A Reader staffer shares three musical obsessions, then asks someone (who asks someone else) to take a turn.
The Trap Set podcast I’ve been obsessed with The Trap Set podcast lately—it’s not just for drummers, it’s also by drummers. Host Joe Wong interviews some of the best percussionists of the past and present about their personal stories and spiritual and emotional connections to the drum set, rather than geeking out over gear, techniques, or chops. Recent guests have included serious hitters Todd Trainer, Mac McNeilly, Greg Fox, and Mario Rubalcaba, and each episode clocks in at about 30 minutes—you could easily listen to a dozen or so during a regular workday, if you feel so inclined.
Astronoid, Air Metal is built on brutality, but forward-looking artists have unlocked its ethereal, cathartic potential, often by hybridizing with other genres (screamo for Deafheaven, for instance, or shoegaze for Alcest). Air, the full-length debut by Boston’s Astronoid, is a rare exception—it eschews minor-key brooding and screamed vocals in favor of majestic major keys and soaring melodies, but it never feels like a hybrid (the solo in “Up and Atom” has heavy metal in its DNA). Major keys and clean singing can sound cheesy in metal, but Air is sublime and ferociously catchy.
Late-70s and mid-80s rap and hip-hop The combo of analog synthesizers, vintage drum machines, and vocoders sounds incredible to me. Finding records by the World Class Wreckin Cru, Egyptian Lover, and Twilight 22 has kick-started an obsession. I love DJing, I love dancing, and I love DJing for people who love dancing. The technical innovation, dance styles, and fashion of this era are pure joy.
