Chicago – I’m going to say what many have surely been thinking but are too afraid to say. Now that Michael Jackson has left us – way too soon, I might add – it’s time to think about who might take on the title of the New King of Pop. Now, I know there will
Los Angeles – Small Black may be the most underrated band in indie rock. After crafting two terrific LPs, can the band’s new LP Best Blues finally serve as their breakthrough record? Let’s back track for a moment. On their debut, New Chain, the Brooklyn quartet fell into the genre of chillwave. With lo-fi production
Los Angeles – There is nothing glamorous about Protomartyr. The band dredges the depths of the psyche, unearthing melancholic themes of misery and malevolence in the process. On a purely superficial level, the Detroit, MI four-piece lacks that certain “panache” that so many buzzy blogosphere-driven indie-rock bands possess; they are fronted by a slightly balding
San Francisco – Alan Palomo’s Neon Indian project is a hard one to pin down when it comes to genre. Generally, the whole concept of genres—in terms of modern musical expression—are thought of in either one of two ways: there are those that find comfort in their specifications, and there are those who see those
Chicago – For months I had been told to check out Wolf Alice, and for months I disobeyed the orders. From friends and fellow music journalists, to DJs on the radio, it seemed everyone and their mom was praising the U.K. foursome, who I knew only from the alternative radio single “Moaning Lisa Smile.” When I
Los Angeles – There’s really no point in rehashing Deafheaven’s controversial status among the pantheon of “black metal” bands; that conversation has been had a million times over, a ubiquitous addition to every review, interview, or feature on the San Francisco-based band. Listening to metal fans talk about Deafheaven is a perfect lesson in confirmation
Los Angeles – For someone that was essentially making his first ever live appearance in the United States, Fraser A. Gorman had an incredible sense of serenity on stage last Tuesday evening; he nailed every song in his set, even ad-libbing during an awkward moment after not one, but two of his guitar strings snapped
Seattle – “I love to make albums,” says Israel Nash. In a recent interview with Best New Bands, the singer-songwriter revealed his underlying goal of creating a “listening album” – something people can put on “and just be in another place for a little bit.” And with Silver Season, his fourth full-length release which comes
London – Little May has performed one-off shows in the UK previously but tonight’s London show was part of the Australian trio’s first UK headline tour. The good news for the band who number Annie Hamilton, Liz Drummond and Hannah Field augmented by touring band mates, Mark Harding (keyboard/synth) and drummer Cat Hunter, was that
Chicago – London six-piece Skinny Lister has been winning the hearts of U.K. punks and folk lovers since 2009, but it’s only been the last few years that Dan Heptinstall (guitar), Max Thomas (melodeon & mandolin), Lorna Thomas (lead vocals), Michael Camino (bass), Thom Mills (drums), and Sam “Mule” Brace (guitar, concertina, & mandolin) have been finding