"When technology made music mobile, the American South changed from one type of bootlegging industry to another: copying and selling records." Land of the Free, Home of the Bootleggers:

Through projects like "Circuits & Skins" and A.I.RE, Lisa Pegher demonstrates how classical percussion can speak with modern audiences. Her instruments become both timekeeper and time machine, connecting orchestra halls to electronic festivals. Lisa Pegher's Digital Reboot for Classical Percussion:

"The Portuguese experimental composer treats sound as sculptural material, deftly chiseling away layers of electrically modulated guitar tones to unearth tridimensional forms that challenge convention … " Where to Start with Portuguese Experimentalist Rafael Toral:

"'I play at a consistent volume throughout,' she told me after her set, 'because people want to be physically moved by the sound when they hear me.' With a mischievous look, she added: 'And I want to be battered by noise.'" New Noise — How Loudness Became a Creative Tool:

I am extremely thrilled to announce the release of a new album "Self-Portrait as a Meditation on Something Else." Field recordings all coming from Nebraska with my acoustic music buried in the mix. Huge thanks to Cecyl Ruehlen for making this happen! harmonicoozerecords.bandcamp.com/album/self-p...

Jon Fadem's album 'Thankful' strips away vocals from songs he'd been singing for years, trusting his guitar to convey emotions and concepts learned from listening deeply to Miles Davis and Jerry Garcia. Speaking in Tongues — Jon Fadem's Guitar Language:

"Music has always come easily to Glenn. 'It just gets sent to me and then often I forget I wrote it,' he says. 'And that doesn’t have to do with the dementia. That’s just how my mind works.'" Musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland on trans rights, cult stardom and living with dementia:

"My current music collection has a lot of scratched albums. But truthfully, I have eclectic tastes." 5 Albums I Can’t Live Without — Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre:

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

"He was known as 'the Spaceman' or 'Space Ace' because of the silver stars on his face. He also designed the band’s logo, with its lightning-bolt letters." Ace Frehley, a Founding Member of Kiss, Is Dead at 74 (gift link):

In this clip from the new episode of Spotlight On, guitarist Jeff Parker of Tortoise discusses how studying 'golden age' hip hop + jazz gave him new tools for pulling different elements into his own work. Don't miss this chat on the Spotlight On podcast: www.spotlightonpodcast.com/jeff-parker-...

"You only had to listen to extract the truth, that D’Angelo was R&B’s oldest cliche: a preacher’s kid from the deep south who broke away from the church band to pursue his dream of playing secular music. A lot of D’Angelo music – the Voodoo album, not least – nods at this spiritual dissonance."

Acclaimed banjoist Wes Corbett discusses his recording process, the Pacific Northwest landscapes that inspire him, and why assembling players like Sam Bush, Darol Anger, + Bryan Sutton meant working with musicians who make him play his best. Generational 'Drift' — Wes Corbett's Acoustic Dream Band:

"Luciano Rombolá, host of the radio program Cumbia de la Pura, calls Argentine cumbia 'the tropical music of the end of the world.' He also says the history of this cumbia phenomenon cannot be analyzed without considering migration." Argentina — The queen of bailanta: www.npr.org/sections/the...

"With a riff claimed by both of the band’s guitarists and lyrics inspired by a summer romance, Blowin' Free became Wishbone Ash’s signature song and a rock classic." Wishbone Ash's Argus — Its standout track went on to influence Steely Dan, Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden:

Martin Nathan (AKA Brain Damage)'s 'Oide Oide' pairs Japanese supernatural creatures with experimental compositions, featuring collaborator Emiko Ota and dub legend Mad Professor in a project that redefines what dub music can become. The Yōkai in the Yard — Brain Damage's Post-Dub Pivot:

"The retro vibe extends to the store’s management. When customers check out a video, the clerk will scan the bar code and register the exchange in an inventory program from the ’90s called VideoMate that runs on an ancient laptop." How a Massachusetts Video Store is Aiding Local Journalism:

"Cleveland is host to a yearly gathering of fans of the band DEVO; called DEVOtional, it’s the kind of religious revival where the church of the Subgenius and ‘Bob’ is praised, and attendees are encouraged to mutate…..responsibly, of course." It's always a Beautiful World at DEVOtional:

"It was the kind of label that gave you releases you had no idea you needed... a revelation machine." A celebration of the late Portland-based label owner John Whitson's uniquely eclectic vision. Dave Segal acts as our psychedelic explorer, guiding us through highlights of Holy Mountain's catalog:

"The bands that came up in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras were geographically isolated from both major labels and reliable distribution, which meant that even the most popular acts were DIY by necessity." The Underheard Legacy of Greece’s Post-Punk Scene:

“In a way, it depends on being goalless, and I’ve found it’s very hard to find other people who can work in that way… Beatie and I were both very reassured to be working with somebody else [with the same process].” Brian Eno & Beatie Wolfe on Broadcasting Their New Ambient Album Into Space:

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

"What does it mean to sing a song about a painting, or compose a score for a sculpture? Several recent exhibitions pose this question, as artists working with image + sound create environments that engage the senses far beyond the visual." What Does a Painting Sound Like?: ocula.com/magazine/opi...

