The Elephant 6-related group Nana Grizol have always been a thinking band. On their first few albums, 2008’s Love It Love It and 2010’s Ruth, the Theo Hilton-led indie band seemed mostly focused on personal issues, sometimes sounding like a… Read More
When I first met and spoke with the alto saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa over a dozen years ago, he was still an up-and-comer, recently recorded by the also-new-to-the-scene Pi Recordings. He had been in New York City for a… Read More
Minneapolis music scene veterans Ryan & Pony will release their debut album, Mochi Mochi, on 25 September via Chicago’s Pravda Records. The Ryan in question is Ryan Smith, lead guitarist with Soul Asylum since 2016 and Pony is an established… Read More
Wesley Dean’s “Magik” is just the summertime pick-me-up that’s been prescribed. In uncertain times, the buoyant sway of the feel-good, love-heavy track certainly feels magical. It’s a call for self-love and discovery from the Australian singer-songwriter, carried by uplifting, poppy… Read More
“Words I Couldn’t Say” is the new single from South Yorkshire quartet Alvarez Kings. The pop-driven single demonstrates how the group has come to win the hearts and ears of pop fans over the years, its tunefulness and emotionally-charged lyrics… Read More
Finding the groove between in bittersweet lamentation, “No Ordinary Love” is often regarded as one of Sade’s greatest hits. Its intoxicating layers of textured sound denoting the inner turmoils of its narrator make delivering a strong cover a seemingly gargantuan… Read More
Luke Top’s “Poltergeist” offers an unexpected confluence of influences, that range from reggae to pop and exotica. It’s rare to find a song that is at once so familiar and deeply original. Top says, “When I think about the sound… Read More
ARI is a relatively new name in the pop playing field. That said, she has already garnered considerable attention following the release of her first two singles, “Nothin But a Monster” and “Oh Well”. Tackling darker themes between hefty trap… Read More
Lake Street Dive/Cuddle Magic/Okkervil River members, Bridget Kearney and Benjamin Lazar Davis’ Still Flying has been received with wide critical acclaim since its release earlier this year. The record features music the pair created in Ghana during 2019 and includes… Read More
The question of authenticity has been a cloud over the life and career of Bob Dylan since his 1961 arrival in New York City. Who was this chubby-cheeked folk star with a Woody Guthrie fixation and a seemingly endless well… Read More