In 2019, when veteran electronic music veteran (and longtime Spotted Peccary artist) Craig Padilla joined forces with his longtime friend, guitarist Marvin Allen, to create Toward the Horizon – the first epic album in a proposed trilogy – there was no way they could have fathomed the upcoming pandemic, our collective anxiety and our need for encouragement to help us overcome the trauma and its aftermath. Yet there they were regaling us with what I then called “an endlessly fa

In 2019, after several decades as one of Chicagoland’s most renowned and versatile jazz guitarists, Billy Denk made a radical creative shift in his recording career and began exploring his longtime passion for minimalist ambient music. Engaging his talents and a composer and synthesist like never before, he launched a prolific series of recordings, starting with the auspiciously titled Positive Space and Starbound, whose focal single “Solar Wind” has been a top streamer as we

When Jason Klein branded himself “Monster Taxi” to start licensing his own tracks, the veteran Miami based studio jack of all trades (keyboardist, composer, producer, remixer, major label compilation re-masterer) opened a fascinating portal dedicated to a journey of intense grooving and dynamic and colorful sonic movement. While the multi-talented artist – whose credits include Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin, Earth, Wind & Fire and his former remix trio Magic Sauce – made his ini

For a music journalist there’s a point of pride to be able to follow an indie artist’s creative development and career trajectory from the beginning. As I get caught up in the grooving jangliness, swirling atmospheres, ethereal vocals and decidedly growth intensive, forward thinking themes on his latest (and arguably his most satisfying) album Amphibious, I’m also thinking about the reviews I wrote of his three previous excellent, quirky and deeply intriguing collections, st

Trying to position Jenn Howard’s stellar, powerfully reflective and deeply cathartic new breakthrough album Valiant Women as a project only a mature, battle tested woman who’s been to hell and back could create, the crafters of the New Orleans born and bred singer/songwriter's her bio material make mention of her struggles, travels and near misses of the spotlight with Project NIM, the band she joined in high school and led from the ages of 16-21. After having so much hope so

In the heartfelt “Director’s Statement” video Belton Mouras, Jr. shares on the website promoting his beautiful, deeply emotional and spiritually transcendent short film “Mickey’s Tree,” the multi-talented writer, producer, director and film composer offers an intimate glimpse of the inspirational real-life bond shared by him and his beloved dog Mickey that inspired the project – which earned an “Official Selection” accolade at the Palm Springs International Short Fest. It’s c