ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Electronic
One of 2020’s greatest ironies was a surge in dance music ~ while clubs were being shuttered across the globe. The surge reflected the desire to dance, and people didn’t stop dancing, happily demonstrated by Berlin’s drive-in raves. Others danced
ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Electronic
One of 2020’s greatest ironies was a surge in dance music ~ while clubs were being shuttered across the globe. The surge reflected the desire to dance, and people didn’t stop dancing, happily demonstrated by Berlin’s drive-in raves. Others danced
ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Drone
Fewer drone releases came in this year than ever before. The world was so dark, it seemed that even recording artists weren’t in the mood to record dark music. But by the end of the year, we began to notice
ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Drone
Fewer drone releases came in this year than ever before. The world was so dark, it seemed that even recording artists weren’t in the mood to record dark music. But by the end of the year, we began to notice
ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Ambient
A Closer Listen received over 10,000 submissions this year, 7000 of them valid, and we listened to at least a segment of every one. Now we’ve chosen 70 of them ~ one percent ~ to include in our year-end lists. The competition has never
ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Ambient
A Closer Listen received over 10,000 submissions this year, 7000 of them valid, and we listened to at least a segment of every one. Now we’ve chosen 70 of them ~ one percent ~ to include in our year-end lists. The competition has never
*Press A* 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Videogame Soundtracks
2020 has been difficult for everyone. We skipped our usual list covering the first half of the year given the global unease and relatively low amount of VGM released. However, shortly after June there was a surge of excellent and
*Press A* 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Videogame Soundtracks
2020 has been difficult for everyone. We skipped our usual list covering the first half of the year given the global unease and relatively low amount of VGM released. However, shortly after June there was a surge of excellent and
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Winter Music
Winter music is more than a seasonal score; it also represents a state of mind. We’ve all been wintering this year: hunkering down, staying in, waiting for the storm to pass. Will we simply survive, or will we be able
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Winter Music
Winter music is more than a seasonal score; it also represents a state of mind. We’ve all been wintering this year: hunkering down, staying in, waiting for the storm to pass. Will we simply survive, or will we be able
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers
What is an album cover? The answer seems obvious, but it’s not. For years, an album cover was a 12″ x 12″ image that graced the front of a record sleeve. Once in a while, the cover was obscured by
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers
What is an album cover? The answer seems obvious, but it’s not. For years, an album cover was a 12″ x 12″ image that graced the front of a record sleeve. Once in a while, the cover was obscured by
ACL 2020 ~ The Happiest Music of the Year
The year was so rough that we feared there would be no happy music. Thankfully, we found that we had reviewed plenty in every genre! The very concept of happiness is difficult to define, and a wide definition includes inner
ACL 2020 ~ The Happiest Music of the Year
The year was so rough that we feared there would be no happy music. Thankfully, we found that we had reviewed plenty in every genre! The very concept of happiness is difficult to define, and a wide definition includes inner
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Packaging
Earlier this year, we feared we would be unable to publish this article as labels paused physical production and artists recorded at home. Yet our fears were misplaced, as plenty of fine physical editions were produced! In an odd twist,
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Packaging
Earlier this year, we feared we would be unable to publish this article as labels paused physical production and artists recorded at home. Yet our fears were misplaced, as plenty of fine physical editions were produced! In an odd twist,
a closer listen 