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Patrick Witteman | Thursday, February 14, 2019
When Chaz Bear, better known as Toro y Moi, released his first album, “Causers of This,” in 2010, he became the designated torch bearer for the burgeoning chill-wave movement. Though that sound and aesthetic has started to fade from the mainstream, the Berkeley-based musician is still releasing some of the more inspired music of his
Patrick Witteman | Thursday, January 24, 2019
James Blake gained a reputation as a “sad boy” after the release of his previous album, “The Colour in Anything.” With a runtime exceeding an hour and fifteen minutes, his third project hinges on stripped-down, electronic tracks that are gloomy and characteristic of an artist going through personal struggle. Although Blake pushed back on the
Patrick Witteman | Monday, January 21, 2019
For Walk the Walk week, the Snite Museum of Art has curated a small collection of Civil Rights photography that focuses on the life, death and impact of Martin Luther King Jr. The photographs include work by photojournalists Charles Moore, Dan Budnik and Ernest Withers, among others. While touring the collection, I met with David
Patrick Witteman | Friday, November 16, 2018
In Luca Guadagnino’s remake of the 1977 film “Suspiria,” a ballet studio falls into disarray as a result of supernatural forces lurking underneath its glassy surface. The movie itself is characterized by muted tones and sets that pay homage to modern architects like Adolf Loos. A soundtrack as wintry and haunting as Thom Yorke’s matches
Patrick Witteman | Monday, November 12, 2018
Up until the release of “You Won’t Get What You Want,” the Rhode Island band Daughters had been somewhat removed from the music scene. Their last release came in 2010 with the self-titled album “Daughters,” and the album preceding that was released in 2006. More often than not, when bands take long hiatuses between two
Nora McGreevy, Jake Winningham, Patrick Witteman, Carlos De Loera and Sara Schlecht | Saturday, November 3, 2018
Over fall break, Garth Brooks took the University of Notre Dame stadium by storm. Scene is here to break down what happened the night of the concert and why it matters — or doesn’t — for the Notre Dame community, South Bend, Garth and us. Volume III: FALL 2018 by Scenecast, from The Observer
Patrick Witteman | Thursday, October 4, 2018
Richard D. James is having a late-career renaissance. Early in his career, James pioneered an electronic sound that would dramatically influence the electronic dance music and intelligent dance music (dance music that transcended clubs) scenes for years to come. After taking a 13-year hiatus following his album “drukqs,” Aphex Twin has released new material that
Patrick Witteman | Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Yves Tumor is hard to pin down. The Tennessee artist rarely gives interviews and has gone by pseudonyms of Rahel Ali and Sean Bowie throughout his career. Tumor’s elusiveness is a perfect descriptor for his album “Safe In the Hands of Love.” The experimental project jumps between genres as quickly as it jumps between the
Patrick Witteman | Friday, September 7, 2018
Ka is 46-years-old, which makes him archaic in a hip-hop scene otherwise dominated by a generation of Soundcloud-based, rainbow-haired vibe makers. He currently works for the New York City Fire Department, and he writes rhymes in his spare time. In short, he does not fit the established, modern-rap archetype. This has not stopped him from