In order to highlight some of the musicians currently honing their craft and quietly building a reputation for quality on the fringes of the spotlight, PopMatters brings you an updated and serialized "Now Hear This!". The formerly annual feature caught some bright young stars just before everyone else caught on to them -- the Darkness, Goapele, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Joanna Newsom, Richard Buckner. Having been re-launched as a regularly recurring music feature, "Now Hear This!" promises to continue to feature artists who, for one reason or another, have yet to stake their claim as major media players, but are no less worthy of attention.
Make no mistake, however. The goal of "Now Hear This!" isn't to predict the next "it" band or artist. Instead, its purpose is to provide a featured space for performers who truly deserve a closer look. These are acts worth paying attention to because they're fun, engaging, exciting, and plain old interesting. Some may be fresh new faces on the scene, others might have toiled in relative obscurity for years, and whether or not they become superstars is beside the point. In all cases, these are merely artists that the PopMatters staff feels should not go overlooked, recommendations from our own writers of bands they personally find compelling. So listen up!
Monday, February 6 2012
Why Deathspell Omega’s Trilogy Has Changed the Face of Black Metal
The concept of a “trilogy” is such an overdone thing. Be it film trilogies, album trilogies, book trilogies, video game trilogies… we have all seen trilogies in various forms of entertainment media to the point of it becoming banal. At the end of the Deathspell Omega experience however, do not be alarmed if you wake up to find yourself in Silent Hill.
Thursday, October 27 2011
Ssahha! : An interview with Amino Belyamani
With a sonic makeup that includes Middle Eastern, North African, Persian and Western sounds, Ssahha makes truly World music. Pianist and composer Amino Belyamani discusses how this wide array of sounds all come together in his band's latest album Ummi.
Tuesday, October 25 2011
Now Hear This!: The Street Eaters
"I've only sliced my hands and scalp open 10 or 20 times!" This, as well as musings about whether cockroaches are more evolutionarily intelligent than humans, dominate the discussion with this fierce Berkeley twosome ...
Thursday, September 8 2011
Now Hear This!: Johnnyswim / Los Angeles
What happens when a Nashville-bred duo moves to Los Angeles? They conquer New York.
Wednesday, March 2 2011
Fingers of the Sun: Under 1960s Revivalism With No Apologies
Is there any decade in American history more often mimicked than the '60s? Fingers of the Sun has been (begrudgingly) labeled Denver's 1960s revivalist troubadours, carrying on that great tradition of eulogizing an era they never lived in.
Tuesday, November 23 2010
The New Champion: An Interview with Bear McCreary of ‘Human Target’
Bear McCreary’s musical versatility has made him one of the most sought-after composers in television. In an interview with PopMatters, McCreary reveals his unabashed love of film and television scoring as he talks about his latest release, the soundtrack to Season One of Human Target.
Thursday, May 27 2010
Now Hear This! Valery Gore [Toronto, Canada]
Hovering somewhere in the interstitial spaces between mainstream pop, jazz, and '70s rock, Valery Gore's lush music has chart potential but is oblique enough in its approach to avoid all the common pitfalls of pop music clichés.
Wednesday, May 19 2010
Now Hear This!: mewithoutYou [Philadelphia, PA]
It's unlikely that a post-hardcore band that transformed into an indie-pop act while filling out its complex religious and philosophical traditions would have made the best album of 2009.
Friday, May 14 2010
Now Hear This!: Robin Aigner (Brooklyn, NY)
Brooklyn's Robin Aigner writes engaging and emotive history-vignettes that blends Old Time folk, mid-century country-and-western and Eastern European music with the strains of the contemporary singer-songwriter. She is also one of America's most unfairly undiscovered musicians.
Friday, January 15 2010
Wussy [Cincinnati, Ohio]
Perhaps the question isn’t why “keep on keepin’ on,” but how? You can begin by making a record as good as Wussy, an effortless-sounding album full of spit, regret, and, at times, a damn-near spiritual beauty.
Thursday, November 19 2009
Reuben Butchart [New York]
The former pianist for Antony & the Johnsons "awakens" with his most elaborate solo work yet.... and it features a plastic bag! Here's the story behind Reuben Butchart's boundless creativity.
Thursday, August 20 2009
FM Supreme [Chicago, IL]
FM Supreme may be young, but she's well on her way toward creating awareness and building momentum for social and personal action using hip-hop, spoken word, and youth activism.
Wednesday, August 19 2009
Nosaj Thing [Los Angeles]
Nosaj Thing's music is mysterious and provocative, bringing a rumbling intensity and highly individual style to both remixes and his own work.
