“Can you fucking believe it?” asks Trixie Mattel. “2020 is equal parts garbage, but … so lit. Like, it’s all perspective.” Not many people can find the bright side of a hellish year like 2020, but if anyone can, it’s… Read More
What happens to a murder mystery without the murder? It’s a mystery. But not in the sense of the literary genre, or a secret. It’s a mystery in the sense of religious awe: that which awaits interpretation. And so, Death… Read More
The sleeves of Shinichi Atobe’s last two albums show us zones without people. On Heat, it was a beach resort populated by a single lonely car. On his new album Yes, it’s the fenced edge of what might be a… Read More
When I called S.G. Goodman on FaceTime, the first thing I noticed was how calm she appeared on her back porch in a lawn chair, surrounded by lush greenery. As she called for her dog, Howard, I told her I… Read More
Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline is a title perfectly indicative of what Victoria Bailey sets out to accomplish with the upcoming album. She’s classic country, through and through. Brought up by her father’s rock ‘n’ roll drum sessions and… Read More
12. “Surf City” from Surf City and Other Swingin’ Cities (1963) Written by Brian Wilson and Jan Berry The Beach Boys were the first band to give a major voice to surf music, helping spread the surf craze nationally with songs like… Read More
In his off-kilter adventure story/cultural history In the Land of Good Living, Kent Russell says he doesn’t want to pander to those who filter their ideas of the Sunshine State through the absurdist lens of Florida Man memes. Yet he… Read More
Bands like the Beach Boys and Rivieras have long symbolized Southern Californian culture. For many, their classic surf music has come to define the region. Now, Carlsbad trio We the Commas aim to resurrect the feel-good, beach-ready sound of their… Read More
With a name like Jockstrap, you might expect the UK duo of Taylor Skye and Georgia Ellery to play facetious art-pop tunes. Well, they do, at times, for very short amounts of time. That is, the experimental duo are not… Read More
Canadian country and western singer-songwriter Corb Lund is a funny guy. He’s also smart, good with wordplay, and knows how to tell a story. On Lund’s latest album, Agricultural Tragic, he addresses a wide range of topics from grizzly bears… Read More