In a way Holy Diver informed my thinking about music without me having heard it. I was living in Columbia, South Carolina in 1983 when Dio released their debut, just discovering music for the first time thanks in large part to MTV and while not quite yet in high school already seeing how musical tastes […]
Month: December 2025
The Best of 2025
Another year in the books. Musically it was pretty solid. I attended my 14th Iceland Airwaves music festival. I did my first-ever DJ set. I went record shopping in New York City, Vienna, Bratislava, and Reykjavik. And I brought 277 physical releases into the house, if my Disocgs collection is to be believed (and I […]
Benedictine Shadows – “Lamented Hymns” Cassette (2025)
If you’re of a certain age and you were into music in the mid-90s you probably remember a very odd “fad” – specifically the moment had by, of all things, monastic chants. It was kicked off by the 1994 album Chant by The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos, which was followed by Chant […]
Destruction – “Sentence of Death” (1984)
Destruction are considered part of the “Big Four” of German thrash bands, alongside Kreator, Sodom, and Tankard. I of course did not know this when I picked up Sentence of Death at Rough Trade during our visit to New York City a few months ago. What I did know, however, is these guys look like […]
dj. flugvél og geimskip – “Hljóðfjölskyldan” (2025)
Space Odyssey is one of the true gems of the Reykjavik music scene. The record store / venue (/vintage clothing store) is home to all things electronica, with an emphasis on ambient, experimental, and avant-garde. It’s a lovely space to see a live performance, cozy and intimate, the sound filling every nook and cranny. Operated […]