Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star

She Hangs Brightly was the debut album from Mazzy Star, aka guitarist Dave Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval. Previously, with singer Kendra Smith, they were Opal, but she was replaced, and the (ugh, I hate this word) jailbait prettiness and sleepy drawl of Sandoval proved more marketable, it seems. Released in 1990, essentially the duoContinue reading “Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star”

Not Gilding The Lily

Ever since its unexpected release around Halloween, West End Girl by Lily Allen has had people talking. Inevitable comparisons to Beyonce’s Lemonade have been made, but for me it’s more akin to Joni Mitchell ‘s Blue or Bjork’s Vulnicura. It hurts, and it seems apposite to close the year with this album as a contrastContinue reading “Not Gilding The Lily”