Zzzahara Combines Thrills and Chills on ‘Spiral Your Way Out’
zzzahara’s new LP is about making the best of a bad situation, of transforming darkness into light. It’s a bittersweet testament to the spirit of Los Angeles.
J. Simpson
Occupying the Interzone between criticism and creativity, J.
Simpson believes that great art makes the world a better place. Specializing in covering dark and experimental art, he believes there's
more to the world than meets the eye and more to life than chasing
the bottom line. He is also published with Spectrum Culture and Freq Magazine and edits the Forestpunk blog.
Haunted Horses’ ‘Dweller’ Is an Intriguing Heavy Album
Haunted Horses get further under your skin, infecting and infesting you with their bleary, spectral plague of madness and maybe a slight spark of hope.
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The 10 Best Shoegaze Albums of 2024
The genre rediscovery via TikTok during the first stages of the pandemic has been going on long enough that we might consider it a Shoegaze Revival Revival.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2024
The 10 Best Psychedelic Albums of 2024
Artists worldwide have been exploring the visionary potential of electrical instruments in all manner of new and novel ways to create psychedelic music.
Clinic Stars Blend 1990s Slowcore and Dream Pop on ‘Only Hinting’
Detroit’s Clinic Stars draw you into their gauzy, poetic interior world and weave a cozy afghan of 1990s slowcore and dream pop on their debut LP, Only Hinting.
Personal Trainer Will Make You Fall in Love with Indie Pop
Personal Trainer’s adoration for slick, artful pop music is evident in every note and bristles with inspiration and crackles with enthusiasm the entire time.
Nathan Bowles Trio Create Cosmic Americana on ‘Are Possible’
On their first official album as a trio, the Nathan Bowles Trio forsake egotism in favor of collective world-building with warm, inviting acoustic music.
Kehlani’s ‘Crash’ Plays to Their Strengths
Crash finds Kehlani playing to their strengths, establishing themselves as the reigning monarch of sultry, seductive, hot R&B.
Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’ Refuses Righteousness
Alex Garland’s Civil War refuses righteousness. Instead, it takes a hard, unflinching look at the true costs of war for everybody and everything it touches.
Six Organs of Admittance’s Ben Chasny Chats About How ‘Time Is Glass’
Six Organs of Admittance’s Ben Chasny discusses late 1990s folk, music journalism, his independent publication, and new record Time Is Glass.
Adrianne Lenker’s ‘Bright Future’ Is a Big Record
On Bright Future, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker proves how much you can do with so little that you don’t need a ton of flash to craft a stunning record.
Kelly Moran’s ‘Moves in the Field’ Calms Fear and Anxiety
Kelly Moran explores the ghost in the machine on Moves in the Field, a delicate, thoughtful album of “solo” neoclassical piano explorations.