Heavy-hearted in the Midwest since 2011
Sweden’s Alone 1980 stands out in the crowd of imagined film score and heavy synth artists. For over the past 7 years this electronic wizard has cast buzzing, circuital spells via cinematic records that pay tribute to the musical scores of late 70s/early 80s VHS sleaze. Covering the film worlds of unrated slashers, b-movie sci-fi, […]
Read More Alone 1980 : Blood RitualI’ve only heard a smattering of the Baltimore-based hardcore band Turnstile over the last few years. Not enough to have an opinion one way or the other. Lots of hype and lots of “critical acclaim”, or whatever that means. But having listened to their new album NEVER ENOUGH more than a few times the last […]
Read More Turnstile : Never EnoughThis weekend was a good one. It’s not often that all of our kids are back home and under one roof, so when those weekends happen they’re ones to remember. Most of last week I was dealing with some serious sinus issues. I think it was a combination of my daughter’s pooch Celeste being over […]
Read More Father’s Day, 29th Wedding Anniversary, A Full House…There are songs that stay with you for life for very specific reasons. Hearing a tune on the radio at a pivotal point in your life; maybe a death, a birth, a break-up, a declaration of love. These songs become more than the sum of their parts to you because they’ve grown roots in a […]
Read More Songs From Childhood : Living Rent Free In My HeadI grew up thinking the Beach Boys were pretty weak. My parents didn’t spin Beach Boys records, they spun The White Album, Sgt. Pepper, and lots of Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, and AC/DC. The Beach Boys were way too much sunny beaches, hot rods, and surfer girls for me to a. relate to, and b. really […]
Read More Brian Wilson : 1942-2025I don’t think I will ever come to the day where Miles Davis doesn’t fascinate me. Even if I didn’t connect musically, the guy is a mystery wrapped inside an enigma. His phases so completely defined as an artist that there’s literally lines separating them; chapters in a book as dense as Pynchon, but taken […]
Read More High On Miles : Electric And LiveBlack Moth Super Rainbow has been making off-kilter electronic music for over 20 years now, with their debut dropping in 2003. For the uninitiated, imagine late 70s/early 80s electronic toys becoming sentient and forming a band. A Simon Says, Lite Brite, a clunky old Casio keyboard, and a random battery-powered lazer gun that buzzes indiscriminately. […]
Read More Black Moth Super Rainbow : Soft New Magic DreamAndy Shauf has the kind of voice that is quite indistinguishable. When the Canadian singer/songwriter is singing, the song becomes his. Like Dylan, Bowie, or McCartney, there’s no mistaking the voice delivering the words and melodies. Albums like The Party, The Neon Skyline, and his most recent Norm have the essence of classic 70s singer/songwriter […]
Read More Foxwarren : 2There’s something striking about Correlations new record Andromeda Workshop. The name alone elicits visions of some Moebius-drawn world; futuristic yet somehow feeling ancient in its simplicity and almost melancholy storytelling. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” comes to mind(please don’t sue me Disney!) The retro-futuristic sounds Correlations(aka Neil Hale) creates build […]
Read More Correlations : Andromeda WorkshopMan, I’m tired. I’m a creature of habit, and that includes most aspects of my day to day. From the coffee I drink in the morning, to meal time most days, to writing and working on music, to exercise, to the beer I drink Fridays after work. And most importantly, bedtime. I’m in bed usually […]
Read More Out Past My Bedtime