Author: Mike Conlon
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The Feedback Society’s Week in Music
Mike Conlon talks about five albums that have been in heavy rotation for him this week; Sly, The Congos, Amen Dunes, Daniel Romano, and more. Sly & The Family Stone – Fresh Released two years after the drug addled (and brilliant) ‘There’s a Riot Goin’ On,’ ‘Fresh’ is a move towards a less frenzied, minimalistic…
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Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra are channeling a smart contradiction of hope and despair on Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything. ‘Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything’ [‘FOGF’] is the first Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra album since the birth of Ezra, the son of bandmates Efrim…
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The Fat White Family – Champagne Holocaust
Before listening to an album I’ve always enjoyed examining its cover and trying to anticipate what it’ll sound like. The sleeve of The Fat White Family’s ‘Champagne Holocaust’ presented a real challenge. What musical stylings do a naked pigman wielding a hammer and sickle suggest? Certainly nothing pleasant. The Fat White Family is an East…
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The Pixies – EP1 & EP2
Before you listen to The Pixies’ ‘EP 2’ prepare to have your heart broken. It confirms what ‘EP 1’ led everyone to suspect: The Pixies we once knew are no more. Yesterday’s darlings of indie music are today’s cautionary tale of the dangers of chasing past glory. Fortunately, with a runtime of fourteen minutes, ‘EP…
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Five Albums from 2013 You Might Have Missed
By now, you’ve probably listened to most of 2013’s great albums, or at least the ones that appeared most frequently on the best of lists. So rather than another rehash of 2013’s essential albums, here are a couple releases from last year that you may have overlooked. These albums weren’t on many year end lists,…
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Danny Brown – Old
I first heard about Danny Brown last year when I came across this spectacular interview in which he outlined the merits of Love’s ‘Forever Changes’ to a confused A$AP Rocky. I’ll check out any album that comes from a rapper who name checks Love and argues that Hendrix stole his fashion sense from Arthur Lee.…
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Darkside – Psychic
In the echo chamber of music criticism, any halfway decent act stands a chance of being described as “important,” whether or not they deserve the praise. This year, the critics have lined up behind Darkside.[1] Thank God, the hype is justified. Ten years from now, Darkside’s ‘Psychic’ will hold up as one of 2013’s most…
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Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Eminem isn’t nearly as popular as he was a decade ago, which puts him in a real bind when he releases an album. If he takes his music in a new direction, he risks only further irrelevance. If he repeats what he’s done before, he risks becoming a nostalgia act at the relatively young age…
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Arcade Fire: Reflektor
Despite an ever-fragmenting musical landscape, an Arcade Fire album release can still galvanize music fans of all stripes to unite and listen. Whether or not you like the band, you’re expected to be versed in their catalogue. In their latest release, ‘Reflektor,’ Arcade Fire have teamed up with producer James Murphy (yes, that James Murphy)…
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Mazzy Star – Seasons of Your Day
I first listened to Mazzy Star when ‘Look on Down from the Bridge’ played over the closing credits of one of my favorite Sopranos episodes. The song perfectly captured and strengthened the melancholic tone of that episode, and I immediately sought out more of their music. I quickly discovered that every Mazzy Star song sounds…