Music Reviews
John Glacier’s ‘Like a Ribbon’ Is a Promising Debut
John Glacier has the capacity to grow into a generational artist who creates by the beat of her own drum. Like a Ribbon is a stepping stone into that space.
Music Features
How One Innovative LP Carved a Dusty Trail to Alternative Country
Don’t Shoot collected country tracks by Los Angeles rockers in the mid-1980s. Cutting edge then, it presents a blueprint for today’s alternative country.
Film
Berlinale Part 1: Bob Dylan, Trauma Drama, and Time-Shifting Romance
The 75th edition of Europe’s preeminent film festival, Berlinale, kicks off with politics center stage, an efficient new director, and more celebrities than ever before.
Television
The Penguin’s Means, Ends, and Morality
‘The Penguin’ compels us to interrogate our morality: do we treat others in our lives only as means to an end?
Books
Tom Robbins’ Crazy Wisdom
An undercurrent of seriousness prevails in Tom Robbins’ comedic expressions, occasionally bubbling to the surface to convey profundities on the nature of the universe, the human condition, et al.
Games
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s Success Lies in Its Meme-Worthiness
Arguably 2025’s best RPG video game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II‘s success stems largely from its humorous meme appeal.
Lists
15 Breakup Songs That Are Vicious, Painful, and Bitter
A friend requested a hopeful, forward-thinking breakup playlist to help soothe their pain. We send these 15 bitter breakup songs instead.
Interviews
Melodic Hardcore’s Stunning Mid-2020s Resurgence
Hardcore has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity since 2020. Subsequently, the past two years have brought a revived interest in melodic hardcore.
PopMatters Picks
Florence Adooni’s Astonishing ‘A.O.E.I.U.’ Is Electrifying
Florence Adooni has effortless, down-to-earth charisma from start to finish, from her most lighthearted moments to her most earnest.
