Kiwi Jr. Brighten Their Sound on ‘Chopper’
Kiwi Jr. brighten their C-86-inspired sound with synthesizers, adding a new-wave tint that makes its cheeriness on Chopper shine.
sub pop
With Another Life-Affirming Jolt, Guerilla Toss Remind Us That We’re All ‘Famously Alive’
Quirky art-rock outfit Guerilla Toss sacrifice little of their magnificent strangeness by leaning mainstream on their Sub Pop debut, Famously Alive.
Ya Tseen Makes Socially Vital Indie Pop on ‘Indian Yard’
Ya Tseen’s vision on Indian Yard is expansive and yet feels fully realized. It’s hard to imagine an album covering more ground and still striking such a precise balance of cohesion and variety.
Chad VanGaalen Finds Fertile Ground on ‘World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener’
Chad VanGaalen’s World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener has elements of hurt and darkness, but he sounds at ease in his ever-changing musical gambits.
Clipping Take a Stab at Horrorcore with the Fiery ‘Visions of Bodies Being Burned’
Clipping's latest album, Visions of Bodies Being Burned, is a terrifying, razor-sharp sequel to their previous ode to the horror film genre.
L7’s ‘Smell the Magic’ Is 30 and Packs a Feminist Punch
Abortion is under threat again, and there's a sex offender in the Oval Office. A fitting time, in short, to crank up the righteously angry vocals of feminist hard rock heavy hitters like L7.
Wolf Parade’s ‘Apologies to the Queen Mary’ Turns 15
Wolf Parade's debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary, is an indie rock classic. It's a testament to how creative, vital, and exciting the indie rock scene felt in the 2000s.
Shabazz Palaces Bring the Funk on “Bad Bitch Walking” (premiere)
A sultry, locomotive shuffle of hip-hop and hot blue funk, Shabazz Palaces' "Bad Bitch Walking" features Ishmael Butler as a susurrating lover whose languid gaze of a woman is slowly supplanted by the erotic ellipses of female motion.
Hip-Hop Since the Don of Rhyme: Shabazz Palaces’ ‘The Don of Diamond Dreams’
With the release of Shabazz Palaces’ The Don of Diamond Dreams, producer-rapper Ishmael Butler envisions yet another lunar world of sound disturbed by his anxieties and desires.
Bully’s ‘SUGAREGG’ Is Loud and Noisy
The good news is that Bully are still loud and noisy on SUGAREGG. That's what makes them such a great live band. Alicia Bognanno explodes with energy.
Washed Out’s ‘Purple Noon’ Supplies Reassurance and Comfort
Washed Out's Purple Noon makes an argument against cynicism simply by existing and sounding as good as it does.
Omni Bring Old-School Post-Punk to the Modern World with ‘Networker’
With a move to a Sub Pop Records, Atlanta post-punkers Omni go for a more understated, stripped down affair on their third album, Networker.