Thursday, July 16 2009
Mona Mur [Berlin, Germany]
Shedding her wash-out past, Mona Mur has found a new strength and a new focus, balancing the virtual with the real, and rescuing German identity.
Tuesday, May 26 2009
Clint, Michigan [Brooklyn, NY]
After witnessing the genesis of Clint, Michigan's intimate music firsthand, the honesty of its translation to the recording studio has one PopMatters writer expanding his cherished memories.
Wednesday, May 20 2009
Yann Perreau [Montreal, Quebec]
Something in Yann Perreau has cracked open, and while the irritated, despairing musician of his past work was attractive, Perreau's sudden confidence seems like a better fit with his raucous stage persona.
Thursday, March 12 2009
Calmer [Brooklyn, NY]
Calmer's patchwork aesthetic extends all the way from classical and jazz influences to scrap metal instrumentation, all in service of sound collages woven with meticulous care.
Monday, February 16 2009
Radius [Chicago, IL]
Skirting the line between hip-hop and electronica with an aural tribute to the neighborhoods of Chicago, Radius delves deep into the introspection of bone-chilling winters and aimless depression in search of salvation.
Wednesday, February 11 2009
Maya Azucena [Brooklyn, NY]
Maya Azucena is among the most original independent artists to hatch from the New York scene and conquer the world stage. Here's how this warrior built her career from the ground up.
Monday, October 27 2008
Todd Snider [East Nashville, TN]
After two decades of charting his own path through the music industry, Todd Snider is a musician on his own terms -- when he isn't being kidnapped by his friends and forced to write excellent albums.
Thursday, October 9 2008
Two Cow Garage [Columbus, Ohio]
After years of building a sound, a fan base, and scraping by in the music business, Two Cow Garage is (once again) poised on the edge of greatness with their upcoming release.
Thursday, October 2 2008
Sorta [Dallas, TX]
Turning the spotlight on a band that's come to an end may seem odd, but the release of Sorta's final album gives cause to mourn the loss of one of Dallas's greatest bands, and honor the memory of one of its most vital musicians.
Wednesday, September 17 2008
Mandi Perkins [Los Angeles, CA]
After meeting more than a share of mad hatters in the music industry, Mandi Perkins survived the rabbit hole and is gearing up for her first major label release, Alice in No Man's Land.
Wednesday, September 3 2008
Orphans and Vandals [London, UK]
London's Orphans and Vandals are making their engrossing way through familiar territory, singing of the detachment of the nighttime streets and its clouded characters, but made fresh for their naive lack of imitation.
Friday, July 25 2008
Joe Purdy [Lowell, Arkansas]
Know it or not, odds are you've heard Joe Purdy's music on television -- but there's nothing commercial about this artist. Eschewing the lures and traps of the music industry, Purdy is blazing his own path simply for the love of song.
Thursday, June 19 2008
Dark Meat [Athens, GA]
Dark Meat is cutting a wild, grimy, jazz-punk path across the musical landscape, and they want you to join them -- in the audience, on-stage, whatever.
Thursday, May 15 2008
Tickley Feather [Philadelphia, PA]
Philadelphia's Tickley Feather brings a new face to the Philly music scene -- in part by tackling the national stage as a new recruit to Paw Tracks.
Thursday, April 17 2008
Alan Wilkis [Brooklyn, NY]
Unlike many of his fellow Brooklynites, whose boundary-pushing is an aesthetic in and of itself, Alan Wilkis has no fear of pop.
Thursday, April 10 2008
Now Hear This: Kevin Grivois [Tahoe, California]
A superstar in Europe, an unknown in America. Kevin Grivois (aka Ké) remembers the "strange world" of his major label ascent and why an election year is bringing him back to the spotlight.
Thursday, April 3 2008
Salim Nourallah [Dallas, Texas]
Despite intense familiy struggles, Salim Nourallah has truly blossomed into his own as one of the most talented musicians in a too-often overlooked scene.
Thursday, March 27 2008
Chicha Libre [New York]
Blending the strains of native South American, Latin, African, and psychedelic music, Peruvian chicha music has a trippy, lighthearted vibe all its own. Olivier Conan talks to us about this fascinating genre, his band Chicha Libre, and the syncretism of global music.
Thursday, February 7 2008
The Teenage Prayers [New York]
Bucking the "nostalgia band" trend by being authentically nostalgic, the Teenage Prayers cause you to give blessings to that raw, purely enthusiastic adolescent music fan in all of us.
