Spin of the Day
Charles Mingus
The Jazz Workshop Concerts, 1964-65
For three decades, Mosaic Records has reissued jazz that’s so consistently fine it has become easy to take for granted. Read story.
White Arrows
Dry Land Is Not a Myth
Let’s forget for a second that White Arrows’ latest appears to be titled after a line from Waterworld, the notoriously career-sinking Kevin Costner film from 1995. Read story.
Metric
Synthetica
Say what you will about Metric’s glossy, airtight take on synthesized pop — the band lives up to its name. Read story.
Ex-Cult
Ex-Cult
With three well-received albums already out in 2012 (Twins, Slaughterhouse, and Hair), Ty Segall has been on a roll as of late. Read story.
Andrew Bird
Hands of Glory
Earlier this year, Andrew Bird dropped Break It Yourself, a swelling and soaring sixth effort filled with classically mined orchestrations. Read story.
Spencer the Gardener
Breaking My Own Heart
If you’ve consumed music in Santa Barbara in the past two decades, chances are you know Spencer the Gardener. Read story.
Other Lives
Mind the Gap EP
It’s been many decades since the Dust Bowl struck America, but that isn’t stopping Other Lives from mining its monumental impact. Read story.
AU
Both Lights
AU has never been an easy band to pin down. Read story.
Tame Impala
Lonerism
In terms of sophomore successes, Tame Impala’s Lonerism might be the crowning achievement of 2012. Read story.
JEFF the Brotherhood
Hypnotic Nights
JEFF the Brotherhood’s seventh record opens with a simple sentiment: “I want a place where I can smoke meats, where I can drink and swim in the creek,” sing Jake and Jamin Orrall. Read story.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
St. Peter & 57th Street
Folk, pop, and hip-hop stars team up with the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band for this stunning live disk. Read story.
Grizzly Bear
Shields
At this point in the game, Grizzly Bear’s biggest hindrance is themselves. Read story.
Seth Pettersen
Natural Machine
Whether he’s working the solo angle or fronting the long running Franklin for Short, Seth Pettersen has a knack for making songs that sound quintessentially Californian. Read story.
Easy Star All-Stars
Thrillah
With 2003’s cover album Dub Side of the Moon, the Easy Star All-Stars proved that, left together for seven (or more) minutes in heaven, classic 1970s prog rock and reggae could be fruitful and multiply. Read story.
Wild Nothing
Nocturne
For those not familiar with the backstory, Wild Nothing is the project of young Jack Tatum, a former Virginia Tech student whose dreamy bedroom recordings went from Myspace anonymity to the epicenter of the Internet hype machine back in 2009. Read story.
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