London – UK rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen is loved by fans somewhat more than by critics; which is probably the right way round if you are keen to sell out venues rather than simply bask in hype. Despite some critical coolness, there is much to like about the band’s uncomplicated approach to its resolute and riff-happy
San Francisco – I’ve always wanted someone to throw me a surprise party. It just never happens though. I tend to blame sitcoms for this yearning; they just make it look like so much fun, and there are always seemingly endless antics to be had on such an occasion. That, and the notion that all your friends are
New York – U.K. punk band The Virginmarys returns with sophomore album Divides. The English trio of Ally Dickaty (vocals/guitar), Danny Dolan (drums), and Matt Rose (bass) make anthems that bellow fury and political commentary, brimming with the honesty of 70s British rock, inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Black Sabbath, The Beatles, and the Sex Pistols. The energetic three-piece brings potent punk
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
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
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
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
San Francisco – All venues are not created equally. The Constitution of this country will have you believe that we still hold the ideals of equality and the inherent right to happiness/prosperity/whatever in regards to all Americans, but that can’t be said of just about everything that falls under the American umbrella. While this terribly over-quoted, misquoted, and admittedly
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
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