Shut Up & Read the Notes

So much music journalism is hyper-concerned with soundalikes, influences, and comparisons. And for good reason, really. Providing a reference point for readers creates an instant understanding between writer and reader. But this is quite the opposite of Boston-based trio Quilt’s approach to music. We met over coffee and pancakes recently at the East Village brunch-stitution, 7A, where I was able to learn more about the origins of their self-titled debut and one of my favorite releases of 2011.

Now, instead of keenly crafting my sprawling notes into a coherent, concise article, I’d rather you, the reader, experience it as I did. I kept looking at these notes trying to distill the experience into a consumable sound byte, but these short impressions represent the interview almost better than an article can. The band was a word-a-minute of super-fascinating genre theory and speculation on music criticism. It was interesting and enlightening. I had a great time. So, below, I present to you, my notes from the interview (nearly) unadulterated and raw as they came. Read More

Sudan to Brooklyn & Everywhere in Between

Welcome to the new Terrific Music Column, now penned by yours truly, Zach Pollakoff. In this, our first installment, Terrific takes Brooklyn’s own Ahmed Gallab, aka Sinkane, for a typical Williamsburg Sunday: record shopping and brunch.

I meet Ahmed at Academy Records in Williamsburg on a blustery Sunday–only days after winter has settled firmly in–and immediately begin on the “New Arrivals” bins of used records up front.

Though a permanent Gowanus resident, it’s rare to find Ahmed home long enough to get together for an interview. His life recently has been comprised of a string of world tours with a variety of different bands. A drummer for Yeasayer and Eleanor Friedberger’s solo project, Ahmed has also played with Caribou and Born Ruffians and is a former member of Of Montreal. However this month, Ahmed has a chance to regroup at home, work on his own project, Sinkane, and begin promoting his forthcoming album, Mars (release date TBD). More on that later. Read More