"In Fear of Music’s case, the question often unanswered is transitioning from what to what. The easy answer is that Talking Heads’ music was moving from the tinker-toy minimalist art trio that captured the hearts of CBGB to the slinky, extended Afro-funk ensemble that became superstars."

"Recently, a well-meaning Gen Z friend of mine made me feel old as shit when he innocently asked me, 'What was Brooklyn like in the ‘00s?' He couldn’t believe I’d seen with my own two eyes all the things he’d read about on Pitchfork as a teen …" Ronen Givony — Us v Them:

Acclaimed cellist Christopher Hoffman discusses his move from Manhattan to Rex Brasher's Wassaic farm, where he recorded his first solo album, 'REX,' finding the space between pristine composition and unpredictable improvisation. The Last American Elegance — Christopher Hoffman's 'REX':

This is a key point about music listening that gets overlooked. As crazy as it sounds, I often take notes on the records after I listen to them (in a notebook) to press myself to listen more attentively.

"There is no mud slung at Anya Phillips, Lydia Lunch, or Lizzy Mercier Descloux, only tenderness. In a world that still insists on pitting women against each other, this is not only refreshing to see – it’s radical." More than Theoretical Girls — Adele Bertei on the Women of No Wave:

"First published in April 2024, Uncut looks back at Townes’ historic 1973 recording at The Old Quarter, Houston – and its critical place in the renegade singer-songwriter’s lore …" The saga of Townes Van Zandt:

Today's Tonal Treat ✨ #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicSky #TonalTreat

"One thing that’s never changed is this rent-stabilized apartment, where Mr. Hell, now 76, spends his days surrounded by poetry and literature. 'The dominant message' of the place, he said, is ‘this person likes books.’" At Home with Richard Hell (gift link):

"At times, their judgments were perverse, like when they wrote about Pet Sounds (7.5) or The Boy with the Arab Strap (0.8). Reviews were penned by Schreiber and his friend Jason Josephes at a clip of two per day, and usually a single paragraph. The writing ranged from functional to incoherent."

"The 5 March edition of The Wire’s weekly radio show on Resonance FM and Resonance Extra featured an exclusive guest mix by Mary Ocher, plus tracks by Toni Geitani, Junior Delgado, BCUC and more …" Shane Woolman presents Adventures In Sound And Music:

This week's Cottage Studio newsletter begins the process of delving into this idea👇 mailchi.mp/loulayorke/w... (category thought experiment to be abandoned quickly if my investigations start to suck the joy out of actually playing 💫)

Cover design still looks like the future.

"The singer-songwriter’s brand of stubborn protest songs with a strain of tenderness has kept him relevant for 40 years. Here he talks about why he’s fighting for trans rights, his late-night tweeting habit and his forthcoming tour – with his son."

After twenty years of performances and one shelved recording, pianist-songwriter Robin Holcomb and cellist Peggy Lee finally capture their unique blend of contemporary classical, avant-jazz, and American folk on their debut album, 'Reno'. Robin Holcomb, Peggy Lee, and the Art of Musical Patience:

"Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at Lou Reed’s 1982 solo album, a strangely alluring comeback that made good on the promise of a lasting rock’n’roll icon." Lou Reed's The Blue Mask:

"Disco brought together music, fashion and nightlife in a cultural phenomenon that conquered the world. In A Night at the Disco by Alice Harris and Christian John Wikane, the stars of the scene are documented in photos spanning the 1970s …" The kings and queens of disco – in pictures:

Alana incorporates her father David Amram's beatnik wisdom into the EP 'Movies' while brother Adam channels Dylan-esque wanderlust on 'To The End', each forging distinct identities that occasionally converge for powerful family performances. Red Roses and Open Roads — The Amram Siblings Step Out:

"‘One man's trash is another man's treasure’ could be a fitting maxim for musical inventor Sam Battle, AKA Look Mum No Computer. From a furby organ to a flamethrowing Henry hoover, Sam uses whatever he can get his hands on to create unique machines that make stomping, off-the-wall electronic music."

