San Francisco – The farther we progress through the second decade of the 2000s, the more apparent it is becoming that we are living in a time of transition. Things we wouldn’t have dreamed possible are happening, both good and bad: diseases are being cured, Donald Trump has a terrifying shot at securing the U.S. presidency, and our
Lail Arad’s ‘The Onion’ Wears an Ironic Smile
London – British singer-songwriter Lail Arad has waited quite a while to deliver a follow-up to her 2011 debut Someone New, but the aptly titled The Onion largely shows much merit, with her outwardly patient approach to writing and recording. Though the artiste is London born and based, there is very much a cosmopolitan – and at times continental
Suuns Returns with ‘Hold/Still’
Berlin – Canadian psych-rock band Suuns – pronounced “soons,” which translates to “zeroes” in Thai – just released its third studio album, Hold/Still. This follows 2013′s Images du Futur and the band’s 2015 collaboration with Jerusalem in My Heart, led by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh. Hold/Still officially hit shelves on April 15th, through Secret City in Canada and Secretly Canadian in the U.S. Suuns‘ new material was recorded with
Parquet Courts’ ‘Human Performance’ Tells It Like It Is
San Francisco – Success is a double-edged sword, as are many of the aspects that seem to fuel it. When it comes to music, there are several struggles an artist or band must face to decide their next move: analog vs. digital, consistency vs. reinvention, accessibility vs. experimentation, genre vs. post-genre… these are just a few examples of
HIGHS ’ ‘Dazzle Camouflage’ Is Worth Finding
Los Angeles – Canada’s HIGHS shows off flair and slick production on the sweeping alt-pop debut, Dazzle Camouflage. The band – which consists of Doug Haynes, Karrie Douglas, Joel Harrower, Paul Vroom, and Liam Cole – has crafted the first “true” summer album of 2016. Dazzle Camouflage marks the follow-up to the band’s 2014 self-titled EP and a
Yeasayer: Amen & Goodbye
San Francisco – It’s not always easy to pick apart an album. Even those that seem more straightforward seem to guard some concealed meaning within the confines of the hour or so an artist or band is given to express themselves, but when given an album by a group that is so notoriously and deliciously abstract as Brooklyn’s
White Denim Looks to the Past and Future with ‘Stiff’
San Fransisco - iTunes is kind of the worst, sometimes. If you’re like me – which is to say, unnecessarily anal about the organization of one’s music library – then the seemingly painstaking problem of getting one album that, for some reason or another, is separated from the rest of that artist or group’s material (usually by some silly,
Solomon Grey Speaks with Daring Honesty
San Fransisco - Patience is a key element to true appreciation and enjoyment of music. To truly understand someone’s vision, the meticulousness and the long hours put in, and the often soul-crushing vulnerability an artist or band must overcome to present a facet of themselves to the public in artistic form, a listener must really listen to a piece
Cullen Omori Begins Anew With ‘New Misery’
Los Angeles – From the moment he burst onto the alternative music scene, Cullen Omori has always been a musician indebted to the sounds and styles of the past. His band Smith Westerns carved out a niche in the crowded garage rock revival scene by infusing glam rock swagger into their sound. The Chicago, Illinois based band was
Holy Wave Keep it Retro with ‘Freaks of Nurture’
Los Angeles – Like so many groups popping up these days all across the country, Texas band Holy Wave specialize in recreating the sounds of retro psychedelic rock. Finding a new or unique approach to this ever popular style of garage rock is increasingly difficult. If a songwriter skews too far in one direction, it can come across