Thursday, January 31 2008
Angela Johnson [New York]
Part-time house diva and full time soul music icon, Angela Johnson has already achieved acclaim as a performer, but now she's ready to challenge the gender assumptions about R&B producers with a collaborative album that might be one of the year's early bests.
Thursday, November 29 2007
3rd Day Syndrome [London]
3rd Day Syndrome has infected London audiences with their singular style of funk, rock, and soul, all while adhering to a contemporary independent, DIY ethos. Could the U.S. be close behind?
Thursday, October 4 2007
Yuri Lane [Chicago]
Lights go up onstage revealing one man. The bass drum lays down the initial beat. A boom, chick, boom-boom, chick, punctuated by an explosive blow to the crash cymbal. It’s an orgy of percussion, and it's all coming from a single mouth.
Thursday, September 27 2007
Kenny Roby [Raleigh, NC]
It would be easy to assume that every decent-sized town has their own version of Raleigh, North Carolina's Kenny Roby -- a hard-working singer-songwriter and an engaging performer. But Roby is the cut above.
Thursday, August 23 2007
Chris Letcher [London/South Africa]
South African filmmaker and songwriter Chris Letcher talks about the intersection of film soundtracks and pop, what it was like growing up in apartheid-era South Africa and how he got the sounds of a heart transplant ward onto tape.
Wednesday, August 1 2007
Bowerbirds [Raleigh, NC]
Rising up from under the mega-strip mall concrete, Raleigh, NC's Bowerbirds are the best folk act you haven't heard yet.
Thursday, July 26 2007
The Depreciation Guild [New York]
For the two breathing members of the Brooklyn-based band The Depreciation Guild, a love of intense rock music and the vintage video game sounds of the 1980s have melded into something powerful.
Wednesday, July 11 2007
Je Suis France [Athens, GA]
Now ten years into its rule as one of Athens, Georgia's best-loved party bands, Je Suis France has broken out its most professional album ever in Afrikan Magik. But don't worry that they're turning into squares -- the big hit is still an eight-minute space-rock epic... about a whale's erection.
Friday, June 15 2007
The Cinematic Orchestra [London]
The Cinematic Orchestra's rapid evolution as one of the strongest forces standing on the wall between jazz and electronic music is even more idiosyncratic in that the band has also been steadily reducing the concoction until it's reached a crackling, steady simmer.
Monday, May 7 2007
The Gubernatorial Candidates [New Orleans]
One of the gems of the often overlooked New Orleans underground rock scene, the Gubernatorial Candidates exist in a place where history overlaps and the Big Easy sidles up to post-punk and post-rock in equal doses.
Monday, April 16 2007
The Beautiful & Damned [Los Angeles]
Embodying the labyrinthine decay and assured swagger of their Hollywood home, the Beautiful & Damned are fueled by a bit of literary pretension and a drive to expose the grandeur in the intimate and ugly.
Wednesday, March 14 2007
The Slip [Boston/Montreal]
The Slip have moved away from years of jazz-inspired instrumentals and towards more traditional pop structures, leading them into exciting new territory and bringing compositional dexterity to their recent pop.
Monday, February 26 2007
Now Hear This: Patrick Wolf [London]
Flamboyant, extravagant, even audacious, Patrick Wolf's public image may have garnered him some notoriety, but it's his skill with songcraft that has won him praise. Now Wolf stands poised to tackle the mainstream with his forthcoming The Magic Position.
Sunday, February 11 2007
Dirty Faces
Grimy, blue-collar rock and roll... or is it? Dirty Faces' Get Right with God would be the most intense and powerful straight rock record of the year. That is, if it really were a straight rock record.
Wednesday, January 17 2007
Blacklist [New York]
Born out of twin interests in art and activism, the murky and even problematic practice of either has given way to a band that perches on the ledge between hipster fashion and scene critique.
Monday, January 1 2007
The Quieter Side of Brian Borcherdt
If you've seen Brian Borcherdt on stage this year, chances are it was as a member of the noise-freak supergroup Holy Fuck. But it's in the quieter-but-equally-intense songs of his solo project, the Remains of Brian Borcherdt, that the singer-songwriter's talents appear in full force.
Tuesday, November 14 2006
Hot IQs: “Let’s Inflate”
Hot IQs have claimed a spot atop Denver's indie pile, helping add to the city's resurgent local music scene. And while they definitely have their sights set on the national stage, this band of music geeks-cum-musicians is more than happy to stump for their Mile High hometown.
