Best New Music Winter 2025
Shostakovich, JPEGMAFIA, El Kanka, and more
I’m pretty distracted by everything else happening in the world right now, so here’s a somewhat shortened best new music post:
Very pretty and vibey tune from keyboard god Cory Henry
The Boston Symphony Orchestra recently recorded Shostakovich’s genius opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District (it was so cool that Stalin walked out of a performance and subsequently condemned Shostakovich) and his piano concertos (performed by Yuja Wang, an extremely good and extremely stylish pianist). They were released in a humongous album along with the orchestra’s past recordings of all 15 of Shosty’s symphonies, which you should also listen to if you have a spare 10 hours. If you’re more pressed for time, start with his eleventh or seventh (my favourites). While you’re at it, check out Wang playing Prokofiev’s seventh piano sonata:
I was a huge fan of Braxton Cooks’s Tiny Desk. He also has a new album out which I haven’t listened to yet.
When you wake up in the morning and read the news (usually it’s along the lines of “Trump declared himself dictator for life” or “NATO threatens to firebomb Saint Petersburg”), the only reasonable thing you can do is throw back mug after mug of coffee and listen to JPEGMAFIA. This album is the only thing keeping me sane.
The mind-bogglingly good CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso Tiny Desk Concert just got released as an album along with new songs, including one called #TETAS. This is basically the best news I’ve received in months!
Westside Gunn is my favourite contemporary rapper.
Jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel has been doing this thing where he records classic Brahms pieces with other jazz musicians, and then they improvise over the changes. Not surprisingly, it’s very good. Also see their version of Intermezzo, Opus 18, No. 2.
Marquis Hill released three pretty songs that are worth checking out.
I’m a big fan of Pat Metheny’s new, very long album! In particular, I like San Lorenzo and his classic Bright Size Life. My favourite Metheny album is the one he did with Charlie Haden in 1997, Beyond the Missouri Sky.
Las Canciones is a beautiful album of acoustic folk-ish songs by Spanish artist El Kanka. It’s a bit reminiscent of Rita Payés’s work, which I’ve lauded in the past. The lyrics are very cute. Here’s a section from Querría:
si yo pudiera (if I could) si me dejaras (if you let me) si me atreviera (if I dared) si el cielo hablara (if the sky spoke) te diría que pierdo las ganas de odiar (I’d tell you that I lose the will to hate) si acomodo mis pasos a tu caminar (if I match my steps to yours) y que el mundo contigo se ve menos enfermo (and that the world with you looks less sick) que ya es primavera en el Corte Inglés (that it's already spring in Corte Inglés) que he pedido una caña y me han puesto tres (that I ordered one beer and they gave me three) que va a ser que se ha puesto de moda el amor otra vez (that maybe love is back in style again)
Paavo Järvi recorded a splendid Mahler 5 with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. The first four notes of Mahler’s 5th are almost as iconic as the first four of Beethoven’s 5th IMHO. And obviously, the adagietto is incredible. All cards on the table, Mahler is the only great symphonist who I don’t really “get.”1 He tends to put me asleep—but this album is wonderful.
Have you seen the video of the dogs who hate Mahler 5? I watch this every once in a while just for fun:
Superbly wacky and sincere. Brazilian classcial guiatarist Yamandu Costa (whose specialty is the seven-stringed guitar) recorded this album with the Orquestra Assintomática (the “asymptomatic” orchestra). I really don’t know how to describe it. If you like jazz, classical music, Brazilian music, or any other kind of cool genre, you’ll love it. It almost sounds klezmer at certain points, like in Amar Amar Amar. Here’s a video them doing Suíte Ameríndia:
Speaking of Brazilian music, I’m obsessed with Thácio Cândido, who will join Roland Dyens or Julian Lage as my guitar heros. Technically I’m not allowed to plug his new album until next season according to the founding edicts of Theo’s Take, since it dropped in mid-April, but I’ll do it anyway. Also check out his YouTube channel.
March 21st marked Bach’s 340th birthday, which we shall celebrate by enjoying Yasunori Imamura’s gorgeous interpretation of his first, fourth, and fifth cello suites on theorbo.
Pretty piece from a recent set by transcendental jazz saxophonist Chris Potter at the Village Vanguard
Also I can’t stand Schumann.