What Are You Reading? What Are You Spinning?

A special review-packed Sunday Sip, plus upcoming events, news, Substack restacks, and more!

I’ve been a slacker the last few weeks in terms of sharing with you my thoughts on things I’ve been listening to and reading. Pressed for time, I’ve opted to share my thoughts and experiences from the past week instead. Well, this week, I’m turning the tables and making this Sunday Sip more about the work of others and less about what notions are rattling around inside my head.

With that comes a confession. I find writing music and book reviews hard. To me, a good review conveys how the review writer was impacted by the music or the novel, while also sharing a bit of the storyline (in the case of a book) or who the band is and where a particular recording sits within their catalog. Both types of reviews (books vs. albums) are difficult for me to write.

Part of the problem is word choice. How do you convey your feelings, particularly in a music review, without using the same old fucking clichés over and over, such as “killer riffs,” “gorgeous melody,” “battering drums,” etc? I want to share what I’m hearing with a rich vocabulary, and that can sometimes just plain wear me out!

Book reviews challenge me in that I don’t see myself as a book reviewer. I like to share what I’m reading, but what’s the best way to convey the essence of the story without giving it all away? Again, word choice becomes a challenge.

In the end, writing reviews takes a lot more effort for me than a personal essay. When pressed for time, they fall by the wayside.

All that said, I still feel it is important to share the art of others, and so this Sunday Sip is dedicated to reviews. Hope that is cool with you.

Feral Geometry by Kat Steih and the Ferals

With Feral Geometry, Kat Steih and the Ferals have crafted a hugely intriguing album that truly transcends genres and shows the band developing into a progressive powerhouse. Featuring four songs (technically an EP), this new release is scheduled to drop on November 5th. Just in time to blow away the leaden clouds and fire up your synapses.

I first encountered Kat Steih and the Ferals in 2023 at Fuzz Fest 8. At this time, they were interesting, but hadn’t truly developed into the oddly angular and fascinating musical creature they would become. Fast forward to Fuzz Fest 10, and you start to see the band hitting their stride sonically. When I saw them once again this year at Fuzz Fest 11, they were at the top of their game, and this recording is proof.

Feral Geometry kicks off with the power punk rocker “Christopher.” During Fuzz Fest 11, Kat (vocals) mentioned The Sopranos inspired this tune. When you have that nugget in your brain, all you can envision is Christopher Moltisanti spinning out on heroin, daydreaming about being a screenwriter, and haunted by those he has murdered. Strangely, and again fittingly, the tune is very upbeat, which provides a satisfying juxtaposition to the lyrical theme. Bob Zammit’s drums are crisp and tight, with the snare punching through to propel the song forward. The bass work of Marlo Williams serves the greater good of the song while engaging with low-end dynamics. A tasty guitar solo from Alex Anest highlights his melodic sensibilities, adding a touch of flair without becoming overbearing.

The upbeat mood downshifts into dark and doomy riffs on “Prison Below.” The guitars growl with controlled distortion, giving this a blackened edge. The drums and bass offer great rhythmic counterpoint, amplifying the tension. There is a sense of lurking evil translated through the sustained vocal notes and eerie call-and-response. A devilish Phrygian solo compounds the doomy metal vibes.

My favorite track is called “IO.” It begins with echoed single-note guitar that stirs notions of mystery until the drum and bass enter the scene. Now the syncopated rhythm lets the guitar take flight through absolutely lovely arpeggios and chords. The insistent bass weaves a marvelous tapestry rooted in the drums. There is a baroque character to the music as the vocals come with subtle grace. What makes this song fantastic is this layering and swirling of melody and harmony. It feels exotic and dreamy.

Toward the bridge in “IO,” a delightful choral vocal arrangement punctuated by demanding drum beats gives way to celestial beauty crafted by splashing cymbals and guitar arpeggios. It ends with the tension dialed up thanks to suspended chords and an angular guitar solo.

