Joe Wong, the composer behind Netflix's Russian Doll and Master of None, articulates personal grief and grappling with artistic fulfillment into a sweeping debut album.
French singer-songwriter Tiphanie Doucet gives a glimpse of her upcoming EP, Painted Blue, via the sublimely sentimental ode, "You and I".
PopMatters Picks Playlist features the electropop of WEIRDO, Brooklyn chillwavers Psychobuildings, the clever alt-pop of Lili Pistorius, visceral post-punk from Sapphire Blues, Team Solo's ska-pop confection, and dubby beats from Ink Project.
What sets experimental pop's Jonnine apart on Blue Hills is her attention to detail, her poetic lyricism, and the indelibly personal touch her sound bears.
PopMatters Picks Playlist features the electropop of Bamboo Smoke, LIA ICES' stunning dream folk, Polish producer SOUNDQ, the indie pop of Pylon Heights, a timely message from Exit Kid, and Natalie McCool's latest alt-pop banger.
The Grahams' sweet-sounding "Don't Give Your Heart Away" is rooted in struggle, inspired by the couples' complicated journey leading up to their daughter's birth.
Australian alt-pop singer-songwriter, merci, mercy shares a video for her catchy, sophisticated anthem, "Fall Apart".
Irish alt-pop singer-songwriter Rebekah Fitch possesses a powerful and moving voice filled with emotion, and her latest single "Dust" is a gorgeous elegy on loss.
BAERS are a new pop-rock band out of Germany that marry cabaret-esque vocals to funky bass, hook-filled hummable choruses, and a dash of Weimar flair on "Augen Zu".
Denmark's GOSS is a rising electropop artist with a penchant for creating anthemic earworms, with "Everybody's Going" the latest.
"Better Off" highlights alternative pop's Ty Trehern's marriage of dark and light. "There is a difference between wants and needs," he says.
St. South has released a debut album full of raw emotions and intimate bedroom pop. Get Well Soon is a loose concept record about a breakup and the variety of responses it produces.
Norwegian indie pop duo, the Ella Sisters create a new feminist anthem of female empowerment with "Queens".
Los Angeles alt-pop artist Luna Shadows confronts contemporary anxieties with a bit of light nostalgia on her new single, "The Nineties".
British alternative pop singer-songwriter Ben Kidson blends punk and pop on his warm and hook-filled new single, "(When I) Runaway".
Electropop's Amethysts share their new single, "Alone", a gently understated, gleaming pop gem that gently drips into your subconcious.
Cajun popsters Sweet Crude share a new video for "Impuissance" featuring the stirring vocals of Alexis Marceaux and celebrating the intersection of tradition and innovation.
Washed Out's Purple Noon makes an argument against cynicism simply by existing and sounding as good as it does.
Rufus Wainwright has done Judy Garland, Shakespeare, and opera, so now it's time for Rufus to rediscover Rufus on Unfollow the Rules.
Former Teeth & Tongue singer-songwriter Jess Cornelius' Distance is an enrapturing collection of punchy garage-rock, delicate folk, and arty synthpop anthems which examine liminal spaces between us.
Shifting gears from aspiring electropop princess to rock 'n' rule dream queen, Toronto's DYLYN is re-examining her life while searching for truth with a new song and a very scary-good music video.
Nnamdï's BRAT is a labyrinth detailing the insular journey of a young, eclectic DIY artist who takes on the weighty responsibility of reaching a point where he can do what he loves for a living.
With Every Bad, Porridge Radio seduce us with the vulnerability and existential confusion of Dana Margolin's deathly beautiful lyricism interweaved with alluring pop melodies.
On Pray for It, Canadian alt-poppers July Talk show they understand the complex dualities that make up our lives.
On Taylor Swift's Folklore, the omnipresent, world-conquering princess of self-mythology embraces a brooding post-pop texture that strikes a balance between lusty exuberance and indie-folky introspection.
Acclaimed guitarist and composer Gregory Uhlmann charms and confounds with his gorgeous, layered sophomore solo album, Neighborhood Watch.
VEAUX's Aaron Wagner wrote their latest single, "Tell Me That You Love Me", as a direct response to his experiences growing up as a Black liberal in a white conservative town.
100 gecs' follow up their debut with a "remix album" stuffed with features, remixes, covers, and a couple of new recordings. But don't worry, it's just as blissfully difficult as their debut.
Two days before releasing their second album, LA-based pop-rock sextet Paper Jackets present a seemingly prescient music video that finds a way to ease your pain during these hard times.
Indie pop's Fuller delivers the infectious "Crush Me" from an upcoming EP. "It's about knowing that I might fail, but not fearing failure, because never trying would be the biggest failure of all."
Gordi's Our Two Skins chronicles difficulties and revelations against a backdrop of electronic-inspired folk.
Symbiosis shows Nathalie Bruno (Drift.) wiping the mascara, leaving the dance floor, and striking out for solitude, occasionally dragging a few beats with her.
Indie popper Easy Love previews her new LP Wander Feeler with "Cool Type's" shimmering pop perfection.
Belgian avant-rockers Aksak Maboul bring their stylized shapeshifting to the 21st century with the new album Figures.
From emotive funk and pastoral folk to bright electropop and soulful pop, Phoebe Katis skillfully balances contemplative, fragile melodies with catchy, uptempo hooks.
Sublime harmonies and constant innovation make Ohmme's Fantasize Your Ghost an impressive work of modern indie rock art.
Sweden's Freja the Dragon has toured with Peter Björn and John, and on Long Gone Girl, she partners Björn Yttlin to craft her exemplary debut showcasing her mesmerizing brand of art pop.
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