Ian King

Author of Appetite for Definition: An A-Z Guide to Rock Genres (Harper Perennial, 2018). www.ianfking.com
Between the Grooves: lowercase – ‘Kill the Lights’

Between the Grooves: lowercase – ‘Kill the Lights’

Between the Grooves examines lowercase's Kill the Lights, a great marriage of slowcore and post-punk: raw, angry, sullen, and very much alive almost all these years later.

American Football Produce That Sweet Melancholy on ‘American Football (LP3)’

American Football Produce That Sweet Melancholy on ‘American Football (LP3)’

The slow motion success story of a '90s college band from Urbana, Illinois, takes another unlikely turn with American Football (LP3).

Tangents Trace a Shifting Landscape with “Lake George” (premiere)

Tangents Trace a Shifting Landscape with “Lake George” (premiere)

Borderless Australian band Tangents combines their mesmerizing New Bodies track "Lake George" with warping aerial footage of its namesake location.

‘Future Ruins’ Shows Swervedriver Are Still Making Their Own Breakthroughs

‘Future Ruins’ Shows Swervedriver Are Still Making Their Own Breakthroughs

Swervedriver's sixth album Future Ruins, their second since reuniting, faces dystopia with sustained momentum.

Bethany Curve Are Back, and This Time It’s ‘Murder!’ (album premiere)

Bethany Curve Are Back, and This Time It’s ‘Murder!’ (album premiere)

Shoegaze band Bethany Curve's first album in 15 years breathes deeply and dreams through the darkness.

Deerhunter Ask ‘Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?’

Deerhunter Ask ‘Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?’

Deerhunter's eighth studio album wrestles with escapist and confrontational impulses, and continues their exploration of shifting sonic identity.

Motherhood Heed the Call of the Wild on “Bird Chirp” (premiere)

Motherhood Heed the Call of the Wild on “Bird Chirp” (premiere)

New Brunswick trio Motherhood approach their art rock with a mischief-spiked sensibility on "Bird Chirp".

Writhing Squares Scrape Away the “Dirt in My Mind’s Eye” (premiere)

Writhing Squares Scrape Away the “Dirt in My Mind’s Eye” (premiere)

Philly post-no-wave jammers Writhing Squares play with raw power on their new single, "Dirt in My Mind's Eye".

The Best Shoegaze and Dream Pop of 2018

The Best Shoegaze and Dream Pop of 2018

Significant shoegaze storylines came around full circle last year, and in 2018 the plot thickened. Meanwhile, the chilling effects of dream pop continue to reverberate across other musical spheres.

Jacco Gardner Turns His Psych Pop to the Night on ‘Somnium’

Jacco Gardner Turns His Psych Pop to the Night on ‘Somnium’

Dutch multi-instrumentalist Jacco Gardner's wispy, pastoral psychedelia takes on a nocturnal edge on new album, Somnium.

Yesterday’s Jukebox: The Durutti Column’s ‘Without Mercy’

Yesterday’s Jukebox: The Durutti Column’s ‘Without Mercy’

The Durutti Column's hesitant and beguiling foray into the realm of modern classical gets the thorough revisit that it deserves.

Washer Get Straight to the Point with “Super Pop” (premiere)

Washer Get Straight to the Point with “Super Pop” (premiere)

The indie punk sucker punch kicks off the DIY duo Washer's new split 7" with Brooklyn compatriots Bethlehem Steel.