ACL 2015: The Happiest Music of the Year

Let’s face it, 2015 was a tough year for Planet Earth.  Terrorists attacked, politicians argued, and the climate continued to destabilize.  There has never been a better time for happy music, and thankfully, we’ve got a great selection right here!

Ali Helnwein ~ Strange Creations (Vinyl)

We love watching artists develop, and even more, we love watching them succeed.  When Spring Break Tapes released Strange Creations in 2012, we were impressed with Ali Helnwein‘s mainstream notoriety (an Emmy and credit on a Grammy!)  But since Helnwein’s release of Voyage

Ali Helnwein ~ Voyage

If you’ve ever wondered where all those chamber ensembles spawned in the wake of Rachel’s could have gone if only they had kept evolving, well, wonder no more, for Ali Helnwein has an answer. We’ve covered the composer’s music before,

Ali Helnwein ~ Strange Creations

After Greetings from Spring Break Tapes Vol. 1, it’s a surprise to hear Strange Creations, a composed work which in comparison is indeed strange.  Ali Helnwein‘s strangeness is more that of a Danny Burton than an all-out oddity; the cassette is accessible,