Growing up listening to sludge-metal and goth-rock, drag queen Katya rose from complete obscurity to become a multi-hyphenate comedy icon. With the release of an album deeply indebted to industrial metal, guided meditations, and Russian dance-pop, she finds solace in giving us the truly unexpected.
The man behind the Dream Syndicate and Miracle 3 reflects on his wild solo career with a definitive box set. But not even that can match the stories Steve Wynn has to tell.
The frontman of "the most fucked-up country band in Nashville" returns Lambchop to their roots on TRIP. Each group member picked a classic song and was bandleader for a day, resulting in a record that reveals Lambchop's core influences in striking new light.
On Trouble and Strife, Joan Osborne goes Americana and interviews immigrants and tells a story of persevering in these extraordinary and difficult times. Osborne chronicles what she sees and challenges listeners to take action.
Signed to Nettwerk Records after she took her musical pursuits to LA, Boston's Rosie Darling debuts as a singer-songwriter who brings a soothing voice and peace of mind to these turbulent times.
Classically trained pianist Holly Bowling is releasing her latest recording of Grateful Dead songs in a few weeks. PopMatters catches up with the virtuoso to discuss the intersection of jazz and rock with classical technique.
Ill Scholars MC Mattic and Johnny Madwreck, among hip-hop's newest (though seasoned) progenies, offer an explosive debut album full of heavy, jazz-laden hip-hop.
Rock goddess Cathy Richardson speaks out about honoring the legacy of Paul Kantner, songwriting with Grace Slick for the Jefferson Starship's new album, and rocking the vote to dump Trump.
Surfer Blood's 2010 debut put them on the map, but their critical sizzle soon faded. After a 2017 comeback of sorts, the group's new record finds them expanding their sonic by revisiting their hometown with a surprising degree of reverence.
Grammy-winning jazz composer Maria Schneider released Data Lords partly as a reaction to her outrage that streaming music services are harvesting the data of listeners even as they pay musicians so little that creativity is at risk. She speaks with us about the project.
From creating the title role in The Wiz to winning an Emmy for Ain't Misbehavin', André De Shields reflects on his roles in more than four decades of iconic musicals, including the GRAMMY and Tony Award-winning Hadestown.
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.
British rocker Peter Frampton grew up fast before reaching meteoric heights with Frampton Comes Alive! Now the 70-year-old Grammy-winning artist facing a degenerative muscle condition looks back on his life in his new memoir and this revealing interview.
Seductively approachable, Gamblers' sunny sound masks the tragedy and despair that populate the band's debut album.
Peter Guralnick's homage to writing about music, 'Looking to Get Lost', shows how good music writing gets the music into the readers' head.
The Reign of Kindo's Joseph Secchiaroli delves deep into their latest single and future plans, as well as how COVID-19 has affected not only the band but America as a whole.
Jukebox the Ghost's Tommy Siegel discusses his "500 Comics in 500 Days" project, which is now a new book, I Hope This Helps.
PopMatters recently dialed in with synthpop maestro Vince Clarke to discuss the 35-year history of Erasure and their most recent album, The Neon.
Mipso present a new music video that shows signs of perseverance and determination that they possess as versatile and accomplished musicians ready to release the fifth album in their nine-year career.
Becky Warren finds slivers of humor while addressing depression for the third time in as many solo concept albums, but now the daring artist is turning the focus on herself in a fight against a frightful foe.
From Renegade Soundwave to Renegade Connection, electronic legend Gary Asquith talks about how he continues to produce infectiously innovative music.
With the release of his seventh solo album, Late Night Laments, Tim Bowness explores global tensions and considers how musicians can best foster mutual understanding in times of social unrest.
Afro Transcendentalist Laraaji prepares his second album of 2020, the meditative Moon Piano, recorded inside a Brooklyn church. The record is an example of what the artist refers to as "pulling music from the sky".
Rodd Rathjen's directorial feature debut, Buoyancy, seeks to give a voice to the voiceless men and boys who are victims of slavery in Southeast Asia.
Influenced by the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Blitzen Trapper's new album Holy Smokes, Future Jokes plumbs the comedic horror of the human condition.
How does Chris Smither play guitar that way? What impact does New Orleans have on his music? He might not be able to answer those questions directly but he can sure write a song about it.
Singer-songwriter Alexander Wren's "The Earth Is Flat" is a less a flat-earther's anthem and more a wry examination of heartache.
Bass giant Brian Bromberg revisits his 2012 tribute to Jimi Hendrix 50 years after his passing, and reflects on the impact Hendrix's music has had on generations.
Having composed for blockbuster films and ballet, Ilan Eshkeri discusses how powerful emotional narratives and the opportunity for creative freedom drew him to triple-A video game Ghost of Tsushima.
Bruce Springsteen's music in film and television captured author Caroline Madden's imagination. She discuses her book, Springsteen as Soundtrack, and other things Springsteen in this interview.
After her prized 2017 film, Mala Junta (Bad Influence) displayed the oppression of the indigenous Mapuche people in Chile, filmmaker Claudia Huaiquimilla's work continues to dig into her country's deeply entrenched inequalities.
When the Blind Melon vocalist Shannon Hoon died in 1995, he left behind a tape archive that captured him in his most intimate moments. Directors Danny Clinch, Taryn Gould, and Colleen Hennessy discuss the beauty and tragedy of the musician's life.
Journalist Brian Cullman teams with members of Ollabelle for an LP that serves as a testament to his friendship with the late Jimi Zhivago.
The Sea and Cake frontman Sam Prekop discusses process on his latest solo record, Comma, noting that its creation "has definitely changed my focus for the better and created new and interesting challenges -- and not have it feel like dopey electronic music".
A moody new record reflecting our times, an instrumental fundraiser for charity, and cycling escapes to Rockaway Beach. Brothertiger is back with his first new studio full-length in years, and he can't wait for us to share in his emotional journey.
Joshua van Tassel plays a modern version of one of the earliest electronic instruments: the Ondes Martenot. He discusses the calm, beautiful album he's written for it, Dance Music Volume II: More Songs for Slow Motion.
"Lucy's song was written in the dark days of the shutdown. Lucy has a way of inviting people in. I was thrilled when she played it for me," says Suzzy Roche.
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