Nancy Mounir Mines Music from Egypt’s Past to Write Its Profound Musical Future
Sampling recordings over a century old, Egyptian composer Nancy Mounir delivers an album where the past and present converse to help write the future.
Evan Sawdey
Evan Sawdey started contributing to PopMatters in late 2005, and has also had his work featured in publications such as Entertainment Weekly, SLUG Magazine, YardBarker, The Daily Dot, and many more. He has been a guest on HuffPost Live, RevotTV's "Revolt Live!", and WNYC's Soundcheck (an NPR affiliate), was the Executive Producer for the Good With Words: A Tribute to Benjamin Durdle album ( available for free), and wrote the liner notes for the 2011 re-release of Andre Cymone's hit 1985 album A.C. (Big Break Records), the 2012 re-release of 'Til Tuesday's 1985 debut Voices Carry (Hot Shot Records), among others. He is the co-founder and host of The Chartographers, a podcast for pop music nerds, and previously hosted PopTalk for PopMatters. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. You can follow him @SawdEye should you be so inclined.
Kazakhstan’s Men Seni Suyemin Wants to Rewrite the Electrorock Rulebook
Moving from Kazakhstan to Russia to pursue her electro dreams, Minona Volandova’s Men Seni Suyemin project harbors surprising influences from Foals to Gorillaz.
New Zealand’s Popstrangers Are Back with a Wild New ‘Spirit’
After disappearing for several years, New Zealand’s beloved alt-rock scholars Popstrangers are back with a new record. To celebrate, they note their five all-time favorite venues.
Time Is iamamiwhoami’s Worst Enemy and Best Friend on ‘Be Here Soon’
Swedish synthpop revolutionary Jonna Lee revives her iamamiwhoami moniker and takes on time to give us her forceful folk album, Be Here Soon.
Pabllo Vittar Is the Drag Pop Star Fascists Want to Silence
When not directly attacking Brazil’s dangerous Bolsonaro administration, drag queen Pabllo Vittar is changing the world one shaking bootie at a time.
OHYUNG’s Ambient Take on Lockdown Anxiety Is a Masterwork
Conceived out of the pandemic’s hopelessness, outre-art rapper and film composer OHYUNG has crafted a two-hour ambient record for the ages in imagine naked!.
Amadou & Mariam’s 10-Year-Old ‘Folila’ Has Always Been a Masterpiece
In collaborating with hip indie acts, Amadou & Mariam met with critical rebuke. Ten years on, Folila is a masterpiece that bridges the gap between two sonic worlds.
King Garbage’s Beautiful Mess of a Sophomore Album Is a Garage-Soul Classic
From marching band drums to gritty guitar lines to hip-hop beats, the dusty anything-goes soul-pop approach of King Garbage doesn’t have any contemporaries.
Confidence Man Confidently ‘TILT’ to Disposable ’90s Pop
Australia’s mystery-goof quartet Confidence Man unleashed a supremely confident debut in 2018, but after years of waiting, they’re finally back with a ’90s sheen on TILT.
Tor Lundvall’s Moody Mastery Continues Unabated on ‘Beautiful Illusions’
The master of moodiness Tor Lundvall returns with Beautiful Illusions, a sad but sometimes gorgeous collection of breathless ambient wallowing.
The Wombats (Again) Deliver One Hell of a Dance-Rock ‘Fix’
After an extended break and freak TikTok hit, the Wombats are back at their dance-rocking best on Fix Yourself, Not the World.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2021
The 11 Best Ambient Albums of 2021
Studies have shown how the global pandemic has changed our listening habits, and for those seeking calm, these 11 are the best ambient albums of the year.
