The great majority of artists spend their formative years (if not their entire careers) working to shake off the gravitational pull of their predecessors, and the many masters and masterpieces that came before them—what the literary critic Harold Bloom called “the anxiety of influence.” For musicians, in particular, this tendency is especially pronounced, for reasons having to do with the nature of their craft and materials. Unlike the contemporary novelist or filmmaker, say, there is presumably a finite number of choices remaining to the artist making music in the 21st century that have not yet been exhaustively mined after 500 years of popular and semi-popular song. It is for this reason that, when we are asked to describe what a piece of music sounds like, we inevitably talk not about the thing itself, but resort to the trope of metaphor or analogy—“a little Brian Wilson, a little Pink Floyd, a little bit of Kraftwerk.” Rare indeed is the artist who outgrows their early influences, and instead become one of the markers by which other groups are measured. Almost alone among bands of the last two decades, Tortoise is a group that resists easy metaphors and analogies, who can be described as sounding like only themselves and no one else. Twenty years after its founding, the band’s signature and singularly inimitable sound—a fluid intersection of dub, dance, jazz, techno, rock, and classical minimalism, with no part overwhelming or dominating the whole—remains an American and international original. Even more unusually, they seem to have arrived at their sound with almost no apprenticeship to speak of; to judge from their early singles and albums alone, they seem to have come into being with their musical identity and DNA fully formed, like Athena from the forehead of Zeus. Further, while the group has spawned countless imitators, heirs, and followers—sincere, flattering, and otherwise—Tortoise remains unique in the world of contemporary music for their boundless intellectual curiosity, their unmistakable compositional voice, and their synthesis of seemingly contradictory sound worlds far from their doorstep.
Tortoise's new album is Beacons Of Ancestorship.

Interview at PopMatters

Grey Reverend, the pseudonym of solo acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter L.D. Brown. Possesses melancholy, muted vocals, modest stage demeanor and emotive finger-picking guitar style. Recently collaborating with such musical minds as Jason Swinscoe(of The Cinematic Orchestra), and Cynthia G. Mason(producing) this Brooklyn minimalist has been playing to a variety of crowds throughout the U.S, Canada, and Europe, including such venues as the Coachella Festival(2008), and the world famous Royal Albert Hall in London(with TCO). "Music lovers are music lovers.This is a performer I believe has the raw talent and internal emotions to be as equally affecting as the artists his music can readily be compared to. Mellow, honest and surprisingly optimistic for such a seemingly morose sound".RIYL:Mark Kozelek, Jose Gonzalez, Nick Drake, Sam Prekop, Elliot Smith........... Grey Reverend A Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, this guy will undoubtedly turn heads. He is a great, witty lyricist and a top finger picker. He writes subtle simple songs, but has an edge; there's nothing too clean or pretty. Jason Swinscoe (The Cinematic Orchestra)................... Grey Reverend, the moniker for singer-songwriter L.D. Brown, his unique blend of heart-wrenching folk ,armed with a very humble stage presence and a unique way of picking his guitar, Brown is a serious talent to be considered in the world of acoustic songwriters. Reminiscent of a certain musical icon by the name of Elliott Smith, Brown's chord progressions have the ability to uplift his otherwise sullen themes to a feeling of optimism. However, it is Brown's lyrics that will elevate him into a realm of truly great musicians. The songs are incredibly raw and honest, with Brown wearing his emotions on his guitar. His knack for being able to tell a story through his play on words is matched by his ability to place the necessary emphasis on certain words in order to maximize emotional impact. "After about an hour (including a well deserved encore), Grey Reverend left old and new fans begging for more while pondering the meaning of his thought-provoking lyrics. With song titles like "Altruistic Holiday" and "Begging to Borrow," a song that unfolds with the burning question "Isn't it something when we've got nothing left to say?" it is obvious that the good reverend has plenty to tell us. By David Terra of Beyond Race Magazine. 11/8/07"........