Austin – In the endless debate over the true purpose of art, I have encountered two opposing schools of thought. Vaguely put, the first revere’s art as sacred and inimitable. Hence the existence of museums. The second aims to make art user-defined and accessible in every way. Art can either be contained, or it can
Nashville – There must be something in the water causing the musical renaissance “Down Under.” Add Streets of Laredo to a budding list of new bands from Australia and New Zealand who’ve come out recently. The Naked and Famous, Vance Joy, Tiny Ruins, Courtney Barnett, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Lorde (a contender in our Newbie Awards)
New York – One part El Perro del Mar, two parts Beach House and seven parts incomparably emotive dream pop, Pure Bathing Culture will win the war for your heart with their penchant for nostalgia and the sense of glory that surrounds their work. Following their debut, self-titled, EP last year on Father-Daughter Records, the
Nashville – Jared Bartman is as much a poet and folklorist as he is an orchestral arranger. The power of song lyrics don’t often translate well to the written page, but this is not the case for Bartman. Listening to his new album, Misery Makes Strange Bedfellows, is like taking a hot air balloon to
Chicago – “If giving left me lonely, if giving was my friend, I’m keeping all the old themes, I’m keeping my loose ends.” “Cupid Deluxe”, the second album from Dev Hynes’s retro R&B project Blood Orange, is a vulnerable retrospect of the fragility of love, cloaked in slow jam new wave, throwback drum loops, and
Nashville – Maps is the third full-length album from Jerome Alexander, the multi-talented British artist who goes by the moniker Message to Bears. The album sounds as though Alexander never came down from the slow-motion, rainbow clouds he rode on his first album, Folding Leaves. Acoustic guitar, synth, and Auto-tuned vocal loops fold over each other, creating visceral soundscapes that are just right for
New York – Backed by a powerhouse producer and armed with a rare type of talent that shatters genre-specific expectations, Glass Animals are a standout new group. Offering up the sort of music that will put you on edge as easily as it puts you at ease, experimentation comes naturally to this gang. Their work may test your comfort zone, but
New York – On Widowspeak’s new EP, The Swamps, the band has captured a little moment of magic, and also managed to inspire the same every time I take a listen. Almost one year after the release of their second full length, Almanac, this release is meant to serve as a bridge between that and
London – As far as musical collaborations go, the one that makes up the LA-based Upset is one which provokes more excitement than most. After a spell with Vivian Girls and Best Coast, the latter ending in a well-documented parting of ways, Ali Koehler has joined forces with La Sera guitarist Jenn Prince and Hole’s Patty
Seattle – The Growlers might not be known for taking things especially seriously. They regularly joke of their constant inebriation and constant bumming. This isn’t a farce or anything, but I’m guessing that these guys take at least one thing seriously and that thing is their music. In 2013 the Costa Mesa, CA band has