Flaming Lips members Tommy McKenzie and Matt Kirksey spent fifteen years building the trust required to make Brainwasher's '39 Lightyears from Heaven,' a trip-hop-influenced debut that shoves ego aside as part of its creative process. Wild at Heart — Brainwasher's Okie Psychedelia:

"While largely avoiding any lyrics that directly allude to digital life, HAAi’s take on the issue offsets the weird wonderful of her songs with one of the oldest building blocks in music: the human voice." What Can’t be Synthesised — An Interview with HAA:

In today's new episode of the Spotlight On podcast, Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker discusses his groundbreaking aolo album 'The New Breed,' the evolution from collaborative to solo work, and how different musical communities molded his sound. … #jazzsky

"'I felt like there was something that needed to be said in this moment,' says Anna Canoni. The person to say it, however, turned out to be her grandfather, Woody Guthrie, who died in 1967." Woody Guthrie is Still Speaking to Us on Woody at Home – Vol. 1 + 2:

"Even though punk was still a caterwauling newborn, no wave set about smothering it in the crib and setting the house on fire." Tape #1 is No Wave History:

"It is the album that made me want to play bluegrass. I heard it by accident when my earbud fell out during a long car ride, and when I woke up, instead of hearing Green Day, I heard my future." Dancing About Architecture with Scroggins & Rose's mandolin player, Tristan Scroggins:

"The Discogs team has curated this list over years of self-reflection (and possibly self-pity). Indulge in this all-you-can-cry buffet with us." 40 Saddest Albums of All Time: www.discogs.com/digs/music/s...

"Putting together a Masters at Work best of is like trying to force a particularly obstinate tent back into its bag: you think you’ve got it in hand only for another angle to inevitably pop back out." A guide to Masters at Work - aka the most influential duo in dance music:

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:

"While Tales remains a genuinely singular film, with delightfully one-off characters, the documentary is also a fascinating document – existing as both a companion and contrast piece – to another landmark piece of Sheffield culture that turns 30 this month: Pulp’s 'Different Class'."

"I never really quite got there because I was so unfocused. I put out so much stuff—too much stuff, really. So many different places, so many different genres. It wasn’t until the very end that I understood that just because you can put out 25 records a year doesn’t mean that you should."

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

"'Voodoo' solidified his legacy as a generational musical force — a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who spearheaded an earthy fusion of gospel feeling, R&B yearning, jazz spontaneity and head-nodding hip-hop groove." How D’Angelo Made His Masterpiece, ‘Voodoo’ (gift link):

In this clip from the latest Spotlight On, organist Hampus Lindwall talks about a new generation of female musicians working with baroque organs, drawn to their tuning systems + just intonation. Don't miss the entire chat on the Spotlight On podcast: www.spotlightonpodcast.com/hampus-lindw...

"With his intricate, free-form style on standup bass, Mr. Thompson crafted lines that were as inventive as those of any lead guitar solo." Danny Thompson, Bassist Who Defied Folk Conventions, Dies at 86 (NYTimes obit - gift link):

Toronto saxophonist Harrison Argatoff spent five years unlearning his technique, studying contemporary dance, and writing music for his chamber quartet Valley Voice—all of which led to 'Stars, Engines', his debut album as band leader. Harrison Argatoff Wrestles with the Spirit of the Saxophone:

"In music, some people make one album and disappear, some stay around for a short while, some people live a whole life in music, and then there’s Joe Boyd." An Interview with Joe Boyd:

"With more than 2,000 albums, the ECM catalog contains equally creative feats by masters of almost any instrument … As a writer who needs many hours to pound even a short newsletter, this level of improvisation seems like sorcery to me." Why is this interesting? The ECM Sound Edition:

"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:

"Between August 1971, when they first began to meld jazz, rock and spiritualism on their visionary first album, and June 1973 when the original line‑up dissolved, the Mahavishnu Orchestra were the most far-out, game-changing, multi-discplinary musical outfit in the known (and unknown) universe."

"For decades thereafter, Mother Earth’s Plantasia could presumably be encountered by serious crate-diggers: the Pharcyde, for example, sampled one of its tracks on 'Guestlist' in 2000." The 1976 Synth Album That Promised to Help Your Plants Grow — Discover Mother Earth’s Plantasia:

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:

"Some gigs are dreams, like Patti Smith playing Horses in its entirety with her old band at the stunning London Palladium to celebrate the album’s 50th anniversary. But some dreams can also break your heart." A Fan’s Lament — My struggles reconciling Patti Smith’s relationship with Johnny Depp:

"As he sits in the coffee bar, Scott is wearing the same cowboy hat he had onstage the night before. Combined with a blue Western shirt smothered with white stars on his shoulders, it represents a very different image of Scott from the early Waterboys, when he dressed more like a Celtic rock poet …"

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

"D’Angelo’s signature vocal style was a delicately expressive falsetto that, like Prince’s, could build to an ecstatic wail that led critics to hail him as a worthy successor to the greatest traditions of Black pop." D’Angelo, Acclaimed and Reclusive R&B Innovator, Dies at 51 (gift link):

RIP D'Angelo, the greatest singer since Marvin departed. Who took the grit & attitude of hip-hop & alchemized it into angelic voodoo. He condensed the human condition - sex, suffering, addiction, love, oppression - into pure transcendence. A comet emitting blinding light & soul.