More Will Be Revealed — Lala Lala's Long Way to Stillness
On 'Heaven 2,' Lala Lala traces the slow, unsentimental work of releasing control and learning to trust what gets left behind.
Los Angeles
Whose Sound Is Whose? The Collective Method of SML
The LA quintet's second album, 'How You Been', unfolds through the distillation of live improvisations into moments where individual voices dissolve into collective sound.
I Advance Masked — Into the Deep With Elujay
Elujay explains how 'A Constant Charade' channels his graffiti roots, his friendship with Angus Cloud, and his belief that R&B thrives when artists keep surprising themselves and their listeners.
Poetry Kills — My Violence's Chapbook of Sound
Silvia Ryder discusses her album 'Monday's Child', the unconventional instruments that define her music, and how leaving Sugar Plum Fairies led her to build a new identity from Omnichords and archival film.
Beyond Fairy Doom — Faetooth Emerges from the Labyrinth
Faetooth's Ari May, Jenna Garcia, and Rah Kanan reflect on the three-year writing process behind 'Labyrinthine', a bold album that pushes doom metal toward greater abstraction without sacrificing ethereality.
Prewn Weathers a World Riddled with Systems
On 'System', Izzy Hagerup aka Prewn builds maximalist songs alone in her home studio, using 'self-indulgent' cello and multitracked vocals to process the gravity of being trapped inside something much bigger than herself.
Highbrow Meets Lowbrow in Alta Vista's Musical Blender
On their second album 'Won't Believe In Dust', the instrumental trio moves beyond the vintage country songbook that sparked their formation, embracing everything from calypso bounce to free-flowing post-bop while sharing a belief that laughter belongs in the creative process.
Cosmic Historian — The Analog Imperative of Danz CM
Danz CM's album 'LÄRM!' abandons pop structures for tape-saturated jams inspired by the kosmische music of '70s Germany, while her Synth History project documents the pioneers and gear that made electronic music possible.
Geoff Mann Reimagines His Father's Memphis
The Antibalas and Here Lies Man drummer spent decades avoiding his father Herbie Mann's music, but a 50th anniversary and a new arrangement of 'Memphis Underground' gave him an unexpected way to reconnect with a relationship that ended 22 years ago.
Listening from the Heart — Hirons' Emotional Portfolio
The British-American songwriter discusses her debut record 'Future Perfect', how years of bedroom recording became a lifeline during a draining day job, and why she measures music by emotional resonance rather than technical perfection.
Plowed Under by History — Ted Hearne's 'FARMING'
Composer Ted Hearne and the choral group The Crossing turn colonial documents and corporate tweets into techno-pop oratorio, drawing a line from William Penn's land grabs to Jeff Bezos's gig economy.
Working it Out — Jeff Parker Revisits 'The New Breed'
Ten years after 'The New Breed' merged his love of J Dilla with his background in jazz composition, the Tortoise guitarist discusses mentorship, the practical realities of a music career, and why he makes the records he wants to hear.