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The Reign of Kindo Discuss Why We're Truly "Better Off Together"

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.

Music

Tiphanie Doucet's "You and I" Is an Exercise in Pastoral Poignancy (premiere)

French singer-songwriter Tiphanie Doucet gives a glimpse of her upcoming EP, Painted Blue, via the sublimely sentimental ode, "You and I".

Music

Sufjan Stevens' 'The Ascension' Is Mostly Captivating

Even though Sufjan Stevens' The Ascension is sometimes too formulaic or trivial to linger, it's still a very good, enjoyable effort.

Jordan Blum
Music

Will Wood Works His Madcap Magic on "BlackBoxWarrior - OKULTRA [Live in Studio]" (premiere)

Mixing characteristic singer-songwriter refinement with wacky orchestral flair, "BlackBoxWarrior - OKULTRA" demonstrates what makes Will Wood's The Normal Album so praiseworthy.

Music

GOD's 'God IV - Revelation' Is a Towering Feat of Theologically-Tinged Prog Metal (album stream)

GOD's God IV - Revelation is beautiful and brutal in equal measure. It's a masterful series of compositions. Hear it in full today before tomorrow's release.

Music

'Switched-On Seeker' Is an Imaginative Electronic Reimagining of Mikal Cronin's Latest LP

Listeners who prefer dense rock/pop timbres will no doubt prefer Mikal Cronin's 'Seeker'. However, 'Switched-On Seeker' will surely delight fans of smaller-scale electronic filters.

Music

Rush's 'Permanent Waves' Endures with Faultless Commercial Complexity

Forty years later, Rush's ability to strike a nearly perfect balance between mainstream invitingness and exclusory complexity is even more evident and remarkable. The progressive rock classic, Permanent Waves, is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Music

The 1975's 'Notes on a Conditional Form' Is Laudably Thought-Provoking and Thrilling

The 1975 follow A Brief Inquiry... with an even more intriguing, sprawling, and chameleonic song suite. Notes on a Conditional Form shows a level of unquenchable ambition, creativity, and outspoken curiosity that's rarely felt in popular music today.

Music

There Are No Slip-Ups on Badly Drawn Boy's 'Banana Skin Shoes'

After a ten-year hiatus, British pop master Badly Drawn Boy returns with a wonderful mix of cathartic quandaries and boisterous quirks on Banana Skin Shoes.

Reviews

Sparks Still Ignite with 'A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip'

After nearly 50 years and two dozen albums, Sparks continue their reign of resonantly quirky art pop-rock delights on A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip.

Music

Zeshan B Mixes Irresistible Music and Important Real World Musings on "Only in My Dreams" (premiere)

Zeshan B's latest track "Only in My Dreams" is full of hooks and heart. He says that the melody "arrived in a dream during a period plagued by insomnia, undiagnosed sleep apnea, and severe depression".

Jordan Blum
Music

Ayreon Preview 'Electric Castle Live' Concert Film with "Amazing Flight" (premiere)

Dutch progressive metal maestro Arjen Anthony Lucassen takes us on a stellar journey with "Amazing Flight" from the upcoming live performance of his third—and possibly best—Ayreon voyage to date.

Music

Once & Future Band Delight with the Dense Psychedelic Pop Spectacle of "Freaks" (premiere)

"Freaks", the latest single from psych-popsters, Once & Future Band, is a triumphant blend of mesmeric harmonies and vibrant celebration.

Music

Green Day Struggle to Survive on 'Father of All'

Green Day's Father of All is too short, superficial, and samey to have any lasting impact.

Books

Stephen Tow's 'London, Reign Over Me' Is a Must-Read Tour of '60s British Rock

Historian Stephen Tow's London, Reign Over Me is an insightful, thorough, and welcoming exploration of '60s-era British rock.

Jordan Blum
Music

…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Relish Artsy Raucousness on 'X: The Godless Void and Other Stories'

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's X: The Godless Void and Other Stories, just like many of its predecessors, must be digested in one sitting to grasp its magnificent inventiveness and ideas.

Music

Field Music Tackle the Aftermath of WWI on Their Sublime New Suite, 'Making a New World'

Making a New World tackles some heavy ideas via Field Music's commonly charming, luminous, and multifaceted aesthetic.

Music

The Best Progressive Rock/Metal of 2019

This year in progressive rock and metal found genre mainstays continuing to impress while relative underdogs and newcomers finally seized some of the spotlight.

Jordan Blum
Music

Wilderun's 'Veil of Imagination' Is a Wonderfully Chameleonic Progressive Metal Adventure (album stream) (premiere)

Boston's Wilderun construct an epic combination of folk, classical, metal, and progressive rock on their third LP, Veil of Imagination. Hear it in full before it's release tomorrow.

Music

Super Furry Animals' 'Guerrilla' 20th Anniversary Set Is a Vital Re-Issue

Twenty years later, Guerrilla remains a self-contained joy and a great example of how unique, self-assured, and mature yet silly Super Furry Animals were at the turn of the century.

Music

Yes, Sir, the Kinks' 'Arthur' 50th Anniversary Box Set Is Superb

Fifty years later, the Kinks' Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is as charming, compelling, and characteristic as ever. This new 50th Anniversary box set goes above and beyond to capture that magic.

Music

Alcest Deliver Exceptional Blackgaze Catharsis on 'Spiritual Instinct'

Everything that fans could want—and everything that makes blackgaze stand out—is contained within Alcest's Spiritual Instinct.

Books

Jon Zazula's 'Heavy Tales' Is a Strong, if Blemished, Autobiography

Founder of both Rock 'N' Roll Heaven and Megaforce Records, Jon Zazula spares nothing in chronicling the highs and lows of his journey in Heavy Tales.

Jordan Blum
Music

Opeth Achieve Gothic Greatness with the Gorgeously Multifaceted 'In Cauda Venenum'

In Cauda Venenum is Opeth's most wicked record of the decade, signifying that their earlier evilness is still wonderfully intact.


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