Good Thing Melvin Van Peebles Ignored All That Dumb-Ass Safe Advice
Melvin Van Peebles’ life and art are about breaking the rules, ignoring society’s “wise” advice, and following your heart.
PopMatters Picks
Melvins Go Acoustic But Still Sound Somehow Like, Well, the Melvins
At its finest, Melvins’ Five-Legged Dog is downright transgressive, suggesting all sorts of alternate-history narratives for these Washington-bred weirdos.
Billy Porter Gets Real in Memoir ‘Unprotected’
Divine but not a diva, Billy Porter struggles and revels in the Ministry of Art. Memoir Unprotected is his book of revelation.
Pokey LaFarge Happily Dwells ‘In the Blossom of Their Shade’
Pokey LaFarge’s mix of esoteric styles takes him all over the planet, from the doo-wop city streets of big cities to the tropical climate of the Caribbean.
Remi Wolf Sees the World in New Bold Colors on ‘Juno’
On her debut album Juno, Remi Wolf confirms her status as one of pop’s biggest partiers, each song couched in a sense of wonder and risk.
BadBadNotGood Spead Their Wings on the Ambitious ‘Talk Memory’
Canadian jazz/hip-hop band BadBadNotGood’s Talk Memory sees them ascend towards more bold and elaborate heights than ever before.
Hip-Hop Matters: The Best Hip-Hop of September 2021
These are the best hip-hop albums released this September, including new records from Little Simz, Injury Reserve, Moor Mother, and Blu.
Moor Mother Makes Accessible and Challenging Music on ‘Black Encyclopedia of the Air’
Black Encyclopedia of the Air from Philly-based poet and musician Moor Mother fuses activist hip-hop with a warm, jazzy groove and an experimental spirit.
Ulla’s ‘Limitless Frame’ Is Spine-Tingling and Hair-Raising in the Gentlest Sense
Ulla’s Limitless Frame is spine-tingling and hair-raising in the gentlest sense, about as far from “wallpaper” music as ambient can be. This is her most intimate record yet.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/MetalMatters/Music/Music Features/Music Reviews/PopMatters Picks
MetalMatters: The Best New Heavy Albums of September 2021
Here we are with the September crop of the best heavy music, featuring everything across the board from extreme metal to noise and post-rock.
All Things Reconsidered/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/My Favorite Thing/PopMatters Picks/Television
’70s TV Horror/Mystery ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ Keeps Crawling from Its Grave
Horror-mystery TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker has a sour take on society that hasn’t dated since the ’70s; hence, its eternal afterlife.