A New Beginning: 2021 Brings New Music, Podcasts, and TV Shows Worth Exploring.
Looking Forward: Will normalcy return by summer?
I’m Jason Boucher and welcome to Nocturnal, a weekly newsletter about sound + music where I highlight some of the best new music, podcasts, stories about art and music, streaming video, and current events. I use my best efforts to dispense useful news, information, and reviews along with related links I hope you’ll dig. I get too excited for new music and film, reissues, podcasts and more, so I’m sharing my delight with you! Questions jason.boucher@icloud.com
Today in the newsletter: New music to meditate to—subtle sounds and creativity fuel the new albums to ponder this week. An exciting podcast about the controversial and late record producer Phil Spector, a blast from the past review of Tangerine Dream by Lester Bangs, new TV shows about history, fishing, painting, and magic—and of course my latest radio show playlist and audio archive follow.
But first… Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history and she is the National Youth Poet Laureate. An award-winning writer, Gorman has written for the New York Times and has new poetry collections forthcoming. She delivered her powerful poem, “The Hill We Climb” at the 59th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.
Listen Up!
Dave Nelson, ‘The Act of Vanishing’ (self-released)
Nelson’s collection of improvisations was recorded during in 2020 during the pandemic and at a time when most of us were in quarantine. Nelson uses an instrument called Cocoquantas (delay and looper modular synthesizer) along with his trombone, voice, and various electronics (Moog Minitaur, cassette loops). I enjoy this album as its calm and peaceful—sometimes I think it’s whales. Now available on Bandcamp.
Mason Lindahl, ‘Kissing Rosy in the Rain’ (Tompkins Square)
Lindahl is a guitarist / composer from New York City and his finger-picking style is influenced by American primitive, minimalism and classical era music. This album was recorded in Oakland, California and Brooklyn, NY with friends. His mesmerizing guitar and tempo fir right in with many other guitarists who have released albums in this label. Available now on vinyl, CD, and digital.
Podcasts To Peruse
On Being with Krista Tippett - What does it mean to be human? How do we want to live? Who will we be to each other? Each week a new discovery about the immensity of our lives. The On Being Project is an independent, nonprofit media and public life initiative led by Krista Tippett.
Blood On the Tracks: The Phil Spector Story - Spector’s story is told from the perspective of those who knew him best, his famous so-called friends. Blood On The Tracks is part true crime, part historical fiction, part spoken word lo-fi beat noir by Jake Brennan, host Disgraceland, featuring the fictionalized voices of Lenny Bruce, Ronnie Spector, Ike Turner, Debbie Harry and more.
Reading List
Watch List
Nocturnal. The Radio Show
Nocturnal is unprocessed freeform radio delivered Tuesday evenings on WSCA. Featuring new music and a variety of hubbub from then & now. Listen and join the live chat each week. Here’s the playlist for 19 January 2021:
Brandee Younger & Dezron Douglas “You Make Me Feel Brand New” Force Majeure (International Anthem)
Patricia Brennan “Blame It” Maquishti (Valley of Search)
Neil Charles “2” LOW and BEYOND (Cafe Oto)
John Truscinski “August Closer” Bridle Path (Cafe Oto)
Tristan Perich & Douglas Perkins “Drift Multiply: Section 1” Tristan Perich: Drift Multiply (Nonesuch)
Beatrice Dillon “Workaround Three” Workaround (PAN)
Rebecca Foon “Ocean Song” Waxing Moon (Constellation)
Moor Mother “Act 1 – Working Machine” Circuit City (Don Giovanni Records)
Lon Moshe & Southern Freedom Arkestra “Love Is Where the Spirit Lies” Love Is Where the Spirit Lies (Strut)
Wendy Eisenberg “The Moon” Auto (Ba Da Bing!)
Still House Plants “Getting Murky” Fast Edit (Bison Records)
Numün “Tranceport” Voyage Au Soleil (Musique Impossible)
Anna von Hausswolff “Sacro Bosco” All Thoughts Fly (Southern Lord)
Psychedelic Source Records “Sky Jam II” Finalizing 2020 Compilation (Psychedelic Source)
Ali Akbar Khan “Zila Kafi” Bear’s Sonic Journals: That Which Colors the Mind (Owsley Stanley Foundation)
Until next week… stay safe. - JB