Gilla Band Embody Current Zeitgeist with a Noisy and Agitated LP
Gilla Band emerge as spokespersons for our age of solipsism, dissecting and lampooning these proclivities. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, we’re doomed.
John Amen
John Amen is the author of several collections of poetry, including Illusion of an Overwhelm (NYQ Books, 2017), a finalist for the 2018 Brockman-Campbell Award, and work from which was chosen as a finalist for the Dana Award. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in journals nationally and internationally, and his poetry has been translated into Spanish, French, Hungarian, Korean, and Hebrew. He is a Staff Reviewer for the music magazines and websites No Depression, Beats Per Minute, and PopMatters. He founded and is managing editor of Pedestal Magazine.
Emma Ruth Rundle Releases a Brilliant Career-Defining Set
This is the album Emma Ruth Rundle has long wanted and been destined to make. These Killing Times marks the actualization of a signature artist.
Brandon Flowers Revisits the Americana Playbook with Compelling LP
Brandon Flowers’ melodies are largely airy, ebullient, even life-affirming. Articulating the troubles we face, he also, and perhaps ultimately, pays homage to our resilience.
Jungle Are Brilliant at Mixing Vintage and Contemporary Sounds
Jungle’s Sunshine is sincerely life-affirming, like being splashed with a bucketful of light during a time when darkness is much easier to come by.
Arca Is Inspired and Disciplined, Crafting Her Most Integrated Set
Throughout XXXXX, Arca balances her penchant for excess with a commitment to restraint. The cyborg, the biomechanoid, is now more human than a human.
Nia Archives Brilliantly Expands Jungle and Revels in Hooks
Nia Archives’ new album captures a gifted artist and producer as she transcends her influences, claiming and reveling in her own bewitching style.
Vince Staples Adopts a Rock-Leaning and Polemical Stance
Vince Staples comments on the injustices and genocidal tendencies baked into the US’s DNA, striking a balance between satire, rant, and attunement to the tragic.
A.A. Williams’ Vocals and Tragic Persona Shine Brightly
With Solstice, A.A. Williams cements her status as one of her generation’s transcendent singers and further develops her persona as the tragic shero.
Widowspeak Remain Hypnotic, Brightening Their Sound
With Roses, Widowspeak further hone their songcraft while again offering entrancing soundscapes. Additionally, they flesh out their Americana proclivities.
Josiah and the Bonnevilles Display Craft and Vision
Brimming with intriguing portraits, vivid images, and crystalline melodies, the songs on Josiah and the Bonnevilles’ As Is convey urgency.
Persona and Modern Music in 17 Songs
Persona, the “I” of the song, has evolved and expanded to more fully represent a diversity of experiences and emotional, political, and cultural orientations.
Yeule Fully Embraces Their Exquisite Pop Sensibilities
Yeule has come a long way from their early years traveling distant galaxies. Ćmiel’s melodies are exemplary pop, and their vocals exude an incorporeal flair.