The note of surprise on Hadsel, Beirut’s sixth studio LP, is not so much that Zach Condon has recorded an album on a remote Norwegian island with free access to a church organ, it’s that […]
Spiritual Cramp: Spiritual Cramp
Spiritual Cramp have their very own Bez. Jose-Luna Gonzalez is the Bay Area band’s tambourine-playing mascot, popping up at their shows to provide auxiliary percussion and an extra sense of chaos to a group, usually […]
Ya Boi L.I.V.E’s “The End”: A Riveting Tale of Betrayal and Finality
In his latest single “The End,” Ya Boi L.I.V.E, the multifaceted artist from Amityville, NY, plunges into the depths of betrayal and disillusionment with a narrative that’s as gripping as it is relatable. The song, […]
Daniel Villarreal: Lados B
If it sounds like Daniel Villarreal is rediscovering his drum set in real time in the opening moments of Lados B, that’s because—in a way—he is. He creates a groove one thwack at a time, […]
Sabrina Sekuloski: Piecing Together Emotions in “Mosaic”
Australian singer-songwriter Sabrina Sekuloski, hailing from the vibrant city of Sydney, has once again captivated the Indie Pop scene with her latest single, “Mosaic.” This new release is a profound expression of resilience and self-reconstruction, […]
Empty Country: Empty Country II
A song by Joseph D’Agostino can spin in a dozen different directions. Take “Erlking,” an early standout from his second album as Empty Country. Named after a murderous elf from European folklore, it opens with […]
Kevin Abstract: Blanket
For some Brockhampton fans, the band’s farewell album felt like a fakeout, if not a betrayal. The form-breaking rap collective’s previous full lengths had been defined by both their abundance and their communal spirit—each was […]
Ian Sweet: Sucker
Ian Sweet’s new album, Sucker, opens with mortal fear. “What if I die?” Jilian Medford wonders; after a piano chord rings out for a moment, she continues: She’s afraid she’ll pass “with this song in […]
Wild Nothing: Hold
On May 25, 2010, Brooklyn’s Captured Tracks released a pair of homespun debuts by bands whose re-interpretations of first-wave indie pop would help spearhead a wave of millennial DIY nostalgists. Since then, Beach Fossils and […]
Katie von Schleicher: A Little Touch of Schleicher in the Night
On A Little Touch of Schleicher in the Night, Katie von Schleicher is a luckless harlequin on a velvet stage, showcasing an array of indignities against a luxe backdrop of strings and woodwinds. She’s a […]
Maria BC: Spike Field
Since the 1980s, teams of engineers, anthropologists, and other specialists assembled by the U.S. Government have attempted to warn us about nuclear waste repositories. A field known as nuclear semiotics was developed around the challenge […]
Sparkle Division: Foxy
William Basinski shares a few traits with the late director William Friedkin. The two artists—who both have answered to the nickname “Billy”—have created prolific bodies of work while moving gracefully between disparate genres. Like Friedkin, […]