Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 05/10/2026stereogum.com/2512380/don-...stereogum.comDon Caballero Return, Just In Time For Math-Rock's Spotlight MomentThe band has a busy 2027 in store. 1249
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 18/09/2026www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/a...nytimes.com‘Spiritual Jazz’ Has Turned Cozy. John Coltrane Demanded More.The term has lately become synonymous with sonic serenity (and chic merch). But the saxophone great challenged listeners with radical honesty. 52810
Reposted by Hank ShteamerNed Raggett @nedraggett.bsky.social · 16/07/2026It's #Shfl newsletter time! Check out @darkforcesswing.bsky.social on math rock, #JoshuaLevine on proto-punk, #ChrisCatchpole on Conny Plank and reviews from Chris, #RickAnderson and #MeganIacobiniDiFazio, as well as the Robert Hampson piece of mine I mentioned earlier -- and some reviews too! (1/4)news.theshfl.comNew on Shfl, July 2026Hank Shteamer on Math Rock, Chris Catchpole on Conny Plank, Ned Raggett on Robert Hampson, Joshua Levine on Proto-Punk, plus a stack of new recommendations 162
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 19/06/2026Twenty years ago, Warning released the saddest metal album of all time. Their new follow-up is subtler and more patient but every bit as powerful: open.substack.com/pub/darkforc...open.substack.comA Patient Infusion: The Quietly Momentous Return of WarningAfter 20 years, master songwriter Patrick Walker follows up a cult doom-metal classic. The results are more patient but no less seismic 030
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026Fair! But on the other hand, both Bon and Ozzy were w/ those bands for a decade or less; Neil had 40 years 000
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026Yeah, and as iconic and essential as Charlie is, Neil’s place in the drumming pantheon is kind of on a different plane, maybe rivaled only by Bonham, no? 000
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026All huge deals, no question! And Keith is probably the closest comparison. But none of them was replacing a member as iconic as Neil Peart, IMO, whose legacy was built across 40 years. (Just to compare, Keith was in the Who for 14 years.) 010
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026Yeah, and I also think that the uniqueness of Neil and the magnitude of his legacy (built over 40 years!) makes his case sort of incomparable to almost anyone 000
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026The Keith thing is def a big deal, and maybe the closest comparison! 000
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026A big deal, surely! But only for a few shows, and with all due respect to Brian, I don't think he's as iconic in the pantheon of singers as Neil is in the pantheon of drummers. 100
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026Welcome to other nominations here but I can't think of any other scenario that rivals this! 530
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026Zeppelin very deliberately did not attempt to find a long-term replacement for Bonham, etc. And all the other major examples I can think of are certainly a big deal (Brian Johnson for Bon Scott, say) but not really even remotely comparable to stepping in for Neil. 230
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/06/2026Been thinking more about the current Rush tour (shocker!) and I'm wondering out loud: Has there ever been a more momentous band-member swap in rock history? I'd argue no. I honestly don't believe that anyone has ever subbed in for a player as iconic and beloved as Neil Peart. 260
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 08/06/2026Had a blast with one of my oldest pals (and the guy who turned me on to Rush ~35 years ago) at the Rush tour kickoff: darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/a-garden-t...darkforcesswing.substack.com'A Garden to Nurture and Protect': Brotherhood and Gratitude at Rush's Tour KickoffSitting in for an irreplaceable icon, Anika Nilles set out to make Rush's music "feel right for the fans." On Sunday night, she helped to make that dream come true. 072
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 29/05/2026Haha, man… I’ve been saying similar for a few years. They just sound so over-treated and defanged. The thing is, I really like the performances and energy on, say, Dark Matter and some others. But yeah, for such a rock zealot, I don’t get why he seems dead-set on draining all the life out of the kit 110
Reposted by Hank Shteamerjeff @jazyjef.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Campaign video for the Sonny Rollins Bridge Please share the video Please sign the petition: www.change.org/p/rename-the... Tag #SonnyRollinsBridge youtu.be/9fo-Lz7lJJw?...youtu.beSonny Rollins BridgeYouTube video by Sonny Rollins Bridge 36026
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 26/05/2026No one album (or 12 or 100!) could ever sum up his greatness but here are some starting points as we begin to take stock of this incalculable loss: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/a...nytimes.comSonny Rollins: 12 Essential Albums 0303
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 23/05/2026Now we’re talkin’! Have caught all of those but the mighty Immortal 🙏 020
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 16/05/2026A truly diabolical drum passage! Builds so much tension 000
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Thank you for everything, Caryn! Excited for your next chapter 030
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Haha, I enjoyed this one but I don’t really disagree with much of the above. It never *actually goes anywhere 😅 100
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/05/2026A few thoughts on my surreal visit with Rush in Toronto: open.substack.com/pub/darkforc...open.substack.com"A Good Word to Hear": My Surreal Visit With RushAs I told Geddy Lee himself, "That was f--king mindblowing" 081
