Composer, instrumentalist and vocalist Natalie Rose LeBrecht has released a handful of records in the 21st century, first as Greenpot Bluepot, then under her own name. Holy Prana Open Game is her latest, a striking blend of spiritual experimentalism and ethereal song form that coheres into meditative avant-pop with depth and edge. Fans of psychedelia, Minimalism, the cosmic outer reaches of New Age and even good ol’ dream pop should take note. Featuring contributions from guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White of Dirty Three plus LeBrecht’s regular collaborator David Lackner on woodwinds, ewi, and additional synth, the album is out June 9 on vinyl and digital via American Dreams.
As revealed in Holy Prana Open Game’s nifty short accompanying essay by Douglas Wolk, the origins of LeBrecht’s latest album (by my count her third under her own name) was a 14-day practice of silent meditation she undertook in her music room in 2019. Upon soaking up the record’s six tracks, the roots of the recording shine through with clarity but with a broad range of styles rather than merely locking into floating ambient tranquility.
The Brooklyn-based LeBrecht has studied with the great drone pioneers of Just Intonation La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela, and has additionally assisted them at their sound-and-light installation the Dream House in NYC, so her handle on substantive drift is solid, but she’s also a writer of robust songs, and while she’s obviously comfortable with collaboration, the contributions to LeBrecht’s latest were executed remotely in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.
Without being told, I never would’ve guessed this was a pandemic album, as Holy Prana Open Game offers a surplus of enveloping warmth. Opener “Home” comes on like Terry Riley and very quickly LeBrecht’s vocals emerge, reframing the piece as a combination of dream pop and the devotional music of Alice Coltrane, at least until the tide shifts again toward the darkly psychedelic.
Bengaluru, IN | Bengaluru’s Record Room Launches Label, Set for Vinyl Launch of Indian Indie Compilation: Artists like Peter Cat Recording Co., The F16s, Easy Wanderlings, RANJ x Clifr x Issamood, Ditty and Lojal are among 10 acts featured on the LP, which has been in the works since 2021. When he was about 10 years old, Manipur-origin, Goa-based artist Lojal aka Martin Haokip discovered vinyl records in his mother’s old room. It was only a decade later that Lojal would hear music on an LP record player. “The idea of a vintage and worn-out technique or technology still captivating the ears and spiritual responses of a listener in today’s fast, compact, digital and modern world is captivating at the least,” he says. Lojal is among 10 other Indian independent artists featuring on vinyl in 2023, courtesy of craft beer and vinyl bar Record Room in Bengaluru. The space is launching Record Room Volume 1 – the first collection of 10 songs pressed on an LP – on June 11th. It also marks the start of 
Brisbane, AU | Brisbane Scores New Vinyl Listening Bar ‘Ruby, My Dear.’ Ruby, My Dear is a “true haven for music lovers.” Brisbane has scored the spectacular new vinyl listening bar, Ruby, My Dear, and it’s now open. Hosting regular Guest DJs, Ruby, My Dear also presents delicious meals including vegetable dumplings, deep-fried Agedashi tofu, seared Bonito tuna, Berkshire pork collar with caramelised mandarin miso and green chilli nashi, and much more. Also on the menu: an abundance of cocktails, including a good old Espresso Martini, the Yardbird, Honey Hiball, and Hard Boiled Wonderland, as well as beer on tap and a selection of wines. Ruby, My Dear officially opened on Thursday, 13 April. In a Broadsheet wrap-up, the publication revealed that the venue hosts DJs four nights a week, from Thursday to Sunday. In addition to the regular DJ spots, Ruby, My Dear will also have 
Philadelphia, PA | Latchkey celebrates anniversary with tunes and treats: If you haven’t made it out to Latchkey, the vintage and vinyl boasting East Passyunk hotspot, this weekend holds the perfect opportunity to check it out. On Saturday, June 10, from noon to 6 p.m., Latchkey is throwing their First Anniversary Karaoke Blowout, which will be packed full of refreshments (from Otto Distilling Co. starting at 3 p.m.), games, prizes and the main event of karaoke, hosted by DJ Pat Pharari. Those who pipe out the best performances also will have a chance to win $20 Latchkey gift cards. Then, Philadelphians are also invited to join in on an afterparty celebration called the “Afterparty Like It’s 1999.” The ticketed 90s-themed bash will kick off at 7 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. and will feature more karaoke, burlesque and drag performances, a best-dressed contest, complimentary cocktails and light bites, 
Manchester, TN | Upcoming vinyl album sale to benefit Historical Society: From classic rock staples by Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles to the folk stylings of Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, more than 300 vintage vinyl albums will be available for purchase during the Manchester Community Market Saturday, June 10. The albums are being sold by The Coffee County Historical Society. “The albums were donated by Button Dale and she was one of the founders of the museum,” Historical Society volunteer Bonnie Gamble said. …While a collection of vinyl albums was started for the Coffee County Historical Society Museum, located in the historic Coffee County Courthouse on the Manchester town square, the museum is trying to refocus its collection on items more directly related to Manchester and Coffee County. “She started the collection of the albums, but at this point, now that we have so many items we need to 
It might read as if I’m being unnecessarily hard on music that’s infused with Eastern spiritual-philosophical qualities. Twenty years ago, that would’ve been true, and I’d probably have expressed matters much more harshly (and with less maturity), but in the ever-loving now I’m merely riffing on Sturgeon’s Law (and that’s not to suggest Ted’s maxim is the gospel truth).
San Francisco, CA | Vinyl Dreams celebrates 10 years in the business of beats: Dance music shop to host four days of free DJ sets on Haight Street. 10 years ago this week, Michelangelo “Mike Bee” Battaglia softly opened Vinyl Dreams at 593 Haight Street. The below-ground storefront previously held two other dance music-centric stores: Black Pancake Records and Tweekin Records. Vinyl Dreams is still hanging on, an achievement made all the more incredible by the fact that former Amoeba Music electronic genres buyer Battaglia’s curation doesn’t include anything you’ll find on the pop charts. Instead, you’ll find dividers for super-specialized slices of boundary-pushing electronic music. Not just house or techno but, for instance Balearic, a more fluid and chilled-out style of dance beats that gets its name from the Balearic Island of Ibiza. Vinyl Dreams hearkens back to an era when there was 
The Stars of Record Store Day—Who Sells the Most Records? Record Store Day 2023 has become the most successful since its creation in 2007. We look at some revealing data—like how few vinyl record buyers own a record player—and the biggest stars of Record Store Day 2023. For those who don’t have their finger on the pulse of the record industry, Record Store Day might sound like a madcap attempt to drum up enthusiasm for a niche resurgence in the physical format—even among some who appreciate the younger generation’s seeming interest in vinyl alongside the diehard enthusiasts. Conceived in 2007 as a way to celebrate the fun and diverse culture surrounding independent record stores and the communities they serve, Record Store Day has also become a way to encourage and celebrate the unique culture of the physical music format space in an industry dominated by streaming. But naysayers to the sheer volume that Record Store Day is capable of moving need look no further than the Luminate data revealed following Record Store Day 2023 to see the value in the promotion and to recognize that it’s more than just a nod to 
