Music Reviews
Sunny War Refutes Complacency and Embraces Defiance
Sunny War’s music and lyrics stand in resistance and vulnerability, evoking a reminder of music’s powerful ability to inspire change.
Music Features
Soundgarden Were Popular Heroes of the Video Game Age
Screaming Life was the authentic sound of grunge and set Soundgarden on course to become the Led Zeppelin of the video game age.
Film
Moses Sumney’s ‘Blackalachia’ and the Forest
In Moses Sumney’s beautiful 2021 performance film Blackalachia, the forest is a friend, a threat, a looming watcher, and an extension of the narrator’s person.
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
Joni Mitchell Inspires and Unsettles a Memoirist’s Life
Reverence for Joni Mitchell is clear in Paul Lisicky’s memoir. So, too, is an artistic courage that both inspires and unsettles him.
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
10 Legendary Dance Rock Albums
Dance rock is so intricately involved with the two genres that it almost seems beside the point to mention their pairing. Yet, the style has been massively influential.
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
10 Legendary Dance Rock Albums
Dance rock is so intricately involved with the two genres that it almost seems beside the point to mention their pairing. Yet, the style has been massively influential.
