Amoeba Music

Full confession: Danny Brown has never really been my bag, finding myself gravitating more towards the artists that make up his collective - Bruiser Brigade - but I completely recognize his brilliance. Having spent hours and hours listening to his podcast, which I find fascinating and honest af, I was curious to see where this new project would take me. Surprisingly, Quaranta spoke to me on many levels. Maybe I've changed. Maybe he has. With stellar production from cats like, Kassa Overall, Alchemist, Chris Keys & Quelle Chris, and more, guest spots from MIKE, Bruiser Wolf, and Kassa, Danny's writing and delivery finally found its way to my "repeat" button. Read more

Cardo rolls out smooth throwback beats for Larry June's equally slick delivery of on-the-grind lyrics, adding another brick in the Bay Area's unique wall of sound. Read more

The long-awaited follow-up to Sampha's "Process" is nothing short of worth-the-wait. The production alone provides a billowy envelope of comfort, and a sense of shared memory rhythms. Sampha's songwriting and voice lift us all up above the bed of that production, allowing for full immersion. Read more

Wiki is a well-known entity to me, recognizing him as the standout voice in the now disbanded group Ratking, and watching his ascent over the last ten years to become one of NY's premiere artists, but Tony Seltzer is new to me. This album has been on a near constant repeat since it dropped, and not just because I could listen to Wiki rap all day, but because Seltzer's production is refreshing with its lean into heavy bass surrounded by interesting 'bits and pieces" that dance around the drums. In short, this ish bangs. Read more

How DOES he do it? Read more

The Cleveland rapper's 2021 offering "Faygo Baby" was in constant rotation when it dropped, becoming part of the musical backdrop of living life with masks, vaccines, social distancing, civil unrest, and more. He was new to me, and it was comforting. With 66689 BLVD you can hear the leveling up, and feel the personal growth. This cat should definitely be on your radar. Read more

I will take any and every opportunity to preach the gospel that is E L U C I D and billy woods. Each alone and together hold magic and are two of the most important and formidable griots we have not just in rap music, but in art period. Read more

Every Boldy drop is worth a brick and more. If you've been on the journey for a minute - keep it going. If you are just getting to the station - welcome, strap in, let's go. Read more

UK beatmaking duo Jazz Spastiks teams up with New Jersey and Artifacts affiliate emcee, Beneficence for some really dope, fun, groovy, jazzy, rap styles with lots of guests. These guys never disappoint. It's throwback 90s backpack rap without sounding dated. In fact, it sounds timeless. Read more

Jamila has one of my favorite voices in modern soul music. Her catchy lines intertwine with the music, like partners locked in intimacy on the dancefloor. The world falls away, and it's just you and her. Highly recommend seeing her live. It's something else. Read more

This 10 CD box set should serve as a celebration of Anton Bruckner's 200th anniversary of his birth. This set contains all of his ten symphonies including at least 9 different preludes and overtures of Richard Wagner's operas. All are performed by the legendary orchestra from Leipzig, Germany; Gewandhausorchester and conducted by Andris Nelsons who now leads the Boston Symphony. These orchestral pieces are lush and munificent readings that will satisfy all cravings which pine for an enormous sound but is sympathetic to shifts of mood. If I had to think of a criticism that I was forced to make in regards to this set, I would need to borrow a comment a colleague of mine mentioned in a review he wrote in that Nelson's fault is that he loves Bruckner's symphonies too much. I highly recommended these recordings and for such a low price, one can not go wrong. Read more

Listening to Finnish composer Helvi Leiviskä 3 compositions on this high quality disc (SACD Hybrid) was a brand new experience for me. Not only have I never heard of this composer before but was unfamiliar with Dalia Stasevska, the conductor on this disc leading the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Wow! The opening, "Sinfonia brevis", is a gorgeous one movement piece that is so rich with sonorous phrasing. It's almost as if the sounds coming from the Lahti Symphony serve as atmospheric elements that tend to immerse us within a whole new ambience of existence. Breathtaking to say the least. Orchestral Suite No. 2 is nearly in the same vein but with more of a linear progression. Bursts of dramatic energy keep us on our toes. The final composition, "Symphony No.2" is more dissonant but Miss Leiviskä's tendency to present this piece with both dense and grandiloquent phrasing makes for a spectacular experience. Kudos to Miss Stasevska and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra for presenting us with such a rich and florid palette. If you enjoy listening to sounds that are chock full of rich colors that tend to carry on a life of its own, I highly suggest purchasing this disc. Both you and your stereo will absolutely love it! Read more

