Music Reviews

Laura Wolf Brings Emotional Resonance to Glitches and Samples on ‘Shelf Life’

Laura Wolf takes us on a true sonic adventure, marrying glitchy samples with emotional execution. It makes you want to hear more from this unique voice.

Squid’s ‘O Monolith’ Is a Paranoid Post-Genre Maelstrom

Beach Fossils Commence Summer with the Excellent ‘Bunny’

Atmosphere’s ‘So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously’ Expands Their Palette

Brandy Clark Presents Herself With Brandi Carlile’s Help

Gia Margaret Perfects Her Voice on ‘Romantic Piano’

Beach Fossils’ Guitars Jangle and Sparkle on ‘Bunny’

Music Features

The Optimist Died Inside of Me: Death Cab for Cutie’s ‘Narrow Stairs’

Fifteen years ago, Death Cab for Cutie’s Narrow Stairs tackled the malaise of early 30s careers and marriages, and what happens when those don’t pan out.

The 10 Most Memorable Non-Smash Hit Singles of 1984

30 Years of Slowdive’s ‘Souvlaki’

Everything You Know Means Nothing: Problematic Art and Crystal Castles’ Legacy

The 15 Best Americana Albums of 2013

Sara Petite Has Fun “Bringin’ Down the Neighborhood”

The 10 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2013

Liberation Blues: Tinariwen Invoke the Sahel’s Complex History on ‘Amatssou’

No Sex Please, We’re British: Coil’s Subversively Overt Homosexuality

Film

Silent Film’s Raymond Griffith Pulled Tricksters Out of Top Hats

In Raymond Griffith: The Silk Hat Comedian, the two clever silent films Paths to Paradise and You’d Be Surprised, make a working-class hero out of a toff in a top hat.

Andrea Pallaoro’s Trans Drama ‘Monica’ Has a Painter’s Touch

‘Heaven Stood Still: The Incarnations of Willy DeVille’

Old-Fashioned Modernisation in Pakistani-Dubai Drama ‘Pinky Memsaab’

Dare to Compare Hideo Gosha’s ‘Violent Streets’ with Today’s Spandex Superheroes and John Wick

Steve McQueen’s ‘Small Axe’ Film Series Keeps Chipping Away at Racism

Melodrama and Mystification from ‘Moment to Moment’

Books

W. E. B. Du Bois’ Unfinished WWI History Speaks Volumes About America

W. E. B. Du Bois hoped that WWI would help Black Americans make gains at home after serving their country abroad. His work for racial progress, like America itself, remains unfinished.

Who Is the Monster in Claire Dederer’s ‘Monsters’?

No Sex Please, We’re British: Coil’s Subversively Overt Homosexuality

I Dream of Wires: Richard Evans’ ‘Listening to the Music the Machines Make’

W.E.B. Du Bois’ Prescient Masterpiece ‘The Souls of Black Folk: A Graphic Interpretation’

Television

Ranking the 34 ‘Ted Lasso’ Episodes

We dive into ‘Ted Lasso’ to see where the beloved AFC Richmond gaffer won and lost. Episodes were judged by their cohesion, heart, humor, and message.

It’s Too Hot to Hate in Climate Change Series ‘Extrapolations’

‘Silo’ Is the Smart Sci-fi Show We’ve Been Waiting For

Satirical Miniseries ‘White House Plumbers’ Is an Uneven Glimpse into Proximity to Power

Vince McMahon and the Damaging Impact of Failing Upward

Lists

The 10 Most Memorable Non-Smash Hit Singles of 1984

A singular confluence of classic rock, New Wave, and indie rock experimentation made 1984 a captivating musical brew. All but two cracked the Billboard Top 40.

The 15 Best Americana Albums of 2013

The 10 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2013

Ranking the 34 ‘Ted Lasso’ Episodes

JazzMatters: The Best New Jazz of April and May 2023

Featured

The Optimist Died Inside of Me: Death Cab for Cutie’s ‘Narrow Stairs’

Silent Film’s Raymond Griffith Pulled Tricksters Out of Top Hats

The 10 Most Memorable Non-Smash Hit Singles of 1984

30 Years of Slowdive’s ‘Souvlaki’