Sneaker Pimps (Sort Of) Nod to the Past With ‘Squaring the Circle’
Sneaker Pimps producers Chris Corner and Liam Howe return with the slow-paced Squaring the Circle that plays it safer than their talents warrant.
Music
Absolutely Free’s ’80s Style Synthpop Is a Little Too Reverent on ‘Aftertouch’
Absolutely Free are back with their first album in years, Aftertouch, and have fully embraced ’80s synthpop as their music template.
Insect Ark Perform a Deep Atmospheric Dive with ‘Future Fossils’ EP (premiere)
Dana Schechter reverts Insect Ark to their solo form, leaving behind the psychedelic rock structures for a dark ambient detour.
The Effect of the Beatles’ White Album on 1988-1995’s US Alt-Rock Explosion
The Beatles’ White Album was the single biggest influence on US alternative rock as it burst into the mainstream in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Natalie Hemby Making “Herstory” at AmericanaFest
Natalie Hemby professes her love for Nashville, where this Highwoman has experienced ups and downs but seems ready to hit the high notes now.
The Body and BIG|BRAVE Conjure Dark Folk Magic on Captivating ‘Leaving None But Small Birds’
The Body and BIG|BRAVE’s Leaving None But Small Birds is a rich, elemental, and engrossing slice of doom-laden American folk music.
Sam Johnson’s ‘Along the Dark Edges of Everything’ Is an Auspicious Debut Album
Sam Johnson led Boston punks Choke Up but now delivers a stirring collection of Americana exploring darkness and light on Along the Dark Edges of Everything.
Jana Rush’s ‘Painful Enlightenment’ Exists on Footwork’s Outer Edges
Jana Rush’s new album addresses mental health issues and exists gingerly on footwork’s outer edges, suggesting the genre without quite hardening into it.
Soda Sun’s “Grape Juice” Joins Calexico and Amos Lee in ‘Luz de Vida II’ Compilation (premiere)
Tucson’s Soda Sun contribute their heartfelt folk tune, “Grape Juice”, to Luz de Vida II: A Compilation to Benefit Homicide Survivors.
10 Years Later Demi Lovato’s ‘Unbroken’ Is Still Some of Their Best Work
Even as Unbroken remains some of Demi Lovato’s best work, the artist would come to outgrow the sounds they experimented with on their third album.
The Brilliance of Brothertiger’s Secret Instrumental Masterpieces
After a year of livestreaming and a personal setback, there’s no better time to appreciate the quietly underrated instrumental trilogy Brothertiger created amidst the pandemic.