The gush and flow of contrasting moods that float throughout these 15 movements are an impassioned ride for the listener to consume. Hilary Hahn's lustrous yet glowing tones achieves to help us hone in to her ecstatic as well as unflappable phrasings. This epic composition (Six Sonatas for Solo Violin) from the Belgian virtuoso violinist and composer, Eugène Ysaÿe, is a must listen for anyone of you who are interested in skilled and flamboyant playing. One can't do better than choosing to hear Hilary Hahn perform Ysaÿe's masterpiece. Easily one of my favorite recordings in 2023, a year that was not at all kind to me. I promise that you will be profoundly moved. Read more

In all likelihood, the Transcendental Etudes composed by Franz Liszt is one of the most difficult and challenging compositions to perform on the piano. But the breathtaking speediness from the young Chinese pianist, Haochen Zhang, has shown us in this recording, that a hasty tempo does not need to sound like a blur. Every blazing note that Mr. Zhang compresses, in segments where the rapidity of pace is required, is as clear and distinct as humanly possible. But the movement that really hooked me was the slower third track; "Paysage. Poco adagio." proving that Mr. Zhang's strength lies in his remarkable dynamic range. It is so difficult, in just about any facet of a specific discipline, to be able to change speeds on a dime while still being able to maintain significant meaning. This is why Haochen Zhang is so successful in this demanding composition from Liszt for Mr. Zhang's playing never wavers from the gist of each fascinating passage that is presented to us (and there are a ton of 'em). If you, dear reader, were ever intimidated by listening to this challenging piece, I have the perfect antidote; listen to this recording. Haochen Zhang will not only help you appreciate the Transcendental etudes but will make you love it even more. Read more

This was the most entertaining piece of music I've heard in all of 2023. If one can envision a composition of music that could be thrilling, moving, exciting, colorful as well as theatrical then "Dante", written by Thomas Adès, the leading living composer of today; would easily satisfy those desires.  Frankly, I'm a bit baffled why this performance isn't noted more.   The numerous colorful phrases which Adès borrows are not cliched.  The first disc ("Inferno") is divided into 13 segments lasting between 2 to 5 minutes each.  We obviously know the story (the poet's journey into hell and back up to heaven) but the drive getting to these places is quite a captivating experience for our ears to follow. The opening of the seventh track, "The Suicides - the bleeding trees" begins with the thunderous pounding timpani serving to jolt the listener into focus mode. How Adès unveils personalities for each instrument is all in the delivery and is a huge part of the fascination we have for this piece. The shorter 2nd chapter entitled "Purgatorio" borrows heavily from sephardic tradition and is used as a break from the horrors of hell. There are isolated segments (track 5) of chanting interspersed with a beautiful arrangement of strings and done with such exquisite finesse. Track 6 opens with a distant trumpet recalling a lovely aria possibly borrowed from Berlioz's "Faust '' which is then repeated by a cantor and then by the bassoons, and then the orchestra but all done with an alluring delivery.  It ends with a 26 minute finale "Paradiso" which propels the listener into a magical world of sound and color. So just lean back on a comfy sofa and allow Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic take you away from the doldrums of your day. Read more

Love her stories that follow generations of femme characters ! She is always a good read and it got so many comments from customers passing by. Upper middle class complicity will not be ignored during the revolution!! Read more

Great example of Third Cinema. The conversations between colonial France and the revolutionary Algeria are hugely applicable to events happening in the Arab world today. Read more

Mongolian jazz singer whose mellow and full vocals perfectly complement the sparse instrumentation of clarinet and bass throughout the release. Just beautiful! Read more

I've been getting into modern organ these days and Sarah Davachi is a staple of the genre. In this release, she weaves minimalist melodies, alternate tunings, and experimental timbres together in a way that is both elegant and otherworldly. Read more

Kara Jackson's debut is an impressive one, boasting an authenticity and existentialism many artists take years to stumble into. Her warm voice cradles you through a story of love that will leave you full of grief and tenderness. Read more