Wednesday, October 18 2006
P-1’s Box of Surprises
Chicago/NYC's P-1 would rather let their songs define them than any one style, which is probably necessary considering the cross-pollination of influences and sound incorporated in their mix. And his refusal to be pigeonholed might just be the thing that expands their audiences even further as they release their second album.
Friday, October 6 2006
Atomic Swindlers: Intergalactic Lesbian Love Songs
Glam rock laced with obscure super hero references and sapphic celebration, anyone? Yes, please. But don't get too hung up on the sci-fi sex trappings. At the radioactive core of Atomic Swindlers is a solid rock band that doesn't require gimmicks.
Tuesday, September 19 2006
Kill Hannah
Chicago's hometown modern rock heroes are starting to get some play outside the Windy City, proving that dedication and hard work pays off. And if the same devotion that they've generated in local fans can be instilled in new audiences, then the brand extension is likely to blossom following a new album and tour.
Thursday, September 14 2006
Casey Kessel
An independent artist in the truest sense of the word, Casey Kessel may call Nashville her home, but she writes and performs country music on her own terms and at her own expense. Capturing the details of life in powerfully touching songs, Kessel's talents may only currently find their way to public ears in the mouths of others, but odds are that situation won't last long.
Thursday, September 7 2006
The Little Ones
With an EP called Sing Song, the Little Ones capture the sweet/sad, just beginning and already wistfully nostalgic vibe of perfect power pop. Frontman Ed Reyes talks about his journey from emo Sunday's Best to the hand-clapped, euphorically harmonized Little Ones... and his less-than-rockstar penchant for early rising.
Tuesday, August 15 2006
The Little Killers
Once the only active band on the legendary Crypt Records roster, NYC's the Little Killers rampage on with a new label, a new record, a new producer, and a smokin' old-style approach to rock 'n' roll.
Thursday, August 10 2006
Protest the Hero
Following the release of a surprisingly mature and developed full-length debut, young Canadian metal quintet Protest the Hero are setting out to win new audiences across North America this summer. But as vocalist Rody Walker warns, leave your genre badges and expectations at home.
Friday, July 28 2006
The Cinematics
Still in the larval stages, guitarist and vocalist Scott Rinner explains how the Cinematics have found themselves on the verge of breaking big, and what that means for establishing an identity.
Thursday, July 20 2006
Jaymay
Determined to carve out her own space in music, determinedly independent antifolk artist Jaymay has garnered an impressive amount of acclaim and a dedicated following in a couple of short years. But the possibilities of success are only important so long as Jaymay can do it her way.
Tuesday, July 11 2006
Kelley Polar
Something's lurking in the New England woods.... From his isolated shack in rural New Hampshire, Kelley Polar has turned self-imposed exile into an exploratory journey through love, time, and the cosmos. All set to a bumping disco beat.
Monday, May 15 2006
Dada Swing
How does an Italian band overcome an indifferent scene at home and the insular, unexposed audiences overseas? Why, by conquering America first, of course... one show at a time.
Wednesday, May 3 2006
Amel Larrieux
After reaching the heights of mainstream success, neo-soul vocalist Amel Larrieux had to start over when it came to crafting her own vision. Three albums into a sometimes turbulent solo career, she's finally found her independence, and is preparing a musical explosion of creative output.
Wednesday, April 26 2006
Silversun Pickups
Something special is happening in Los Angeles, but a band with a sound this big can't be kept secret for long. Silversun Pickups are ascending artists of raucous splendor and inspiring vitality.
Thursday, April 20 2006
The Creeping Nobodies
Doing it all for the love of the music, Toronto-based band the Creeping Nobodies keeps the romantic dream alive while diligently slogging through the dirty work, finding themselves on the cusp of expanding both their territory and their audience's horizons.
Thursday, April 13 2006
Granola Funk Express
Few would think to look for hip-hop explorers in the hills of North Carolina, but this collective has been mining beats and crafting thoughtful rhymes for almost a decade. Meet Granola Funk Express, the new children of a revolution.
Friday, February 24 2006
Tiny Dancers
While the press spotlight might be on Sheffield for more simian reasons, the often-overlooked city has more than one reason to be proud. And if the magic of budding promise can be maintained, Tiny Dancers just might steal the show.
Wednesday, February 1 2006
The Oranges Band
Roman Kuebler doesn't want to shake the foundations of music. After years of working to support Baltimore's local scene, he's content to make the music he likes. It just so happens that said music has become something globally transcendent.
