By Chris Adams
The footwork and juke genres have seen a surge in popularity within the underground dance music community in recent years. Created to promote a growing movement of Chicago dance crews and battlers in the early 2000s, the sound has since gone global with the help of some of the U.K.’s electronic music mainstays. Following a… Continue reading Spun: DJ Rashad
On Beautiful Rewind, Four Tet’s latest LP, electronic artist Kieran Hebden lifts sounds from the United Kingdom’s bygone underground dance-music scene and appropriates them to fit his signature sound. The track “Kool FM” shares its name with an infamous pirate radio station that was among the first frequencies in London to play hardcore and jungle.… Continue reading Spun: Four Tet
By Riley Marion
Tim Hecker’s latest release, Virgins, is characterized by unpredictable synthesizer work, spacious droning and organic instrumentation paired with jarring electronics. Hecker has constructed an album that comes together cleanly despite his mix of natural and unnatural sounds. The primal side of Virgins first appears on the album’s second track, “Virginal I,” which brings swirling piano… Continue reading Spun: Tim Hecker
Toronto soul singer Andria Simone’s new album Good Lovin’ screams of old-school influence from the ’50s and ’60s — from the vintage-record look of the CD to the horn section piping in with little shots here and there — but refreshes the sound with modern pop and R&B beats and rhythms, producing an incredibly fun… Continue reading Spun: Andria Simone
The Albertans, hailing from Alberta, Saskatchewan and the United States, have put forth a sonically curious album with their recently released Dangerous Anything. Initially performing under the name Sex with an Angel in 2007, the band moved to Vancouver in 2008 and took up their current name. Since then, the band has continued to change… Continue reading Spun: The Albertans
By Ashton Chugh
Moby’s new album Innocents, a collaboration with several different artists, is not anything radically different from his previous work that audiences have come to know. There are a lot of slow, random electronic instruments that give “Everything That Rises,” “A Case For Shame,” “Almost Home” and “Going Wrong” a mystical feel, which is all very… Continue reading Spun: Moby
Different moods call for different types of music, but I believe there’s nothing as consistently enjoyable as a powerful mix of guitar, vocals and rhythm. The LP titled Gala, by Joel R.L. Phelps & The Downer Trio — which consists of Phelps, William Herzog and Robert J. Mercer — delivers this blend throughout its 11… Continue reading Spun: Joel R.L. Phelps & The Downer Trio
You can be a toe tapper, a head banger or a fearless solo dancer — whatever your grooving type might be — The Darcys will catch you with their album, Warring. An eclectic collection of artistic sounds, this Toronto-based art-rock band has assembled a promising third album for a 40-minute escape from reality. The album… Continue reading Spun: The Darcys
By Kayla Ross
This duo certainly packs a punch in their third studio album Girls, Like Wolves. The combination of Miesha Louie on vocals and guitar with Stuart Bota on drums creates a raucous punk-rock album rife with blazing guitar riffs, resounding lyrics and powerful percussions. Oh, and don’t forget the howling. This is garage rock at its… Continue reading Spun: Miesha & The Spanks
You’ll have a pretty good idea of what you are getting into from the title of this album, but don’t underestimate it. This isn’t just another sappy harrowing of worn love ballads. While this isn’t an album to reach for when you want an upbeat, get-the-day-started groove, it is great for a quiet, introverted, moody… Continue reading Spun: Zachary Lucky