PinnedA Date with HeraclitusThis is your brain on fire — Philosopher William James said the question of whether the world is one or many isn’t one most people lose sleep over.¹ If you’re prone to philosophy, however, you might find the topic to occupy at least some of your daylight hours. One of the earliest thinkers to address this question…Philosophy6 min readPhilosophy6 min read
7 hours agoScared to Dance by Skids (Tomtit Music Reviews 9)They were there at the beginning of punk — Skids aren’t U2. This Scottish band is, however, one of U2’s early punk influences, as detailed by Tim Sommer in The Observer. The similarities are there in the opening melody of “The Saints Are Coming” on Scared to Dance (1979, Virgin Records), which U2 has covered with Green Day. They’re…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
2 days agoDavid Guetta’s ‘Nothing but the Beat’ (Tomtit Music Reviews 8)This DJ has Terpsichore by the throat — The album title doesn’t lie. And by “the beat,” David Guetta means four on the floor, because that’s what you get for 11 of 13 tracks on this 2011 release from EMI. It may be the beat of choice for EDM, but other DJs find ways to mix it up…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
4 days agoOathbreaker’s ‘Ease Me & Four Interpretations’ (Tomtit Music Reviews 7)A genre-bending set of remixes on personal transformation — This disk might be better suited to my Heavy Metal Goes Tomtits Up subseries, but I’m plowing ahead anyway. Oathbreaker keeps blackgaze company with Deafheaven and ritualistic doom company with fellow Church of Ra collective-mates Amenra. Caro Tanghe has screamed with the latter, but “Ease Me” (2020) is more like…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
Jan 23Mayhem’s ‘Live in Leipzig’Heavy metal goes tomtits up (Tomtit Music Reviews 6) — Speaking of Mayhem, East Germany’s body was still warm when the black metal band played in Leipzig on November 11, 1990. Live in Leipzig (Obscure Plasma Records) is the epitome of black metal. The guitars are raw, the drums muffled, the bass inaudible, and the vocals like a high school…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
Jan 20Burzum’s ‘Dauði Baldrs’Heavy metal goes tomtits up (Tomtit Music Reviews 5) — Burzum’s Varg Vikernes has an ugly rap sheet on Rational Wiki. This is the man who was convicted of murdering Mayhem guitarist Euronymous and went on to become notorious as a white nationalist, anti-Semite and conspiracy theorist. According to an interview on Burzum’s website, Vikernes used a keyboard while in…Heavy Metal2 min readHeavy Metal2 min read
Jan 17‘Doubt’ by Jesus Jones (Tomtit Music Reviews 4)Some bands speak futures that never come — Jesus Jones was there when history ended. To that precise blend of styles — rock, punk, hip-hop, techno — known as grebo, these Brits brought pop sensibilities that earned them two Grammy nominations in 1991: Best Alternative Music Album for Doubt (Food Records) and Best Pop Performance by a Duo…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
Jan 15Maria Callas/Opera Arias (Tomtit Music Reviews 3)Uncommon selections make this collection stand out — Once was a golden age of classical music on vinyl. Labels pumped out records, often relying on pieces that they knew would satisfy the masses. Thus, one would expect to find selections from standbys like Norma, Tosca, La Traviata… Instead, the cover of this 1971 release from EMI Angel promises…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
Jan 11‘Doo-Bop’ by Miles Davis (Tomtit Music Reviews 2)The greatest trumpeter ever meets hip-hop — Speaking of Miles Davis, Doo-Bop (1992, Warner Bros.) is underrated. Davis was 65 when he collaborated with rapper and hip-hop producer Easy Mo Bee in search of a new bop. For the most part, it’s laidback. Davis scatters licks like he has a surplus, and Easy Mo Bee, while no…Music1 min readMusic1 min read
Jan 8Tomtit Music Reviews 1: Break ReformThe band’s last of three is exquisite — Tomtits are small birds, so I’ll keep this brief. Break Reform was a trip-hop/future jazz trio from London. The band released three albums from 2002–2005. Reformation (2005, Abstract Blue Recordings) immediately transports to pure chillout. S. Skolfield and J. Webster program music so blue that Miles Davis would be jealous…Music1 min readMusic1 min read