The last track on Feral Geometry is “I’m So Dead.” It is a song with two faces. Longing vocals and somber guitar flow freely with the feel of an Irish air. This delicate dance continues until the lyrical content twists darkly inward. On cue, the music heightens the tension with a driving beat and inscrutable melodic arrangement, giving this song an anxious atmosphere. This feeling continues to build until sonic dissonance sends you crashing into the wall.

Prosthetic Memories by Coyote Man

So I’ve probably said this before, but I absolutely love Coyote Man. This three-piece progressive metal band from Chicago creates music I find jaw-droppingly stunning. If you aren’t familiar with Coyote Man, they are Augie Portugal (guitar/keys), Ian Wheeler (drums/percussion), and Rene Rodriguez (bass). At their core, their compositions feel like soundtracks. I can envision any number of sci-fi, action, or extreme sport scenes that scream to be set to the music of Coyote Man. Their latest album, Prosthetic Memories, is one of the best I’ve heard this year and sees the band continuing to craft sweeping instrumental vistas.

While you can certainly listen to this album digitally via Bandcamp or whatever you prefer for streaming, I have to urge you to buy the vinyl album. The songs seamlessly flow across each side of the album demarcated by brief interludes. To me, this provides a peak listening experience.

Side A of Prosthetic Memories begins with “Coping Mechanism.” An oscillating and repetitive synth or guitar acts as a warning before a jackhammering snare drum merges with guitar and bass to deliver a battering ram. The song morphs into a hallucinatory riff where the pacing remains brisk thanks to compelling drums. As if sensing the relentless drive, the song opens up with wide intervals before closing with an ethereal chant that acts as a gateway to the next track called “War Hatchet.”

While still a vigorous and impelling tune, the scenery within “War Hatchet” has a valiant or heroic feel. The drums once again push you on and on, not allowing for rest. The guitars and bass use layered harmonies and the rhythmic pulse to conjure visions of battles at sea or upon the open plain.

“Zealotry” brings to mind the whirling miasma of an angry machine. The charging bass, the throbbing menace in the guitars, and primal drums move this song with authority. Droning synth notes add cohesion and keep the threat within the music real. This tune deals in threats and dreadful consequences.

Forest sounds give way to thrumming bass chords and esoteric chorused guitars that float along primeval drums as we begin “Interpreting Dreams.” As with other tunes on this album, the mood shifts. This time we are inundated by a tumult of drums and aggressive riffs. Despite the transition, the feeling of dreaming, instigated by the title and complemented by the musical composition, is maintained throughout the song. This is a grand and epic illusionary song to close out side A of the album.

On “Holographic Heirloom,” tremulous guitars ripple across a distant sonic shore as we dive into side B of Prosthetic Memories. The pacing suggests vast open space or the passage of galactic timescales. This track could definitely work as part of the soundtrack to movies such as Dune or Interstellar.

There is a strong vibe to “Inadequate” that pulls toward songs by A Perfect Circle. The emotive guitars suggest questioning loss. This sense of introspection doesn’t last long before we are hurtled along at breakneck speeds. It feels like being caught in a torrent of water, then briefly released into a pool before being shuttled down another rapid. This undulation, perhaps suggested by the song’s title, seems to refer to the phenomenon known as imposter syndrome, where one minute you are confident and the next unsure whether what you create matters at all.

The final track on Prosthetic Memories is called “Faith In A Burning Room.” It is a departure from Coyote Man’s instrumental compositions with the addition of guest vocals by Chris Pacific. The restless melancholy and angst within the music are brilliantly reflected in the vocals. It makes for a song that is both bleak and pleading.

The Story Of Birds by Stephen L. Brusatte

One of the best books that I’ve read this year is The Story Of Birds by Steve Brusatte. Brusatte is a Professor of Paleontology and Evolution at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He is also an engaging writer and storyteller.

The Story Of Birds starts with the declaration that birds are dinosaurs. While not the size of T. rex, the millions of birds we currently share Earth with can trace their ancestry back to theropods (the same line as T. rex). The most famous early bird, Archaeopteryx—a small feathered dinosaur whose arms were beginning to become wings—lived over 150 million years ago. When the asteroid crashed into the Yucatán Peninsula 66 million years ago, it took out most life on Earth, including most dinosaurs. But not all of the dinosaurs. That little finch at your feeder is one of the dinosaurs that made it into our time.

