Category: Gatefold

The Hush of Early Mornings and PHOX

When I moved into my little Durham bungalow last year, it was with the express purpose of playing my stereo whenever I damn well pleased....

The Low Notes

In the range of sounds, I far prefer the low notes. Drop an octave from middle C and something about that majestic resonance pangs in...

Lone Wolf (Act I and II)

There was a time when I wasn’t so good at being alone. During the start of my PhD program (over a decade ago now), I...

All That Jazz

I used to be embarrassed about my introduction to jazz and soul, for mine was a strange passageway: romantic comedies. Although I don’t remember it...

The Summery Sweetness of Eaux Claires

Rare are the times when a moment is so perfect you recognize it while it’s happening. Usually that kind of appreciation happens after the fact,...

Burnout By Any Other Name…

It’s never a good sign when the art that most enlivens you begins to feel draining, when staring at the wall feels more restful than...

Movement & Location

People move for all kinds of reasons—a job, a relationship, to be closer to family. Sometimes it’s just a matter of changing scenery or finally...

The Ephemerality of Streaming

This is going to sound like a daft thing to complain about considering the endless amount of music that now exists at our fingertips, but...

On Cringeworthy Listening Histories

I often succumb to the obstructive instinct of curation. It’s one of my fatal flaws, and it’s only gotten worse with social media and the...