An Introduction to Tropicália
Few musical scenes have ever burned as briefly, brightly, or brilliantly as Brazil’s Tropicalismo movement. Essentially emerging in March of 1968Read More…
Author: Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan founded Strange Currencies Music in January 2020, and remains the site's editor-in-chief. The creator of the "A Century of Song" project and co-host of the "Strange Currencies Podcast," Matt enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has a particular affinity for 60s pop, 90s indie rock, and post-bop jazz. He is an avid collector of vinyl, and a multi-instrumentalist who has played/recorded with several different bands and projects.
Os Mutantes – Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes Os Mutantes Polydor – 1968 Rating: 9.8 Os Mutantes’ debut album is a psychedelic masterstroke – a record undoubtedlRead More…
Welcome to Brazil Month
Few nations celebrate as rich of a musical heritage as Brazil. Whether found in traditional folk stylings, samba, bossa nova, MPB, or the wild soRead More…
An Introduction to Blaxploitation Soundtracks
On the last day of March 1971, a film with little precedent was released in two American theaters: one in Detroit, and one in Atlanta. Written, dRead More…
Duke Ellington – Anatomy of a Murder
Duke Ellington Anatomy of a Murder Columbia – 1959 Rating: 8.3 Duke Ellington’s first foray into composing for film yielded a memorRead More…
Antônio Carlos Jobim & Luiz Bonfá – Black Orpheus
Antônio Carlos Jobim & Luiz Bonfá Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) Epic – 1959 Rating: 9.2 The soundtrack to Marcel Camus’ surprisRead More…
In the Wilderness: Harry Nilsson, 1966-1971
In the Wilderness is a feature in which a group of Strange Currencies contributors examine an overlooked or under-appreciated period of an artisRead More…
On Rejuvenation, Community, and Album Ratings
I registered the domain for Strange Currencies in the final minutes of December 31, 2019. It was on that same date that officials in Wuhan first Read More…
Welcome to Soundtrack Month
Summer is the season of blockbusters. For those of us at Strange Currencies, that makes it the perfect time for “Soundtrack Month.” All throuRead More…
An Introduction to Space Age Pop
It’s the mid-twentieth century, and America is locked in an existential Cold War with the Soviet Union. At the center of this conflict of superpoRead More…