Sean and I only met a couple of times, but there was a genuine easiness and comfort in his presence. I felt like I had known him much longer than I did. Occasionally, we would interact on Facebook in personal messages or on comment threads. It was always fun; he knew how to appeal to my intellectual curiosity and sense of humor. I know if he lived nearby, he would have been one of my great friends. Beyond our common tastes in music, he was an avid reader, vinyl collector, and all around nerd in the best sense; he embraced quirkiness and was unabashed in reveling in it. The world became a little more ordinary early this Sunday morning.

Gone too soon, yet I am grateful for having met you. Godspeed, Sean.

Apathos’ posts compiled here.

What can bring a blog out of a near coma? Miya Folick‘s “Pet Body.” A howling siren who produces punk-tinged pop. “Pet Body” is the rollercoaster you want to ride again and again.

Her new track “God Is A Woman” premiers today. According to her Facebook feed, “@zanelowe has chosen it as @beats1official #worldrecord! listen on @applemusic http://apple.co/beats1 at 9:30 AM PST/12:30 AM ET .”

We can’t wait. For now, listen to: “Pet Body”

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Cheers…

“Gone Before Morning”

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Musically, it draws off mid-80s electronic rock/goth rock/new wave. The video evokes powerful imagery; it’s controversial and mired in all sorts of taboo Catholic imagery. I haven’t seen or heard anything like this in awhile.

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Cheers…

Space Mountain

Kinsler recently started the label called Dust etc., which also doubles as a “an online space for creative folks to talk about art that has affected and inspired them.” Pay what you want for Gargantua and check out the rest of Space Mountain’s catalog on Bandcamp. I’ve had it on repeat for the past 24 hours, and I’m hooked. There’s no skipping tracks, no hiccups; it’s a complete album.

Here are some of my faves:

“Andromeda”

“She Saw Me”

“Gargantua”

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Cheers…

Photo by: CrystalLee Farris

This morning, I realized what taking time off from this blog cost me. I heard “Heathering” by Your Friend. Your Friend is singer/songwriter Taryn Blake Miller from Winfield, KS. His debut album Gumption will be released this Friday, January 29th. This song has been on repeat play for the last 20 minutes. It’s simply gorgeous.

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Cheers…

The lead single on Commontime and album’s first track is “The Noisy Days Are Over.” Lyrically, it’s a conversation between two friends about unwillingly growing up (I can see it’s getting on; but I could do with another). It’s a catchy pop song that infectiously stutters along, but is hardly typical. The album has many great moments.

“I’m Glad” springs along with an irresistible Knack-like bounce and collapses into a hectic and unforeseen flurry of drums. “The Morning Is Waiting” is filled with lush strings and a pervasive melancholy that echoes the smoldering sadness of “She’s Leaving Home” from Sgt. Pepper.

“Disappointed” is the second single and it’s the best Steely Dan comparison, but stripped down to simple and clean sounding arrangements interlaced with perfect harmonies.

“It’s A Good Thing” is a superior pop song that really achieves a great AOR 70’s sound built on a steady keyboard riff and great vocals. On an album loaded with crisp and concise guitar fills, this one’s best. The biggest and most interesting stretch is “Trouble at the Lights.” It lazily winds its way out of the gate until a little over a minute when a stunning, soaring upward held vocal note suddenly shifts the tempo up momentarily. Just as quickly, it returns to its original meandering pace. Later, the same held note again reconfigures the song structure and suddenly transforms into an unexpected Gilmouresque string-bending jam. These contrasts in rhythm prod the listener and demand repeat listening.

On the whole, Commontime is quirky, melodic and much more than pleasant from start to finish; it would be a laudable early addition to your 2016 playlist.

Our grade:
> Lyrics – 15
> Composition – 16
> Musicianship – 17
> Production – 16
> Originality – 8
> Intangibles – 9
Overall: 81 [Recommended]

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Obrigado