The Spinners’ Atlantic Singles Were Their Peak
Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees the Spinners made some great Philly-style soul with producer Thom Bell but are still defined by a single song.
John Bergstrom
John Bergstrom has been writing various reviews and features for PopMatters since 2004. He has been a music fanatic at least since he and a couple friends put together The Rock Group Dictionary in third grade (although he now admits that giving Pat Benatar the title of "first good female rocker" was probably a mistake). He has done freelance writing for Trouser Pressonline, Milwaukee's Shepherd Express, and the late Milk magazine and website. He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife and two kids, both of whom are very good dancers.
Nation of Language Revel in Classic Synthpop on ‘Strange Disciple’
Strange Disciple finds Nation of Language’s devotion to their synthpop craft and the acts that inspired them admirably intact, even dogged.
‘Come Together: Adventures on the Indie Dancefloor 1989-1992’ Celebrates Madchester
Full of gems from the Happy Mondays, the Charlatans, the Stone Roses, and many lesser-known acts, this massive Madchester retrospective leaves surprisingly few holes.
Lanterns on the Lake Explore New ‘Versions of Us’
Atmospheric British dream poppers Lanterns on the Lake gain accessibility without sacrificing their signature complexity on Versions of Us.
Beach Fossils’ Guitars Jangle and Sparkle on ‘Bunny’
Beach Fossils’ Bunny is a pure, seamless combination of pristine production and newfound maturity with a post-punk-influenced, guitar-driven sound.
A-ha’s Debut ‘Hunting High and Low’ Gets a Vinyl Deluxe Edition
Norwegian synthpop trio a-ha’s not-quite-classic 1985 debut Hunting High and Low is once again reissued in expanded form, this time on vinyl.
Adrian Sherwood Highlights Female Reggae Artists on ‘Dub No Frontiers’
In a male-dominated genre, dub maestro Adrian Sherwood pushes boundaries by showcasing ten women’s voices from around the world in Dub No Frontiers.
Tim Burgess’ ‘Typical Music’ Is a 22-song Adventure
The more-is-more nature of Typical Music may be a mixed blessing, but Tim Burgess’ biggest gift is a generosity of spirit on this giddy, 22-song adventure.
Lee “Scratch” Perry: King Scratch – Musical Masterpieces From the Upsetter Ark-ive
One year after his passing, King Scratch fetes the reggae/dub shaman Lee “Scratch” Perry with a multiple-disc, multiple-format, career-spanning collection.
‘The Best of Roxy Music’ Gets a Vinyl Re-Issue
As this vinyl reissue of Roxy Music’s 2001 compilation makes clear, the only thing cooler than Roxy Mark II was Roxy Mark I.
Duet Emmo’s ‘Or So It Seems’ Is a Testament to Analog Electronic Music
Duet Emmo’s Or So It Seems is an experimental one-off between Wire’s Lewis and Gilbert and Mute Records’ Daniel Miller. Pedigrees don’t come much better.
The Range’s ‘Mercury’ Is Engrossing, Danceable, and Nostalgic
The not-to-be-missed fourth album by EDM artist James Hinton aka the Range is simultaneously his most retro sounding and forward-looking. Mercury is engrossing.