sophisti-pop

  • For any musicians out there: aren’t those perfect, creative, moments the ones you find yourself while playing “in the pocket”? It’s when the groove that swung one way comes together on a beat (and whatever you’re doing is the exactly the right thing to be done). I say this because it reminds me of Suzy…

  • If y’all can count on one thing about me, it’s on this: I’m unafraid to promote adult music. Years of listening has led me to tuck away a special place for artists or music that gets by not on sonic gimmicks or complexity but on a certain amount of grace and sophistication. It’s what makes…

  • Sometimes when I get dug in a corner, it’s pretty hard to get me out of it. In this case, it was me trying to tie a certain sound, a certain atmosphere, inspired by the Glaswegian group: The Blue Nile.

  • Love is such an unexplainable thing, isn’t it? Sometimes it’s coming straight at you. Other times, it comes from a different angle, unexpected and only makes its case steadily — from a distance. How else, can I explain my love for the work of Sophie and Peter Johnston and their own stab at creating their…

  • I’ve got to say I really had fun with this one. Inspired by Ms. Sally’s wonderful recommendation to check out the music of brother/sister duo Sophie and Peter Johnston, I felt compelled to build on an idea for my latest mix for LYL Radio: “What about an hour dedicated to music that takes us back…

  • Maybe those who still vaguely remember England’s proto-Acid Jazz scene can better place Animal Nightlife in an appropriate context, but how in the heck did such a group not become a household name like Culture Club, Soul II Soul, and Spandau Ballet? Unfortunately, now tucked under the “where are they now” section, Animal Nightlife was…

  • Let’s revisit one of my favorite topics: when prog goes pop. In a way, it should inform today’s discussion on Anthony Phillips’ Invisible Men. You see, not so many moons ago I dedicated a mix to one Peter Bardens, ex-Camel and Caravan keyboardist who quietly created intriguing “prog”-minded pop music. It’s a sound that I…

  • Next, in my continuing series of the redemptive power of house music, I take a look at EPO’s Fire & Snow. I’m half-joking, of course. However, EPO’s Fire & Snow is one of those hidden full album burners that sounds like an anomaly in someone’s discography but has that sound made for them. We had…

  • Some of my favorite albums are those like the one I’ll be sharing today by Bergamo’s own iconic Ivan Cattaneo. Il Cuore É Nudo… E I Pesci Cantano (or The Heart Is Naked… And The Fish Sing) proves again that some of our best work is done when we stop putting in front all sorts…

  • Going back into the well of zouk music. It’s not often I tap into it because I’d be afraid to turn this whole blog into a zouk-only thing…and who knows who’d be into that? Especially, around this time of the year. However, as long as I have your interest in “bass” music piqued — let’s…

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