Johanna Warren’s ‘Lessons for Mutants’ Is Beautiful and Uncategorizable
Johanna Warren’s Lessons for Mutants is state of the art. It rings with an uncategorizable quality that our age seems not to value very much, to our own peril: beauty.
alternative pop
Natalia Lafourcade Finds the Heart in Darkness
Mexican pop-rock and folk singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade releases her first album of original songs in seven years and tells PopMatters all about it.
Sobs’ ‘Air Guitar’ Singapore Pop-Rock With Fortitude
Sobs’ Air Guitar is a jubilant, unapologetic salute to dynamic pop-rock for listeners who prefer their bubblegum with a bit more fortitude and viscosity.
Magdalena Bay Warmly Welcome Visitors to Explore Their ‘Mercurial World’
What stranger things can happen to Magdalena Bay after transforming from prog-rock high schoolers to an electro/synthpop pair? Time will tell how far they go.
POP Montreal International Music Festival 2022
For POP Montreal 2022 over 400 artists and 60,000 fans spread out across five days and dozens of venues across Quebec’s most storied city.
Boyfriend’s ‘Sugar & Spice’ Is a Bold and Varied Blend of Pop and Hip-Hop
Boyfriend’s Sugar & Spice is full of maximalist pop and hip-hop. It delights in obliterating traditional gender roles and celebrates anything-goes sexuality.
Jockstrap Stretch Pop Music and the Notation of Genre
Jockstrap’s experimental pop makes their debut I Love You Jennifer a bewildering yet rewarding listen. Jockstrap play with expectations to keep listeners on their toes.
Rina Sawayama’s ‘Hold the Girl’ Is a Raw Coming-of-Age Tale
Beneath the dance-pop, Rina Sawayama’s Hold the Girl is a liberating saga of growth, maturity, and forgiveness branded in the form of an alt-pop album.
Producer Eyedress Is Everything Right With Bedroom Pop on ‘Full Time Lover’
Eyedress’ Full Time Lover takes up-to-date pop sensibilities and keeps them moving in new ways that are not just creatively fruitful but genuinely fun.
OH MY GIRL’s ‘Real Love’ Holds Appeal for Britney Spears Fans
If there is such a thing as “alternative K-pop”, OH MY GIRL are strong contenders for the title of this genre’s queens.
DYLYN Soars with Flying Colors Finding Beauty in “Bring on the Blues”
Alt-rocker DYLYN returns with the gorgeous title track of a splendid six-song EP that signals she’s here to stay. She discusses her music and premieres “Bring on the Blues”.
Hatchie Boldly Embraces Uncertainty on ‘Giving the World Away’
By letting her existential anxieties take center stage, Hatchie embraces alt-pop sensibilities on Giving the World Away to process life and loss in all its messy glory.
