For years, I’ve had a fascination with trip hop. I became a huge fan of Portishead when Third was released, and later got into acts like Emiliana Torrini, Telepopmusik, and Air when my wife and I started dating. I’ve been a fan of Gorillaz since the beginning of their career.
But somehow, I’ve ignored the rulers of genre, Massive Attack, and their most celebrated album Mezzanine. Of course, I’ve known how great this album is, but much in the same way that I know that I’m breathing: it’s happening all the time, but I don’t usually give it very much attention.
Recently, I decided to change that. And boy, am I glad I did.
After mentioning that only one person has ever taken me up on my offer to donate records that they want me to review, my friend Bill handed me a stack for the Cause.
In the record buying community, every once in a while you might get a surprise. In this case, I had ordered a copy of post-hardcore legends Quicksand 2017 album Interiors, and was surprised to find that the seller had also included this ten inch.
Every so often, someone will suggest a record for me to review. I always tell them the same thing: on this blog, I only review albums 
Like many a white suburban kid, I’ve had a passing fascination with hip hop. I was a pretty big fan of 
Before turning U2 into the biggest rock band in the world, before pulling true greatness out of the Talking Heads, before going with 
Three years ago, I fell in love with Elder’s Reflections of a Floating World, an interplanetary blend of doom metal, psychedelic rock, Krautrock, and prog.
There are three words that are almost guaranteed to make me pay attention to a band: “
As far as emotional, instrumental, climactic post rock is concerned, Explosions in the Sky is about as close to the Platonic ideal that you can get. Barring their most recent (and mostly electronic)