Recent

For the People: Bush-Era Protest Songs and the Promise of Web 2.0

Remember when Bright Eyes' "When the President Talks to God" and TV on the Radio's "Dry Drunk Emperor" protested George W. Bush? And when the Internet was full of promise for the best of humankind?

Music

Say It Loud! 100 Great Protest Songs: Part 5 - Bright Eyes to Childish Gambino

PopMatters has scoured the musical spectrum for the best examples of the protest song form, including anthems of great popularity and obscurity alike. Our list concludes today with the most recent examples of important protest music.

Music

The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s: 40-21

From breathtaking reformulations of shoegaze to British soul revival, this batch of stellar recordings from the 2000s is an eclectic one.

Music

Conor Oberst: Upside Down Mountain

Conor Oberst steers clear from social prognosis or overbearing attempts at change, focusing more on what broke him into the mainstream’s eye in the first place.

Music

Conor Oberst - "Hundreds of Ways" (stream)

Bright Eyes frontman releases a freewheeling, genre-jumping single from his forthcoming solo album.

Music

Desaparecidos + Little Brazil: 9 August 2012 - Minneapolis, MN

Desaparecidos, Conor Oberst's post-hardcore band, officially reunited and kicked off their tour in fiery fashion.

Reviews

They'll Be Your Emmylou: An Interview with First Aid Kit

These Swedish sisters are barely in their 20s, but now with their second album acknowledging country's storied past, they get big help from the likes of Mike Mogis, the Felice Brothers, and Conor Oberst. The ladies sit down with PopMatters to tell us all about their wonderful journey ...

Music

M. Ward: A Wasteland Companion

Three years since his last solo album, the prolific, melodic M. Ward goes out on his own again (with only some minor supporting appearances from Zooey Deschanel).

Music

First Aid Kit: The Lion's Roar

At its best, The Lion’s Roar is a staggering beautiful recreation of the sounds of Americana long gone, with a few added sprinkles and melodramatic twists that contribute extra dimension and weight to the material.

Music

Bright Eyes Get Spirited in a Graveyard

Conor Oberst peels back the petulance to reveal a great performer.

Melissa Bobbitt

Reviews

Bright Eyes: The People's Key

On The People's Key, Conor Oberst bids farewell to an adolescence marked by histrionics and artistic restlessness. Even enfants terribles have to grow up sometime.

Music

'Freedom' Explores What It Means to be Good

Walter's situation is indicative of that which all of Franzen’s characters face: How to negotiate our better selves against the tug of monetary gain, sexual desire, and the competitive streak that so often both defines and undoes us all.

Reviews

Jesse Harris: Through the Night

The through-line of Through the Night seems to be a pared-down, unfussy approach to music that clearly comes from the heart.

Jennifer Cooke

Music

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band: Outer South

Conor Oberst's post-Bright Eyes growing pains continue with an overstuffed, half-baked album that feels more like a compilation.

Music

Pop Ten

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

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

MetalMatters: October 2019 - What's That Noise?

Jackie Chan's 10 Best Films

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 5: 20 - 1

Collapse Expand Pop Ten

Mixed Media

Collapse Expand Mixed Media

PM Picks

Collapse Expand Pm Picks

For the People: Bush-Era Protest Songs and the Promise of Web 2.0

Remember when Bright Eyes' "When the President Talks to God" and TV on the Radio's "Dry Drunk Emperor" protested George W. Bush? And when the Internet was full of promise for the best of humankind?

The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s: 40-21

From breathtaking reformulations of shoegaze to British soul revival, this batch of stellar recordings from the 2000s is an eclectic one.

Conor Oberst: Upside Down Mountain

Conor Oberst steers clear from social prognosis or overbearing attempts at change, focusing more on what broke him into the mainstream’s eye in the first place.

Conor Oberst - "Hundreds of Ways" (stream)

Bright Eyes frontman releases a freewheeling, genre-jumping single from his forthcoming solo album.

Desaparecidos + Little Brazil: 9 August 2012 - Minneapolis, MN

Desaparecidos, Conor Oberst's post-hardcore band, officially reunited and kicked off their tour in fiery fashion.

They'll Be Your Emmylou: An Interview with First Aid Kit

These Swedish sisters are barely in their 20s, but now with their second album acknowledging country's storied past, they get big help from the likes of Mike Mogis, the Felice Brothers, and Conor Oberst. The ladies sit down with PopMatters to tell us all about their wonderful journey ...

M. Ward: A Wasteland Companion

Three years since his last solo album, the prolific, melodic M. Ward goes out on his own again (with only some minor supporting appearances from Zooey Deschanel).

First Aid Kit: The Lion's Roar

At its best, The Lion’s Roar is a staggering beautiful recreation of the sounds of Americana long gone, with a few added sprinkles and melodramatic twists that contribute extra dimension and weight to the material.

Bright Eyes Get Spirited in a Graveyard

Conor Oberst peels back the petulance to reveal a great performer.

Bright Eyes: The People's Key

On The People's Key, Conor Oberst bids farewell to an adolescence marked by histrionics and artistic restlessness. Even enfants terribles have to grow up sometime.

Bright Eyes Announce 2011 Tour

'Freedom' Explores What It Means to be Good

Walter's situation is indicative of that which all of Franzen’s characters face: How to negotiate our better selves against the tug of monetary gain, sexual desire, and the competitive streak that so often both defines and undoes us all.

Jesse Harris: Through the Night

The through-line of Through the Night seems to be a pared-down, unfussy approach to music that clearly comes from the heart.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band: Outer South

Conor Oberst's post-Bright Eyes growing pains continue with an overstuffed, half-baked album that feels more like a compilation.

Conor Oberst releases first "solo" record since his preteens

MetalMatters: October 2019 - What's That Noise?

Mike Zito Taps Walter Trout For Cover of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" (premiere)

David Lynch's 'Lost Highway' Loosens Our Grip on What and Whom We Think We Know

On Making Sense of the World at Jack Kerouac's Directive

Mark Erelli's Infectious New Single, "Her Town Now" Echoes Tom Petty and John Prine (premiere + interview)

Art Pop's Elk City Explores Truth and Beauty With "Pity of a Rose" (premiere + interview)

Sarah Peacock's "Lady MacGyver" Celebrates Female Ingenuity (premiere)

Mike Zito Taps Walter Trout For Cover of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" (premiere)

Brother Hawk Bring Southern Rock Into the Next Century With "Like Water" (premiere)

Kae Astra Celebrates Letting Go With "Grow" (premiere)

Punk Rock's V98 Channel Their Fury Stunningly on "Conversation Killer" (premiere)

Americana's Midnight North Take the "Long View" with New Single (premiere)