"Today, we look at the production side of John Cale and marvel at how the man seemed to single-handedly shepherd music out of the 60s and into the 70s. Practically midwifing the Punk and New Wave movements with three critical urtexts that laid the foundations for others to follow on."

Today's Tonal Treat ✨ #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicSky #TonalTreat

"Sitting across from Bob Weir, that resonance came up through the floorboards. The moment felt less like meeting a man and more like being briefly tuned to a frequency that had been playing all along, low and steady, underneath the noise of living." The Night I Met Bob Weir:

"The nightclub at the center of 'Trixies' was conjured entirely from Difford’s imagination. 'I wasn’t allowed in clubs at that point, and the local clubs in South London were dangerous …'" Squeeze Wrote a Rock Opera Five Decades Ago. It’s Coming Out Now. (gift link):

In this excerpt from The Tonearm Podcast, musician Erik Hall recalls receiving an unexpected congratulatory email from Steve Reich after releasing his first album, 'Music for 18 Musicians.' Don't miss the full conversation on the latest episode of our podcast: podcast.thetonearm.com/erik-hall-mu...

"Scotland is not known for its contributions to 1960s psychedelic rock … there was never any Piper or Sgt Pepper. But there are some fantastic psych singles to be found, so I thought I’d put together a selection." Great Scottish 60s Psychedelic Songs:

Markus Sieber's 'Chambers' came together across three days at Berlin's Funkhaus with no revisions permitted and no instrument off-limits, built entirely on the conviction that intuition knows more than planning does. The Tonearm's Bill Cooper follows his instinct. Aukai's Wager on Intuition:

"'The music of Birmingham is undeniable: Black Sabbath, UB40, the Streets,' he says. 'I’d love to collaborate with Mike Skinner. And Birmingham hip-hop – when I was growing up, the Oddysee were amazing. But nobody knows about them.'" Brummie rapper Tony Bontana interviewed:

"What never fails to move me is their complete familiarity with the music. Whether the song is Love Me Do or Come Together or Revolution, everybody – young, old, American or from a dozen other countries – will know every word and quirk." The Beatles transcend time, geography, and personal taste:

"No matter what you hear, no matter what you feel, the ancestors will guide you home." How Seattle-based poet and keyboardist Brittany Davis found her true voice through improvisation, plus Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard explains why Davis's talent helped revive his independent label after twenty years:

"Composer Gavin Bryars looped and layered a recording of a rough sleeper to create something hypnotic." Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet — how a homeless man’s singing became a contemporary classic:

"Symphonic, simple and moody, 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene' was as out‑there as 'Interstellar Overdrive', but with a new restraint and stately poise that set the Floyd apart from any of their peers." Inside Pink Floyd’s experimental years:

On 'Rose-Anna,' Vancouver pianist Noah Franche-Nolan honors his great-grandmother's church-organ tradition through compositions that move between meditative prayer, silent-film themes, and post-bop propulsion. #JazzSky From Sacred Space to Silent Film — Noah Franche-Nolan Serves the Music:

"For Capps, who grew up listening to everything from James Brown to Miles Davis to classical records spinning in his mother’s house, the premise is simple: good music deserves the right space, and a curious audience." Big Ears Founder Ashley Capps on Listening, Lineups and Knoxville:

Soroush Khazaei, audiovisual artist, killed in an airstrike in Tehran https://cdm.link/soroush-khazaei-memorial/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_content=muz4now%2Fmagazine%2FMUSIC&utm_medium=mastodon #musicnews

"In Manhattan, Mr. Hammond became a fixture in the coffeehouses and nightclubs of Greenwich Village …[He] often used an acoustic steel guitar that was seven years older than he was. Usually, he played alone." John P. Hammond, Pioneer in 1960s Blues Renaissance, Dies at 83 (gift link):