Thursday, January 26 2006
Eyes Like Knives
Call it ambition, passion, or what you will. In an age of taut, chapbook-like albums, Eyes Like Knives aren't afraid to make feedback-drenched opuses.
Wednesday, November 30 2005
The Living Blue
The Living Blue are not your typical musical adventure using the punk attitude of garage rock as a jumping-off point. Really!
Wednesday, November 23 2005
Future 86
After winning the attention of a crowded and revitalized New York scene, Future 86 stands poised to take the party out of town.
Thursday, November 3 2005
K’naan
This is K'naan. A rebel calling for change, a rapper battling international injustices. This is for real.
Thursday, October 27 2005
The Pathways
Taking the slow route to being the hot new thing has only worked in the Pathways' favor -- and now it's time for them to work in yours.
Thursday, October 20 2005
Rahim
Connecting the dots between the post-punk past and the contemporary underground, Rahim manages to capture an older aesthetic while sounding firmly up to date.
Thursday, October 13 2005
The Deadly Snakes
The scourge of Toronto serves up the best album of the year (that nobody was waiting for).
Thursday, October 6 2005
They Shoot Horses Don’t They
This band is better than every other band on earth, even if you combined all the other bands on earth into one gigantic band -- this band would still be better than that band.' Yet another Canadian collective claims a young writer's heart.
Thursday, September 29 2005
Soft
Defying both the myth of club life and New York City's grueling scene, these Madchester revivalists are setting their sights on the stars, one methodical, careful step at a time.
Thursday, September 22 2005
20goto10
Mixing organic synthesizers with lush vocals and lyrical depth, 20goto10 is producing passionate pop music that is far removed from the sterile stereotype.
Tuesday, September 6 2005
Ponies in the Surf
These powerfully quiet traditionalists perform folk songs with a pan-American touch. It's only a shame that music this delicate and warm doesn't garner more notice.
Tuesday, August 16 2005
VOY
Percolating beneath the current crop of retro retreads and bland noisemakers is an art punk band that looks back to the past for inspiration to reclaim the gallery space for music.
Wednesday, August 3 2005
Goldspot
Goldspot proves that an international background in pop can combine to create a formula that's ripe for commercial success without compromise.
Wednesday, July 20 2005
Moonbabies
Joining the host of superb pop bands coming out of Northern Europe over the last several years, Moonbabies do it their way, from start to finish, with astoundingly assured results.
Tuesday, July 12 2005
The Ladies and Gentlemen
With light and airy electronic melodies forming a rich, warmly organic sound, this one-man show stands out from the pack of recent Canadian collectives.
Wednesday, June 29 2005
The Gun Shys
Casually confident and ready to rock, the Gun Shys are quickly ascending the ladder of the Los Angeles scene.
Friday, June 17 2005
Jackdaw4
Sticking within the pop tradition, and claiming all the usual influences, Jackdaw4 manage to turn out intricate and unique songs that concentrate on craft, placing them in the company of the best the genre has to offer.
Thursday, May 26 2005
Groundation
Do you like your reggae planted firmly in its roots? Can you accept that real reggae can come from California and not the Caribbean? Then you just might be ready for Groundation.
Thursday, May 19 2005
Eluvium
Eluvium's lambent ambient goes straight to the heart and the mind, weaving a mysterious and captivating sound into the landscapes of internal emotion, making him one of the most intriguing and successful ambient composers currently working.
Thursday, May 12 2005
The V.Cs
Bizarre, brash, powerful, compelling, surprisingly good, and thoroughly unique, it's the sci-fi future of yesterday... today!. Robots and rockers, it's the V.Cs!
Wednesday, May 4 2005
Akron/Family
Akron/Family creates a world of sonic pastiche so carefully crafted that the band had to develop their own philosophy/creed just to categorize it for themselves, and the result is a gorgeous and complicated exploration of song and sound.
Wednesday, April 27 2005
Rose Hill Drive
A rock band in a sea of jam bands, Boulder's Rose Hill Drive has captured the heart of their typically hippie hometown for their skill as much as their style, and they've turned heads across the country by building their reputation one touring stop at a time.
Tuesday, April 19 2005
Introduction
Some may be fresh new faces on the scene, others might have toiled in obscurity for years, and whether or not they become superstars is beside the point. In all cases, these are merely artists that the PopMatters staff feels should not go overlooked. So listen up.
Thursday, January 1 2004
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
Now Hear This 2004
Can't figure out what to listen to? Listen to us. Once again, PopMatters' music team presents a highly opinionated, undoubtedly superlative but ultimately revelatory examination of 18 artists that demand your attention. NOW.
