Lost in the Trees – All Alone in an Empty House
Is it wrong to think that almost all music, at least of the vaguely ethereal variety, would sound better if played from two (or more) stereos at once, staggered slightly in time? I accidentally did this while listening to Lost in the Trees’ All Alone in an Empty House. The first take of the music came from iTunes, while the second, trailing closely behind, played via an automatic stream on Trekky Records’ Web page. Suddenly, string parts unfolded into a dense, sylvan thicket, like arms of ivy climbing into each other. It sounded, y’know, lost. Read the full review

Los Lobos – Tin can
Recorded in the East L.A. neighborhood where Los Lobos were birthed in the early ‘70s, there’s plenty of scruff in the stories on “Tin Can Trust.” The 11 tracks are all carefully decorated, be it the vintage guitar strut of “On Main Street” or the sparse atmospheres of “27 Spanishes,” where the hand drums, rhythmic clanks and jagged guitars reverberate as if they were laid down in an alley. Read the full review