"Valenti describes the label as an 'all-you-can-eat, no-rules label.' It’s 'electronic music, but it’s indie; it’s a little bit of dance music, a little bit of electro, a little bit of pop. A little bit of whatever we feel like.'" The Sound Of Ghostly International:

Today's Tonal Treat ✨ #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicSky #TonalTreat

"While London, Bristol, Leeds famously vibrated to thunderous dub rhythms in street parties and dance halls, Wales’s own 'sounds' aren’t as well known. But, because of that obscurity, they ended up cultivating some of the UK’s most hard-fought and intensely cherished African-Caribbean culture."

"His influence was felt widely beginning in the 1980s, when he was an engineer at Calliope Studios in New York, which incubated some of the most influential rap artists of the 1990s, including De La Soul." Bob Power, 73, Hip-Hop Engineer and Tribe Called Quest Collaborator, Dies (gift link):

Mark E. Smith and Ian McCulloch of Echo & The Bunnymen backstage at Eric’s in Liverpool in 1978, photograph by Michael Finkle. It would have been Mark E Smith’s 69th birthday today. “When I’m dead and gone My vibrations will live on In vibes not vinyl through the years People will dance to my waves”

"While Beltran was inspired by various Detroit techno DJs he saw at local venues, his work always took on a more melodic bent than his contemporaries, sumptuous and dreamy in their atmospherics." Tone Glow 210 — John Beltran:

Multi-instrumentalist Erik Hall's 'Solo Three' closes his minimalist trilogy with works by Glenn Branca, Charlemagne Palestine, Laurie Spiegel, + Steve Reich, each part performed and layered entirely by Hall alone in his Michigan home studio. The Solitary Ensemble of Erik Hall's Minimalist Trilogy:

"As an opening track, ‘Light Aircraft On Fire’ is a vicious, lip-curled statement of intent… ultimately, this song is a high velocity death wish, a petrol bomb smashed against the Britpop system. Whether anybody notices is a different matter…" The Auteurs Sing Uber Hate — 'After Murder Park' At 30:

"A Johns Hopkins University curator of sheet music and pop culture discusses a 'Middle East-inspired' sheet-music collection that’s anything but." Sheet Music — the Original Problematic Pop?:

Three seasoned jazz musicians, 250 concerts, and one nonprofit later — Brooklyn's WORKS discuss Scouring for the Elements, an album that captures their decade-long musical conversation. With Time and Trust, WORKS Find a New Direction:

"In the midst of the ruinous Thatcher era, Manchester’s Hulme Crescents estate became a haven for squatters, anarchists and acid house ravers, who converged in the hedonistic flat-turned-studio and after-hours club, The Kitchen." Raving and rebelling in Manchester’s Hulme Crescents:

"From 2005, [DJ Marfox] and his group DJs Di Guetto showed others across Lisbon’s suburbs how to bring their own flavours and make batida that was Angolan at heart but universal in form." Wire mix — O Ghettão:

Through the archival efforts of Zev Feldman, two lost recordings have surfaced: 'Vibrations in the Village' + 'Seek & Listen', both documenting Rahsaan Roland Kirk's ability to loop jazz history into a single sphere. The Tonearm's Andrew Hamlin listens. Shining New Light on the Multi-Horn Prophet:

"These were saddening things. But it was also a lovely thing, because I think that it is also quite possible that this cassette was actually a record of the very best show I ever went to? And given my history, that is saying a lot." Analog Days:

"If 'Music Has the Right to Children' bathed us in VHS-warped nostalgia, 'Geogaddi' was its darker sibling — troubled, cryptic, less forgiving. The hooks are there, but they don’t comfort. They haunt. They stick without allowing you to hum them." Boards of Canada's 'Geogaddi' —24 years later:

Today's Tonal Treat ✨ #SongOfTheDay #NowPlaying #MusicSky #TonalTreat