In the past two years, a lot of new artists have exploded onto the music scene, harnessing the free time that the quarantine provided to hone their musical talents and the power of social media to build a fanbase and gain recognition. Here at Music Matters Media, we rounded up 10 of our favorite artists… Read more
Photo Credit: Guadalupe Bustos Hailing from Tempe, Arizona the fivesome consisting of John O’Callaghan (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jared Monaco (lead guitar), Garrett Nickelsen (bass guitar), Kennedy Bock (rhythm guitar) and Patrick Kirch (drums), recently released their eighth studio album titled XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time. Leaning into their pop side a… Read more
The Top Ten Best Songs of 2021 (So Far) #10. “ACTION” — CHAI Photo Credit: Yoshio Nakaiso “ACTION” finds CHAI rejecting all the weight of self-seriousness (not that the band had much of that to begin with). Black Lives Matter protests inspired the Japanese quartet to think about what a call to action would look… Read more
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Ringer illustration It doesn’t even take a million streams on Spotify or three sold out nights at Madison Square Garden to be labeled a “sellout”. Virtually any commercial success in music will inevitably invite claims that an artist has “sold out” and ironically enough, this label is most likely not to come… Read more
Photo Credit: Mason Castillo Scaled and Icy is the seventh studio album from alternative duo twenty øne piløts. The album is the fourth in a continuing narrative that began on the 2015 Blurryface album. Blurryface is a character that was presented as a personification of insecurity. Trench delved into the story deeper and fans learned… Read more
Photo Credit: Hanina Pinnick It’s nearly impossible to have made it this far into the year without having heard of breakout star Olivia Rodrigo. Whether it be from her main role on the Disney+ original show, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, or hearing snippets of “driver’s license” and “good 4 u” everywhere you… Read more
Our 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2021 #10. Migos – ‘Culture 3’ (TBA) Photo Credit: Prince Williams/WireImage Just a couple of years ago Migos sat atop the hip-hop throne, but over the last year, my favorite current rap group has not released a great deal of music for various reasons. The trio has been teasing… Read more
Photo Credit: Hendrik Schneider Painstakingly crafted among a tightly knit group of friends and collaborators, the year’s best pop album came not from an industry byproduct but a self-starter who’s among the hardest-working young stars in the game. SAWAYAMA is the debut LP from London-based Rina Sawayama, and it’s acid-dipped, Y2K-fixated, capital-P Pop of the… Read more
Photo Credit: Amy Gardner Tate McRae is a Canadian dancer turned pop singer that is making a name for herself through emotional pop songs. Tate first gained the interests of people with her shining personality and dancing. After releasing a video of her singing an original song, Tate changed creative lanes and began focusing on… Read more
Photo Credit: Jen Rosenstein On their fourth studio album, the oddly titled I Can Feel You Forgetting Me, Provo, Utah band Neon Trees successfully (for the most part) split the difference between ‘80s pop and up-tempo while also establishing an atmospheric vibe like some other twenty-first century bands such as the War on Drugs. Neon Trees ultimately created a work that’s not forgettable, and which many listeners most… Read more