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/05/2026cheers, brother! We need to debrief about all this at some point : ) 010
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 06/05/2026PSA if anyone is in need: Some friends are subletting a room in Brooklyn for the summer (through early fall). Amazing apt/location. Pls fwd to anyone who might be interested newyork.craigslist.org/brk/sub/d/br...newyork.craigslist.orgSeeking subletter for room in beautiful Prospect Heights apt Jun-Oct - sublets & temporary - apartment sublet rent -...Enjoy Brooklyn in an ideal summer apartment with a huge deck. We are looking for a third roommate who would love to spend all or part of the season with us. This is the best apartment in Brooklyn —... 000
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Paid a visit to Toronto in March: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/30/a...nytimes.comRush Lost Its Beloved Drummer. The Band Is Ready to Get Back on the Road. 1101
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 26/04/2026Watch 30 glorious minutes of John Carter and Bobby Bradford dueting and conversing c. 1980 open.substack.com/pub/darkforc...open.substack.comAll Fair Game: Listen to John Carter and Bobby Bradford in DuetA 1980 mini doc provides an up-close look at this remarkable and unclassifiable tandem in action 0134
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 13/04/2026When I asked Melvin Gibbs's collaborators to describe him as a player and a thinker, they reached for poetic comparisons drawing from science, nature and myth open.substack.com/pub/darkforc...open.substack.comWorking With Melvin Gibbs Is Like 'Playing With an Aurora'And other takeaways from the reporting of my new Times feature on the bassist's essential new book, 'How Black Music Took Over the World' 0133
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 08/04/2026Spoke to @melvingibbs.bsky.social about the inspirations for /ramifications of his revelatory new book: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/a...nytimes.comHow Did Black Music Take Over the World? Let Melvin Gibbs Explain. 0174
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 16/02/2026New weekly jazz listings post is live now. Follow JGI New York and stay tuned! www.instagram.com/p/DU08kRogMz...instagram.comInstagramCreate an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you. 000
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 03/02/2026In 2008, I got to sit down w/ Walter Becker to discuss his then-new solo album, a bunch of Steely Dan odds and ends, and a lot more for Time Out NY. Big thanks to the venerable Expanding Dan Substack for posting the full audio of the chat: expandingdan.substack.com/p/walter-bec...expandingdan.substack.comWalter Becker lets the mask slip"There is a level of perfection that Donald wants to hear in his music that I ran out of patience to do," Becker says in a candid, never-before-heard interview from 2008. 070
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 21/01/2026Hi Alex -- sorry to contact you on this thread, but I'm not able to send you a private message. Can you drop me a DM here or on Instagram (@darkforcesswing)? This is related to Cleve Pozar, who I believe was our mutual friend. Thanks! 010
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 19/01/2026Ralph Towner and Sunn O))) are polar guitar opposites: the respective epitomes of acoustic intimacy and amplified sonic weight. But where it counts, maybe they’re some strange sort of kindred. darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/ralph-town...darkforcesswing.substack.comRalph Towner and Sunn O))): Kindred extremesAcoustic intimacy and amplified sonic weight — superficially opposing but spiritually aligned visions of guitar-as-higher-purpose 2152
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 17/01/2026Agree that ppl did not seem as excited about it as they ought to have been! Denison’s playing alone is some of the best rock guitar in recent memory. It’s unquestionably better than Blue IMO and probably better than Shot too. 020
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 13/01/2026Had a great time talking with the Sunn O))) guys (and friends) about Seattle lore, recording in the forest and stacking up 180 tracks of guitars: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/a...nytimes.com130 Tracks of Guitar Per Song? Sunn O))) Is Back, and Going Big. 2208
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 29/12/2025I saw more than 100 live shows this year. Here's a rundown of the 25 most memorable ones: darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/best-of-20...darkforcesswing.substack.comBest of 2025: 25 greatest gigsThe live music that made my year 040
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 28/12/2025A few words on my favorite reissues and historical releases of the year: darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/best-of-20...darkforcesswing.substack.comBest of 2025: New old musicReissues and historical titles ranging from adventurous jazz to progressive punk 020
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 24/12/2025Here are my 10 favorite albums of 2025, with a few words on why that's the case: darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/best-of-20...darkforcesswing.substack.comBest of 2025: Overall top 10The new releases that defined my year in listening 010
Hank Shteamer @darkforcesswing.bsky.social · 09/12/2025Extended 2025 jazz list, with 25 additional favorites from the year beyond the top 10: darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/best-of-20...darkforcesswing.substack.comBest of 2025: Jazz (on record)The annual top 10 list, plus a bunch more I dug 1202
