I don't want to be thought of as all new-age-y or anything. Cuz Im not. But I like this Rachel Grimes record quite a bit. The pacing is really good and there is some interesting dissonances that kinda get me in the spine. And some of the rhythms and, separately, generous use of the sustain pedal remind me of a couple of my favorite tracks of Systems/Layers (not that just-ok one with the ride cymbal that was used a lot of places including in that boo-hoo montage in that awful Will Smith drunk super hero movie that I wish I could scratch from my memory! Why?!)

This is just one of the good tunes on a good record that I listen to sometimes at low volumes because I don't want others to think of me as all new-age-y because I am listening to a record of "pretty" solo piano with birds chirping in the background (on some of the middle tracks, Why?!) that is called Book of Leaves.

Patrick Higgins / live performance / Chicago / April 2013 from Robert Greenwood on Vimeo.

Self-conscious referencing of modern cultural ephemera and meme is all the rage these days. (ha!) Elbow nudging abounds and sometimes you get a nice celebration/critique of the current if you have the patience to decode it. I am not sure how Karmelloz, recently posted to TMT's Chocolate Grinder, measures up but it is good listening. The extended track with police beat awash in delay is particularly evocative, especially with the craziness in Ferguson.

I have been into Animal Collective for a long time now. Not Sung Tongs long or "Grass" long but for a few years. (I did like them before Merriweather. Because that matters.) So this list of AnCo influences published by SPIN is really fascinating as well intimidating in its scope and frightening in its content.