“You have 20 years to write your first album and you have six months to write your second one,” said Elvis Costello in 1981. The best debuts bottle up and release decades worth of insight, feeling, and experience into a singular, captivating musical statement. From indie rock and pop to folk and country, below are some… Read more
Photo Credit: Neil Krug Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is Lana Del Rey’s version of the Beatles’ untitled “The White Album.” Like the Beatles had done the previous year with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Lana Del Rey has already written her magnum opus. Norman F*cking Rockwell! was a fantastic album on so many… Read more
Ever since I started to report regularly about new albums back in 2019, we’ve been graced with four great years for music with masterpieces such as Lana Del Rey’s Norman F*cking Rockwell!, Weyes Blood’s Titanic Rising, Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Little Simz’ Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, and Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE gracing our ears…. Read more
Several music veterans in various genres – including rock, punk, and hip-hop – will return (or at least hopefully return) with new full-length albums in 2023 after a long absence, and a few more recent bands will with any luck continue their winning streak. Here are ten new releases to look forward to in the… Read more
Though we may be mere days into the new year, a slew of great artists – from big names like Paramore and Courtney Love to rising stars like Black Belt Eagle Scout and Samia – have promised new albums for 2023. Below are just a few of those I’m most excited for: #10. Grimes –… Read more
Photo Credit: Beth Garrabrant (All Photos) Taylor Swift’s re-recordings have, so far, been largely successful – beyond achieving their central aim of giving Swift back control of the masters of her first six albums, they’ve earned her another No.1 with “All Too Well,” as well as jumpstarting an overdue critical re-evaluation of her earliest works…. Read more
Halloween’s easily one of the best yearly holidays and while the classic Halloween songs will always be classics (“Thriller,” “Monster Mash,” “Ghostbusters”), there’s nothing wrong with wanting to breathe new life into your holiday playlist. Below are 10 songs that probably aren’t already on your Halloween playlist, but need to be. 10. “Halloween” – Phoebe… Read more
With the spooky season now upon us, it’s time to start curating a soundtrack for the next few days of pumpkin carving, dressing up, and going out. Below are 10 perfect albums to put on to get you in the Halloween mood. #10. Demi Lovato – Holy Fvck On their eighth album, Demi Lovato abandons… Read more
The Top Ten Best Songs of 2022 (So Far) Though the first half of 2022 has seen something of a dearth of mainstream musicians, this space has thankfully been filled by a number of highly talented alternative, indie stars. From the masterful indie-rock confessionals of Soccer Mommy to the affecting balladry of Regina Spektor, Q1… Read more
Photo Credit: Mat Hayward/Getty Images Ever since Lana Del Rey had her breakthrough back in 2012 with what some critics described as the “shallow,” “overwrought,” and “depressing” Born to Die, Lana has remained a contemporary pop mystery who rarely appears on TV shows or in interviews. Even though Born to Die would prove some of the most negative… Read more