Category Archives: Featured Articles

The 25 Best Winter Albums of All Time

2015 Edition!  This is music for long, dark nights and cold, grey days, music to play when surrounded by howling winds and white drifts.  But winter isn’t always stark; on this list, you’ll also find music for sledding and making

The 25 Best Winter Albums of All Time

2015 Edition!  This is music for long, dark nights and cold, grey days, music to play when surrounded by howling winds and white drifts.  But winter isn’t always stark; on this list, you’ll also find music for sledding and making

Winter Music Preview 2015

Happy New Year!  We’ve finally finished our year-end lists, reflections, and vacations, and are about to turn our ears to the new.  With nearly 75 new releases on the horizon for January and February alone, 2015 is already shaping up

Winter Music Preview 2015

Happy New Year!  We’ve finally finished our year-end lists, reflections, and vacations, and are about to turn our ears to the new.  With nearly 75 new releases on the horizon for January and February alone, 2015 is already shaping up

ACL 2014: The Top 20 Albums of the Year

This year’s #1 pick united the staff, and will be seen by many as the obvious choice.  But surprises abound deeper down the list, no more so than our #2 pick, which challenges the entire definition of “album.” The 20

ACL 2014: The Top 20 Albums of the Year

This year’s #1 pick united the staff, and will be seen by many as the obvious choice.  But surprises abound deeper down the list, no more so than our #2 pick, which challenges the entire definition of “album.” The 20

ACL 2014: The Year’s Best Album Covers

Album covers are a funny thing. Some take months of planning and fine tuning while others spring up in the spur of the moment with no editing required. This year’s crop of covers features this spectrum of approaches, but, as

ACL 2014: The Year’s Best Album Covers

Album covers are a funny thing. Some take months of planning and fine tuning while others spring up in the spur of the moment with no editing required. This year’s crop of covers features this spectrum of approaches, but, as

ACL 2014: Top Ten Rock, Post-Rock, Folk and Jazz

Post-rock returns with a vengeance on this year’s chart, as more than half of the entries hearken back to the golden years of not too long ago.  The consummate playing of scene stalwarts is a comfort to those who wonder

ACL 2014: Top Ten Rock, Post-Rock, Folk and Jazz

Post-rock returns with a vengeance on this year’s chart, as more than half of the entries hearken back to the golden years of not too long ago.  The consummate playing of scene stalwarts is a comfort to those who wonder

ACL 2014: Top Ten Modern Composition

Listening again to these albums, we’re reminded of the aching beauty that graces modern composition.  From “Atomos VII” to “going backwards to recover what was left behind”, from “The Musk Ox” to “pino” to “you are not alone, dear wolf”,

ACL 2014: Top Ten Modern Composition

Listening again to these albums, we’re reminded of the aching beauty that graces modern composition.  From “Atomos VII” to “going backwards to recover what was left behind”, from “The Musk Ox” to “pino” to “you are not alone, dear wolf”,

ACL 2014: Top Ten Field Recording & Soundscape

Field recordings and soundscapes do much more than reflect the sounds of nature.  They also delve into local culture and artificial sound environments; they serve as travelogues, historical statements, and calls to political action.  An environment once captured is never

ACL 2014: Top Ten Field Recording & Soundscape

Field recordings and soundscapes do much more than reflect the sounds of nature.  They also delve into local culture and artificial sound environments; they serve as travelogues, historical statements, and calls to political action.  An environment once captured is never

ACL 2014: Top Ten Experimental

The Experimental section is our home for improvisors, alchemists, and pioneers.  These composers are never satisfied with the status quo.  They seek to push music forward, and they prefer progress to popularity.  Some may eventually receive a small amount of

ACL 2014: Top Ten Experimental

The Experimental section is our home for improvisors, alchemists, and pioneers.  These composers are never satisfied with the status quo.  They seek to push music forward, and they prefer progress to popularity.  Some may eventually receive a small amount of