Dark Forces Swing Blind Punches

 Check it out , and subscribe if you're so inclined!

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2024/02/dfsbp-is-now-on-substack.html

Here, please find links to DFSBP's annual rundown of my favorite music of the year, in five parts: 1. Overall top 11, with introductory remarks and disclaimers 2. Jazz top 11 3. Honorable...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/12/best-of-2023-table-of-contents.html

.] A few other assorted shout-outs: The best pop song I heard this year was Tyla's serene, sensuous "Water" (just listen ). That Blink-182 ballad really grew on me as well! The best music b...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/12/best-of-2023-pt-v-final-shout-outs-and.html

.] jazz top 11 I'm going to get a little creative with the math here, due to the simple fact that I submitted my ballot for the annual Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll (results of which should...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/12/best-of-2023-pt-ii-jazz-top-11.html

.] 15 great live shows: For these, where applicable, I'm linking night-of/morning-after commentary/documentation in lieu of fresh commentary, as my memory is not what it used to be! (Note: I'v...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/12/best-of-2023-pt-iv-15-best-live-shows.html

.] 10 honorable mentions Other 2023 releases — not cited anywhere in the overall or jazz rundowns — that I think are great and worth your time: AUTOPSY, ASHES, ORGANS, BLOOD AND CRYPTS...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/12/best-of-2023-pt-iii-honorable-mentions.html

.] Thank you as always if you've found your way to this obscure corner of the web. Obviously this is not exactly an active blog, but I keep it up and running so as to provide an open forum for ...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/12/best-of-2023-pt-i-prelude-and-overall.html

 A new survey of great/essential titles on the legendary Dischord label, published over at Shfl .

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/11/dischord-shfl.html

I'm hearing reports that Richard Davis has died. A musical titan and one of my biggest heroes in art. I just re-upped links to a 2010 radio tribute to him that my friend Russell Baker and I co-...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/09/richard-davis.html

I'm reading reports that Peter Brötzmann has died. I haven't seen an official announcement, but his frequent collaborator Ken Vandermark has posted about it, which I'll take as confirmation of ...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/06/peter-brotzmann-interview-2011.html

By Myself, the self-released unaccompanied solo LP by Abdul Wadud, is one of my favorite albums of all time, full stop. I'm thrilled that it's finally been reissued , and to have the opportunity ...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/05/by-myself-rising.html

A privilege to spend time — virtually and in-person, respectively — with two musicians I greatly admire: -Antti Boman, mastermind of Demilich, a longtime obsession of mine , for Bandcamp Da...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/02/antti-christian.html

Proud to present an in-depth look at Emergency! by the Tony Williams Lifetime , via Pitchfork's Sunday Review. This record means a lot to me. Lifetime looms large in my ongoing Heavy Metal Bebop ...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2023/01/emergency.html

Things have been quiet here at DFSBP, but as always, I wanted to try and round up my favorite sounds of the year. To anyone tuning in, thank you, and I hope you find something you enjoy.  Befor...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2022/12/best-of-2022.html

In June, Broadcast (a publication backed by the Brooklyn arts space Pioneer Works, where I've seen tons of great shows in recent years), asked me if I'd like to interview jaimie branch. I respond...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2022/10/jaimie-branch.html

Profiled one of my favorite bands of the '90s for Tidal. It's funny how closely my summer/fall show calendar (Karate, Jawbox, Rage Against the Machine, Rex, June of 44, etc.) is mirroring my hig...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2022/08/rex-tidal.html

Honored to delve into my favorite jazz album , and one of my favorite albums, period, for Pitchfork's Sunday Review.  In researching this piece, I went back to the tape of a Booker Little trib...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2022/08/out-front-pitchfork.html

My last day at Rolling Stone is this week. After seven years, I’ve decided to leave and try something new. For now, I’ll be freelancing — please feel to reach out via my new work-centric ...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2022/06/hs-rs-2015-2022.html

One of the masters. Listen to a three-hour interview and career overview I hosted on WKCR in 2000 here . This one sends me every single time: And here is Nate Chinen's comprehensive NPR obit ...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2022/06/rip-gmiii.html

I had a great time speaking with Tomas Haake, re-immersing in the Meshuggah-verse (including the excellent new Immutable) and writing about it for RS .

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2022/03/meshuggah.html

First, a bit of a disclaimer: Keeping up with new music in any kind of orderly way was pretty much an impossibility for me in 2021. Between work obligations and personal pursuits (guitar , etc.),...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2021/12/2021-in-review.html

I've spent roughly the past four months researching and reporting this long-form podcast episode  (part of RS' 500 Greatest Albums series) on Alice's Coltrane's classic 1971 LP Journey in Satch...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2021/12/alices-journey.html

Today I released my first album as a solo artist, a set of instrumental guitar compositions that I wrote and recorded at home during the past year or so. Check out the music and read more about t...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2021/11/lake-geode.html

Carcass are a couple weeks away from putting out another excellent post-reunion album (hail Surgical Steel ), and it was an honor and a pleasure to be able to talk to them about it for Rolling S...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2021/09/death-metal-dad-rock.html

I almost couldn't believe it when I saw Sonny Sharrock featured so prominently in Questlove's new Summer of Soul doc. It's a phenomenal movie in general, but this was something I never expected. ...

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2021/06/summer-of-sonny.html