After three compelling projects as iamamiwhoami, a profound health scare inspired Jonna Lee to relaunch as a bold, talented solo artist for the second time.
At the peak of his powers, Justin Timberlake could probably get away with a confused backwoods-pop hybrid like this. As it stands, people are seeing it for what it is: the most misguided album of his career.
The saxophone-laden, post-punk squall of Crown Larks carves out a unique space in the Midwest psych scene -- and now the world is finally taking notice.
It was a year of truly progressive nominees. It was a year of confrontational, powerful performances. It could've been an all-timer -- and then the Grammys went horribly, painfully wrong.
Lo-fi guitar pop troubadours Hoops made waves with their exciting debut Routines last year, and follow it with this 18-song collection of their earlier work.
Acclaimed record producer and film composer Jon Brion is having a boon of a year after composing the music for Lady Bird, but still has so much more to say.
Prins Thomas 5 is an unusual, mid-tempo collection that places less emphasis on atmosphere while focusing on the groove.
In a fascinating about-face, Elbow have used their best-of compilation to shun the fuzzed-out rockers that helped launch them to stardom and instead refashion themselves as mid-tempo artistic luminaries.
The atrocities of the Armenian genocide has run rampant through Serj Tankian's work in both System of a Down and in his solo career. Now, he soundtracks a film that talks about it in explicit terms, resulting in one of his most personal works to date.
In a year when your favorite long-dormant musical act finally released new material after a multi-year hiatus, only a precious few releases -- from voices old and new -- were truly able to capture the pop culture zeitgeist. These are those albums.
In a year when the daily damning headlines make us all want to retreat into ourselves, the ambient/instrumental crowd aren't being idle by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, this roundup of brilliant new voices proves that ambient artists are taking more risks and breaking more ground than we ever thought possible.
"I'm proud of coming in second for my high school's alumnus of the year award to Mitt Romney. I would've liked to have beaten him, but he has lost enough for a lifetime."
