness and elegance are the hallmarks of this season’s modern composition releases. Whether playing a mother’s old piano or returning home to reconnect to the history of a nation, these artists find inspiration in the past while charting a path
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Modern Composition
Sweetness and elegance are the hallmarks of this season’s modern composition releases. Whether playing a mother’s old piano or returning home to reconnect to the history of a nation, these artists find inspiration in the past while charting a path
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Experimental
Want to go on a grand adventure? That’s where the Experimental category comes in. These artists travel across history, rescuing untold and undertold stories. They use voice and instrument in unexpected and often unprecedented ways. They are often ahead of
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Experimental
Want to go on a grand adventure? That’s where the Experimental category comes in. These artists travel across history, rescuing untold and undertold stories. They use voice and instrument in unexpected and often unprecedented ways. They are often ahead of
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Electronic
While these may be dark times, and a dark season (especially for people in Tromsø), the preparation of the electronic preview fills us with joy. The beats and grooves provide the uplift we need, and having heard most of these
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Electronic
While these may be dark times, and a dark season (especially for people in Tromsø), the preparation of the electronic preview fills us with joy. The beats and grooves provide the uplift we need, and having heard most of these
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Ambient & Drone
Happy New Year! We’re not wasting any time, as winter is already ten days old and the first big release day of the year is only two days away. This is already shaping up to be one of the best
ACL 2025 ~ Winter Music Preview: Ambient & Drone
Happy New Year! We’re not wasting any time, as winter is already ten days old and the first big release day of the year is only two days away. This is already shaping up to be one of the best
Ukrainian Field Notes XXXIX
For the last episode of 2024 we discuss the metaphor of a bomb’s impact zone with Alexey Shmurak, we get to hear a modernist self-portrait from Alisa Zaika, and we chat about a “lost generation” with Mixmag Ukraine’s editor in
Ukrainian Field Notes XXXIX
For the last episode of 2024 we discuss the metaphor of a bomb’s impact zone with Alexey Shmurak, we get to hear a modernist self-portrait from Alisa Zaika, and we chat about a “lost generation” with Mixmag Ukraine’s editor in
ACL 2024 ~ The Top 20 Albums of the Year
This year, A Closer Listen received thousands of submissions and reviewed hundreds; today our international staff chooses twenty. Three former chart-toppers appear on this year’s list, while one artist appears for the fifth time, but half are new, while our
ACL 2024 ~ The Top 20 Albums of the Year
This year, A Closer Listen received thousands of submissions and reviewed hundreds; today our international staff chooses twenty. Three former chart-toppers appear on this year’s list, while one artist appears for the fifth time, but half are new, while our
ACL 2024 ~ Top Ten Rock, Post-Rock, Folk & Jazz
Post-rock returned with a roar this year as three of the scene’s stalwarts, with discographies stretching back 20, 25 and 30 years, proved that they remain relevant. But this article celebrates far more than just post-rock. We also include a
ACL 2024 ~ Top Ten Rock, Post-Rock, Folk & Jazz
Post-rock returned with a roar this year as three of the scene’s stalwarts, with discographies stretching back 20, 25 and 30 years, proved that they remain relevant. But this article celebrates far more than just post-rock. We also include a
ACL 2024 ~ Top Ten Modern Composition
When a composer dies, a world falls silent; two of the composers honored below are no longer with us, but their music lives on. One album stretches back even further to highlight a 9th century princess; another recalls the woman
ACL 2024 ~ Top Ten Modern Composition
When a composer dies, a world falls silent; two of the composers honored below are no longer with us, but their music lives on. One album stretches back even further to highlight a 9th century princess; another recalls the woman
a closer listen 