Album Review: All Around Me by Bob Ohrum

Bob Ohrum’s albums combine urban field recordings with drones, bass and keyboards in a highly personal, alchemical fusion. (I’ve reviewed Bob’s albums Elevated and Subliminal Listening.) Bob’s latest release (Relaxed Machinery 0020) is All...

A Wedding Soundtrack

Music is the best. So it was an important part of an already-very-important day: our wedding in July 2008. My wife chose the first two pieces for the ceremony, and two traditional songs (Amazing Grace and Just a Closer Walk With Thee) for the reception, and was...

American Dreaming

After a lifetime in Canada, I have moved from Toronto to Chicago. Thereby hangs a tale… Anyone following the progress of my recording projects might have been struck by my apparent failure (or refusal) to finish an album, while defiantly starting up new ones. At the...

Album Review: Upwelling by Steve Brand

Steve Brand has just released his first “lost pieces” collection, on his own Pioneer Light label. Upwelling (PL 0002) is a gathering of nine remixed and reimagined tracks, some created during work on other albums, others resulting from momentary...

Album Review: Home by Chris Russell

Chris Russell has released his third album on the Relaxed Machinery label, and fifth overall. Home is a double-CD and definitely a significant step forward in Chris’ musical progression. It’s easily his most personal and intimate album yet – his own River...