Scott Clark’s “Quiet Friend”
From a solo album by percussionist/composer Scott Clark: “Quiet Friend” begins and continues with long, warm waves of harmonica. Companion drums...
Now listening to...
Number Seven by Dos
Mike Watt and Kira Roessler’s project Dos scratches an itch I didn’t know I had. Two bass guitars with weird riffs...
Bloop’s “Enchantments”
Lina Allemano plays trumpet and Mike Smith does live processing of the sound. The effects are magical: multiplication, sound shadows, parallel...
Jonas Cambien Trio “Creationism”
Jonas Cambien Trio’s “Creationism” is like residue from “Pump up the Jam” discovered on a log or beside a pond. Sounds...
Thorpe’s art rock Love & Weather
Our editor Josh Thorpe has a band and it’s unusual songs with dissonance, consonance, and some pretty neat sounds. Love &...
Colin Clark’s “Grasslands”
Clark’s strangely tuned synthetic harmony might make you giddy. Colin Clark · Grasslands View this post on Instagram A post shared...
Unusual tuning in Ariana Grande’s “Make Up”
It’s unusual to hear deviations from standard tuning in popular music. Ariana Grande and her group do it so sweetly here....
Goat Girl
“Dance of Dirty Leftovers” by Goat Girl lays easygoing dissonant chords over a psychedelic swirl. Goat Girl by Goat Girl
An hour of Unusual on Clyde Built Radio
This inaugural radio show might be nice to listen to. I think I’ll do some more stuff like this…
James LeBaigue’s micromusic
LeBaigue’s strange pitch-shifty pop songs are one minute long and only available on his Instagram for now. View this post on...
Jennifer Castle’s Monarch Season
Monarch Season by Canadian songwriter Jennifer Castle is out on Toronto’s Idée Fixe Records. Check out “NYC” with heavy reverb on...
Deerhoof’s Future Teenage Cave Artists
Deerhoof’s new album on Joyful Noise Recordings is strange and ecstatic pop music. Unusual production, guitar sounds, lyrics, song structure… Deerhoof...
Blue Divers
An Australian experimental ambient group, with soft static, tape hiss, and sweet melodic murmurs. Blue Divers call to mind Jon Hassel...
Hotel Dilettante
Lol Coxhill & the George Burt & Raymond MacDonald Quintet with some lovely strange noises and dirty improvisation here. Also some...
Big Joanie
Unusual punk band from London, Big Joanie coming out soon on Kill Rock Stars. Nice cover of Solange’s “Cranes in the...
“Loveroom” by Frank Harris & Maria Marquez
Frank Harris and Maria Marquez’s “Loveroom” on Echoes (1985) is a slow dreamy pop song with shades of Sade. Available at...
Gavin Bryars’ “1, 2, 1-2-3-4”
Gavin Bryars “1, 2, 1-2-3-4,” part of Brian Eno’s Obscure Records project. Lounge music was never more unusual. Hear Bryars interview...
Thurston Moore’s By the Fire
The new album by Thurston Moore: long songs with unusual sounds, deep beats, and a bright, loving vibe. Band is Deb...
49 Americans “Involved in Local Chaos”
A bunch of experimental musicians do songs. Unusual songs.
“You” by Matmos
Matmos’s “You” on Marriage of True Minds. That doubled voice… The Marriage of True Minds by Matmos