Reviews

Andrew Bird Lets the Rock Roll and Flies High in Oakland

Andrew Bird takes one of the year's best albums, My Finest Work Yet, on the road and delivers a stellar live version in its entirety with dynamic backing band.

Events

Ludicrous Irony in Scorsese's 'The Irishman'

With its big performances and stellar script, The Irishman is the glorious culmination of Scorsese's lifelong fascination with mobsters and their built-in self-destruction.

Film

Sady Doyle Is a Witch. So What Are You Afraid Of?

You'll want to share Sady Doyle's Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers, a #PMPick, with the rest of your coven and all the little girls in your orbit.

Books

The Horror and the Humor in Liz Phair's 'Horror Stories'

In her music industry memoir, Horror Stories, Liz Phair has a knack for imbuing the ordinary with a weighty and relatable significance.

Books

The Sensational Barnes Brothers Build a Legacy with 'Nobody's Fault But My Own'

With their gospel soul, the Sensational Barnes Brothers kick off a new label with an old sound, providing good news for everyone.

Music

Bruce Springsteen's 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' Calls Out to Us

Bruce Springsteen's 1995 album, The Ghost of Tom Joad, inherited and built upon some powerful 20th century American literary, political, and pop culture themes. Can we hear its haunting call in these times?

Music

Michael Kiwanuka Journeys Into His Soul

Soulful British folk rocker Michael Kiwanuka brings listeners along for an evocative sonic journey on his new album, Kiwanuku.

Music

Sjöblom's 'Palimpsest' Is Visually Unlike Most Graphic Memoirs

The title of Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom's graphic memoir, Palimpsest, is an excellent metaphor for adoption generally and especially the literally erased and rewritten documents that define many Korean adoptions. But it is also a visual metaphor.

Books

Jazz, Soul, and a Whole Lot More with the Souljazz Orchestra

The Souljazz Orchestra confront current political realities with a mix of reggae, ska, disco, and punk -- plus some jazz and soul, of course -- on Chaos Theories.

Music

Stereolab Reissue Their Classics: 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup'

Now is the perfect time to reacquaint -- or acquaint -- yourself with Stereolab's landmark 1996 album, Emperor Tomato Ketchup.

Music

With 'Cape Disappointment' Aaron Semer Shows Why He Is the Singer-Songwriter We All Need

Americana/folk artist, Aaron Semer's second solo album, Cape Disappointment, is a blunt, direct work on living and loving in our turbulent times.

Music

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Paint a Portrait of a Grieving Parent on 'Ghosteen'

The anguish a parent feels for losing their child is harrowing and Ghosteen masterfully captures Nick Cave's grief and spiraling rumination on mortality.

Music

On Steve Almond's Feeling-Fueled Rant on John Williams' 'Stoner'

Sink into the metatextual delights of a touchstone ranting about his own touchstone with Steve Almond's Stoner and the Battle for the Inner Life.

Books

With a New Covers Project, Juliana Hatfield Sets Her Sights on the Police

Continuing her take on artist-themed covers albums, Juliana Hatfield takes a stab at the Police songbook, with unique, marvelous results.

Music

'Cheap Queen' Establishes King Princess' Talent

Cheap Queen undoubtedly establishes King Princess' talent, but it encounters issues with contrived affectations and productions that show less experimentation than seen on previous singles.

Music

Quiet Desires in Allison Anders' 'Gas Food Lodging'

Allison Anders' Gas Food Lodging gives us such compelling characters that we cannot help but sit and observe them.

Film

A Winged Victory for the Sullen's 'The Undivided Five' Is a Breathtaking Album Full of Subtlety

Each track of ambient duo A Winged Victory for the Sullen's The Undivided Five captures the sound of two exceptional musicians drawing in deep musical breaths and then exhaling something of lasting ethereal beauty.

Music

Beats, Glitches and Melody: Oval's 'Eksploio' Is a Rich, Modern Treat for the Ears

Electronic musician Markus Popp continues to make warm, creative and adventurous electronic music under the Oval moniker with his new EP, Eksploio.

Music

Pop Meets Soul Meets Experimentation in Sequoyah Murray's Debut

Atlanta's Sequoyah Murray has delivered one of the best albums of 2019 with his extraordinary debut Before You Begin.

Music

A Move to LA Has Had a Profound Effect on Synthpop's Black Marble

Black Marble leaves behind the obscure, lo-fi, and dim essence of the past for the brighter, more melodic, synthpoppy Bigger Than Life.

