by Steven Miller

Released by Shifting Paradigm Records on August 23, 2024, Tides by Philip Weberndoerfer presents a deeply conceptual journey through the highs and lows of the human condition, a sonic portrayal of life’s ever-changing currents. Weberndoerfer, a German guitarist, draws upon his diverse influences, from European classical and gypsy music to the American Songbook, and uses these to craft a sound uniquely his own.

Since his arrival in New York City in 2016, Weberndoerfer has become a significant contributor to the jazz scene, with his work as a bandleader and sideman reflecting a distinctive voice. His music [...]

by Steven Miller

Soaring past the thirty-year mark as a band, Japan’s Envy returns with their eighth studio album, Eunoia, an offering that is raw and filled with feels. The eight-song project is enriched by a wide palette of sonic textures as Eunoia captures a band that’s not just surviving—it’s thriving, despite the challenges of time and significant personnel shifts. This album, the second release since a major shake-up in 2018, finds Envy leaning into vulnerability while exploring new sonic terrains. The result is an album that encapsulates not just the experience of a band evolving, but also a glimpse of their collective soul as they [...]

by Shannon Smith

Megan Moroney’s Blue Christmas… duh brings a fresh, candid perspective to country holiday music, infusing it with her signature “emo cowgirl” style. This surprise EP—featuring two of her new original songs and a take on Elvis’s timeless “Blue Christmas”—showcases Moroney’s knack for blending playful, light-hearted charm with deeply resonant, melancholic storytelling, a combination that has quickly set her apart in the country music scene.

The EP opens with “All I Want for Christmas is a Cowboy,” a fun, honky-tonk romp that captures the magic of the holiday [...]

by Shannon Smith

YANA, the musical persona of Joanna Bieńkowska, emerges as one of Poland’s most intriguing neo classical artists with her second album, Daydreamer. Building on her background as an instrumentalist and composer trained at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, YANA draws from a rich palette of classical instruments—piano, strings, and electronics—to create works that resonate with emotional depth and cinematic grandeur. Daydreamer presents a larger ensemble than her debut album, Solace, where minimalist piano pieces were interwoven with electronic textures and meditative dialogues. In Daydreamer, YANA explores a journey of the human [...]

by Steven Miller

Released on the ZOHO label, Live in Aspen is a luminous and immersive program of classical and world music, showcasing the talents of classical guitar virtuoso Sharon Isbin and legendary sarod master Amjad Ali Khan. Captured live during the Aspen Music Festival’s 75th anniversary, this album features Khan and his sons, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, alongside tabla prodigy Amit Kavthekar, creating a cross-cultural symphony that will resonate with world music lovers. With compositions drawing on raga structures and Western classical sensibilities, the album illustrates how musical dialogue can become a profound exchange [...]

by Shannon Smith

James Bay’s journey from the youthful singer-songwriter who burst onto the scene in 2015 with Chaos and the Calm to his fourth studio album, Changes All the Time, reveals a subtle shift in his creative voice. This new album sees Bay lean further into his Americana influences while continuing to explore themes of self-reflection and resilience. The eleven-track offering shows his commitment to songwriting tradition while weaving in new voices lyrically and musically alongside producer Gabe Simon.

The album opens with “Up All Night,” a collaboration featuring The Lumineers and Noah Kahan. The song [...]