Fletcher Tucker Cultivates Intimacy with the Earth
Fletcher Tucker’s Kin takes cues from ambient, outsider folk, and new age, but as one coherent piece of music, it sounds like absolutely nothing else.
Chris Ingalls
Chris is a Massachusetts native who spent seven years as a broadcast journalist in the U.S. Navy and was also a videotape editor for a CBS affiliate TV station, a newspaper editor at a military public affairs office in Naples, Italy, and a videographer for a cancer research institute. His currently works as an internal communications manager for a large Boston hospital. He was born in 1969 and has been a rabid music fan since at least 1970, thanks to his three older siblings. A PopMatters writer since 2016, Chris is also an occasional guest on the music podcast "Losing My Opinion," and is on Bluesky, Instagram, and X @Ingalls1969. He lives in the leafy suburbs outside of Boston with his wife, son, dog, two cats, and lots of records.
Mondo Lava Create a Spectacular Psychedelic Trip
The intercontinental duo Mondo Lava employ sonic collages under mountains of fuzz and distortion, with spellbinding results on Utero Dei.
Jessica Risker’s New Work Is Mysterious and Haunting
Seven years after her debut, folk artist Jessica Risker embraces sophisticated, baroque arrangements. It’s so good that it’s worth the wait.
Andrew Staniland Creates a Warm, Adventurous Sonic Ride
The Laws of Nature sees composer Andrew Staniland exploring new territory with brain waves and electronics. It’s a warm, adventurous sonic ride.
Josh Halper Mesmerizes with His Lush New Album
Josh Halper’s Schlemiel beautifully mixes fingerpicked folk, indie rock, and the odd pop confessional. His musicianship, while brilliant, is immensely tasteful.
Teddy Abrams Indulges in Neoclassical World-Building
Grammy-winning composer and pianist Teddy Abrams lets his imagination run wild on 16 brilliant tracks. He’s a highly accomplished artist who refuses to sit still.
Shane Parish Cleverly Reimagines Standards on Live Album
Dig deep into Shane Parish’s musical catalog, and you’ll find a treasure of guitar playing that wonderfully defies the standard rules.
Julian Cubillos Unleashes Warm, Lo-Fi Bedroom Pop
Julian Cubillos’ new self-titled album finds him working on a slightly smaller scale, yet with compositions and melodies that are bright, complex, and intelligent.
Clifford Crank Out a Crunchy, Melodic Slow Burn
Clifford’s sounds are drawn from a multitude of influences, yet the resulting combination is focused, unique, and often spellbinding.
Chad Kouri Experiments with Blissful Spiritual Jazz
Chicago’s Chad Kouri is a curious, mesmerizing explorer of genres and identities. Mixed is a unique and hypnotic take on jazz improvisation.
Fuubutsushi Bring Exquisite Ambient Elegance to a Live Setting
Fuubutsushi are an accomplished instrumental quartet that appeal to all audiences with an ambient experience and a noisy adventure that’s transcendent.
Jameszoo Finds Inspiration in Brilliant Collaboration
It’s no surprise that Jameszoo’s warm, textured compositions work in a variety of settings. Music for 17 Musicians is brilliant and inspired.