Music

'Little Common Twist' Is an Odd Thing of Pastoral Beauty from Charles Rumback and Ryley Walker

On their first collaboration since 2016, a meeting of experimental musical minds has produced an album full of quiet, off-kilter introspection.

Music

Sunn O))) Revisit the World of 'Life Metal' with 'Pyroclasts'

The companion piece to Sunn O)))'s masterful Life Metal completes the most organic and minimal chapter in the drone masters' journey.

Music

Mikal Cronin Finds the Groundwork for a Classic with 'Seeker'

After some adventurous wilderness time, Mikal Cronin builds on his indie rock style to draft a compelling new direction with Seeker.

Music

The Doors' 'Soft Parade' Gets the Deluxe Edition Treatment and a Chance for Reassessment

The Doors' fourth album was a deeply polarizing work and perhaps their most difficult to love. But the 50^th anniversary deluxe edition goes a long way in spotlighting its many highlights.

Music

Pop Ten

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 1: 100 - 81

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

Jackie Chan's 10 Best Films

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '90s - Part 1 (100 - 81)

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Mixed Media

Collapse Expand Mixed Media

PM Picks

Collapse Expand Pm Picks

Andrew Bird takes one of the year's best albums, My Finest Work Yet, on the road and delivers a stellar live version in its entirety with dynamic backing band.

With its big performances and stellar script, The Irishman is the glorious culmination of Scorsese's lifelong fascination with mobsters and their built-in self-destruction.

You'll want to share Sady Doyle's Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers, a #PMPick, with the rest of your coven and all the little girls in your orbit.

In her music industry memoir, Horror Stories, Liz Phair has a knack for imbuing the ordinary with a weighty and relatable significance.

With their gospel soul, the Sensational Barnes Brothers kick off a new label with an old sound, providing good news for everyone.

Bruce Springsteen's 1995 album, The Ghost of Tom Joad, inherited and built upon some powerful 20th century American literary, political, and pop culture themes. Can we hear its haunting call in these times?

Soulful British folk rocker Michael Kiwanuka brings listeners along for an evocative sonic journey on his new album, Kiwanuku.

The title of Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom's graphic memoir, Palimpsest, is an excellent metaphor for adoption generally and especially the literally erased and rewritten documents that define many Korean adoptions. But it is also a visual metaphor.

The Souljazz Orchestra confront current political realities with a mix of reggae, ska, disco, and punk -- plus some jazz and soul, of course -- on Chaos Theories.

Now is the perfect time to reacquaint -- or acquaint -- yourself with Stereolab's landmark 1996 album, Emperor Tomato Ketchup.

Americana/folk artist, Aaron Semer's second solo album, Cape Disappointment, is a blunt, direct work on living and loving in our turbulent times.

The anguish a parent feels for losing their child is harrowing and Ghosteen masterfully captures Nick Cave's grief and spiraling rumination on mortality.

Sink into the metatextual delights of a touchstone ranting about his own touchstone with Steve Almond's Stoner and the Battle for the Inner Life.

Continuing her take on artist-themed covers albums, Juliana Hatfield takes a stab at the Police songbook, with unique, marvelous results.

Cheap Queen undoubtedly establishes King Princess' talent, but it encounters issues with contrived affectations and productions that show less experimentation than seen on previous singles.

Allison Anders' Gas Food Lodging gives us such compelling characters that we cannot help but sit and observe them.

Each track of ambient duo A Winged Victory for the Sullen's The Undivided Five captures the sound of two exceptional musicians drawing in deep musical breaths and then exhaling something of lasting ethereal beauty.

Electronic musician Markus Popp continues to make warm, creative and adventurous electronic music under the Oval moniker with his new EP, Eksploio.

Atlanta's Sequoyah Murray has delivered one of the best albums of 2019 with his extraordinary debut Before You Begin.

Black Marble leaves behind the obscure, lo-fi, and dim essence of the past for the brighter, more melodic, synthpoppy Bigger Than Life.

On their first collaboration since 2016, a meeting of experimental musical minds has produced an album full of quiet, off-kilter introspection.

The companion piece to Sunn O)))'s masterful Life Metal completes the most organic and minimal chapter in the drone masters' journey.

After some adventurous wilderness time, Mikal Cronin builds on his indie rock style to draft a compelling new direction with Seeker.

The Doors' fourth album was a deeply polarizing work and perhaps their most difficult to love. But the 50th anniversary deluxe edition goes a long way in spotlighting its many highlights.

The Doors' fourth album was a deeply polarizing work and perhaps their most difficult to love. But the 50^th anniversary deluxe edition goes a long way in spotlighting its many highlights.