Portrait of Daniel Hanson aka Fast Preacher

Fast Preacher (for Figure It Out, out now) – ITW #27

Glamorous enlightened people of all kinds, rejoice! Daniel Hanson and his Fast Preacher project just released Figure It Out, or in other words, what you dreamed of hearing after typing “alternative” on your favorite search engine.

Remember TALsounds, Stuck and NIIKA? As demonstrated on Slow Culture more than once, Chicago is currently overflowing with inspirational musical power. Figure It Out, Fast Preacher’s latest release is no exception, and was in fact the missing spice to our recent cultural wonderments.

The album is out now (link to the project’s Bandcamp at the end of the article), and multiple music players will give you a taste of Daniel’s songwriting all along the interview.

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Interview of drummer Dan Drohan by Marc Louis-Boyard for Slow Culture - Picture by Emile Bertherat

Dan Drohan (for You’re a Crusher / drocan! out on June 26) – ITW #26

On June 26, drummer Dan Drohan releases You’re a Crusher / drocan!, his not-so-solo project in the form of a double album.

This forthcoming album is the kind of creative work made to be enjoyed from A to Z without interruption. Not because the tracks are inaccessible, but because tasting them one by one would remove the true value of experiencing Dan’s music.

The music itself and the way it unfolds is unexpected, protean, highly energetic and yet delicate, definitely measured. Yes, pun intended.

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Leni Stern (‘4’ album, out June 19th) – ITW #25

Legendary guitarist Leni Stern releases her forthcoming album ‘4’  on June 19th. ‘4’ is an album recorded with three other musicians and featuring an appearance of her husband Mike Stern.

As our readers know, we love jazz! Beyond our love for this genre, this album and this interview demonstrate once again Leni Stern’s intercultural intelligence and musical thoughtfulness.

Find our two favorite songs off ‘4’ in this article, plus a video of Leni and Mike playing together.

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Intrerview of Sam Reese by Marc Louis-Boyard, picture by Alexandra Kingston-Reese

Sam Reese (author of Come The Tide) – ITW #24

Sam Reese and his book Come The Tide (Platypus Press) made an excellent impression on our sensibility a few weeks ago, and we couldn’t leave things at a stalemate.

In this interview, guests Ornette Coleman and Silvia Plath enrich Sam’s thoughtful reflections and unusual takes on the pleasure of writing and on the writer’s many duties.

All pictures courtesy of Alexandra Kingston Reese.

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Interview of Mr. Husband by Marc Louis-Boyard for their album Songs of Friendship, Songs of Wonderment.jpg

Mr. Husband (Songs of Friendship, Songs of Wonderment, out now) – ITW #23

Mr. Husband is the creative project of Kenny Tompkins, a Maryland-based doer who seems to have only his nurtured curiosity as limit. The album Songs of Friendship, Songs of Wonderment is out now on Yellow K Records.

If you happen to be a Slow Culture follower (and we already called the cops if you’re not), you might have listened to the band already. Still, for us that wasn’t enough considering the rich personality and the determination of Kenny.

This is our interview.

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Book review of The Friendship Cure by Marc Louis-Boyard

Kate Leaver, The Friendship Cure – BOOK REVIEW #11

The Friendship Cure is the result of astonishing and comprehensive research led by journalist Kate Leaver. An ambitious project now organized and cemented for everyone’s pleasure.

A few days ago, Paper Sparrows taught us about family and its many dynamics. This week, The Friendship Cure enlightens us on the notion of friendship and its many faces, even the most unexpected and obscure.

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