The book tells the story of how birds evolved within the dinosaur tree to become our backyard buddies today. What I love about this book is that Brusatte relays some pretty dense scientific material in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you. Along with the Latin names and scientific facts, Brusatte weaves in personal stories from his fieldwork, as well as scenes from prehistoric times, that give you a sense of how and where these animals lived as they evolved. There is also some great historical information told with narrative flair with respect to Darwin and the stalwart advocate Thomas Huxley.

As a way to demonstrate and illustrate the evolutionary path of birds, Brusatte goes into the anatomical details that define what a bird is. However, it should be stated, as it is in the book, that “birds” isn’t a scientific classification and more a general categorization most of us use to describe what a “bird” is. All of this anatomical information added so much to my understanding and appreciation for birds. Like most life on Earth, they are unique and remarkable.

Toward the end of The Story Of Birds, Brusatte provides some intriguing insights into some birds that have become extinct between the time of the great meteor and today. These are spectacular examples of the multitude of evolutionary adaptations that birds have taken and the way in which forces such as climate change, loss of habitat, and predation can bring a branch of life to an end.

Vote For Life In Michigan

We were nominated for Best Local Podcast and Favorite Local Web Page on Current Magazine’s Best of Washtenaw 2026. Give us a vote! While you are at it, be sure to vote for our friends: Hear.Say Brewing, Yes, Ann Improv Fest, Ypsi Alehouse, Darren Cools (Author of Light in the Canyon), The Hidden King, Neighborhood Theater Group, Applied Fitness Solutions, Crysta Coburn, Sounds & Sights (Chelsea), Winds Of Neptune, and Fangs and Twang.

Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss

Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:

Lansing LIT festival on Sep 18 - Sep 20

Laith Al-Saadi Birthday Bash at The Ark in Ann Arbor on Sep 19

Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils at the Rumpus Room in Chelsea on Sep 19

Preservation Fall Festival at HOMES Campus on Sep 19

Hearsfest 25th Anniversary at the Fowlerville Fairgrounds on Sep 19

Ogma Oktoberfest in Jackson on Sep 19

Sounds of the Zoo Music Fest in Kalamazoo on Sep 21 - 27

In Other News

Fuzz Fest 11 was a music marathon of epic proportions, and I’m grateful to be able to attend once again this year.

We experienced a hidden treasure of the U.S. Postal Service history in Marshall.

Rosemary Parker has a fine story on the new “Big Annie” Klobuchar Clemenc statue in Calumet. I highly recommend The Women Of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell for more on Anne Klobuchar Clemenc and her role as a labor activist.

Mark Spezia has a great article on the North Country Trail (NCT) in Michigan for Michigan Blue.

Life In Michigan Podcast

We had a wonderful conversation with Liz and Katie from the Professional Academy of Cosmetology in historic downtown Marshall.

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

A great article on seeing art and making it physical by Mat. I’ll be coming back to this series again and again.

When You Learn What to Look For, You Can Photograph Anything.

How “editing” led Bill Sawalich to consider the future of tools.

The Future of Tools

Great series of photos at museums, along with a nod to the great Elliot Erwitt by søren k. harbel

At the Museum

Adventures Yet To Print

Yesterday was the U.P. Fall Beer Festival in Marquette. As you read this, we are driving home, and I’m busy working on processing photos so that we can get those ready before we fly off to Rome for our pilgrimage in Italy! Lots of last minute fun for sure. We’ve also got some stories in the hopper for when we get back. Namely, our River Raisin Battlefield Park and Venture Brewing

Sunday Sip Flashback

Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.

That’s A Wrap

As my buddy Sturgill once said:

“Keep your head out of the clouds

And remember to be kind

And just stay in school

Stay off the drugs

And keep between the lines.”

Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!

Now, here is your moment of zen: