San Francisco – “And now, it’s show time.” So begins the full-length commercial debut from Skylar Spence, Prom King: an eleven-track nu-disco opus from 22-year-old wunderkind Ryan DeRobertis. Some may remember DeRobertis from his days as a producer of “vaporwave” music (a genre of electronica that relies heavily on samples that have been drastically slowed-down)
Los Angeles – Debut record Mind Out Wandering from Astronauts etc. captures a heavenly soundscape in the course of ten commendable tracks. The man behind this moniker is Anthony Ferraro (touring keyboardist for Toro Y Moi). The culmination of Astronauts, etc. didn’t just happen by accident or overnight. While studying music at the University of
Chicago – This year brought an 80s resurgence like no other. From movies, TV, and fashion, the decade of excess swooped in hard, taking its biggest hit in pop music. Artists like Carly Rae Jepson, Bleachers, The Wombats, and Walk the Moon have been echoing the sounds of Debbie Gibson and Madonna to Hall &
Chicago – Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing Gary Clark Jr.‘s live album, simply titled Live. I declared it a masterpiece and hailed the Grammy winner as the new Hendrix and called him a “legend among men, the musician of our generation, and when parents school their children in what ‘real music’ is, they’ll reference
Los Angeles – Over the last 10 years or so, Beach House has grown more and more sonically ambitious and ornate on each full length release. From the band’s haunting, stripped-down self-titled debut to 2012’s lush, ultra-melodic Bloom, every album has taken a step towards adding layers to the distinct Beach House sound. Instead of
Los Angeles – Midway through August, about a month before their second album was released, Lawton Browning of The Woolen Men made a simple request of writers reviewing Temporary Monument: Speaking in no uncertain terms, he appealed for a write-up that skipped the PR-style RIYL-isms that are all too common in music journalism. In place
London – Departures is the full-length debut from Owl & Mouse, the London-based quintet built around Brisbane songstress and ukulele player, Hannah Botting (sister of Allo Darlin’s bassist, Bill) and also featuring sibling Jen on backing vocals. Augmented by bassist Tom Wade, Emma Winston on keyboards and Dan Mayfield on violin and baritone ukulele, the
San Francisco – Kanye West wishes he was the voice of a generation. FIDLAR actually is, because few artists have better articulated the rather pathetic state of arrested development many millennials find themselves trapped in today. Alienated by suburban sprawl, disillusioned from an overdose of mass media marketed dreams of easily attainable happiness and utterly
San Francisco – Hardly anything is shocking anymore when it comes to the twisted lyrics and aching melodies that escape from the lips of Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd. The 25-year-old Ontario native has spilled more than the lion’s share of heartache, self-deprecation, and raunchy details of his lust-fueled escapades into the microphone over the
Los Angeles – In 2013, Australian band Atlas Genius, featuring brothers Keith and Michael Jeffery, exploded onto the scene with the infectiously catchy, “Trojans.” The hit song had percolated through the minds of many listeners over the course of the following year. Now the band is back with their next intoxicating single, “Molecules.” Easily just