Leor Galil, Reader staff writer
Cross Record, Be Good Once the snow finally started falling this winter, I had the sudden desire to throw on this LP by former Chicagoan Emily Cross. These enchanting, occasionally foreboding folk and drone tracks evoke what’s magical about a cold winter night, and since the season has only just started, I figure they’ll be a good way to keep my spirits high through the low temperatures.
Jaime Black, Dynasty Podcasts founder and host
Wrongchilde, Gold Blooded Last fall, Kill Hannah front man Mat Devine released his solo debut as Wrongchilde. For longtime fans who miss the shoegaze-infused days of early Kill Hannah, Gold Blooded is a welcome return to the dramatic singer’s atmospheric and synth-driven sensibilities. Gone are the muscular modern-rock riffs of latter-day KH, replaced by a desperate, despairing cover of “Love Is a Battlefield” and a sensitive duet with Gerard Way. Early track “Call Me Crash” offers a bit of life, while closing cut “Slow” is a hopeless story about freezing, drowning, and dying in the road. So basically, it’s Mat Devine at his most Mat Devine. Gold Blooded is the album equivalent of hoodie weather.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Naturally I was 14 and in Brooklyn for the summer when I heard about a Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings concert happening in a nearby park. It remains the best live show I’ve ever seen. Their entire discography is in my regular rotation, but the 2005 full-length Naturally is what I’ve been jamming to lately. “How Do I Let a Good Man Down” is my go-to sing-along.
