Music Features

The 80 Best Albums of 2024

The best albums of 2024 challenged orthodoxies, blended and created new genres, and spanned a vast range of musical styles and traditions, while looking forward.

The 25 Best Rock Albums of 2024

The 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024

The 10 Best Punk and Hardcore Albums of 2024

The 20 Best Americana Albums of 2024

The 10 Best Folk Albums of 2024

How Shinedown went from Drugs and Angst to Inspirational Advocacy

Music Reviews

Peach Pit Prove Their Worth on ‘Magpie’

The songs on Peach Pit’s Magpie have little idiosyncrasies. They are built around sophisticated chord progressions and unique vocal and guitar melodies.

Annarella and Django Sparkle on Jazzy ‘Jouer’

Opa’s ‘Goldenwings’ Is a South American Jazz Fusion Classic

STS9 Lift Up California with Transcendent Shows

Chatuye’s ‘Ahmuti’ Adds to a Garifuna Cultural Archive

Michael Kiwanuka Records Another Meaningful Record

Passepartout Duo Reinterpret Synthesizer As an Intelligent Talking Machine

Film

London Film Festival 2024 Brings Mindfulness Amidst a Bustling Metropolis

Mindfulness is integral to cinema; thus, it’s fitting to emphasize time in 2024’s London Film Festival Festival, because every story is running out of it.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and the Death of Hollywood Franchises

Nazis and Racial and Sexual Subtexts in ‘Revenge of the Zombies’

‘Louder Than You Think’: The Improbable Origins of Pavement

Punk Is a Virus That’s Infected Everything

A Queer Feminist Storytelling of ‘Jurassic Park’

‘Fight Club’ Still Serves as an Odyssey of Alienation and Brotherhood

Books

The Vices and Virtues of Ignorance in These Times

In Understanding Ignorance, philosopher Daniel DeNicola invites us to explore the meaning and implication of what we don’t know, which may be as complex as knowledge itself.

Jazz’s Historical Agenda as Protest Music in the Stellar ‘Brassroots Democracy’

Arthur Russell’s Underground Genius

The Defective Premise of Paula Ramos’ ‘Defectors’

Punk Is a Virus That’s Infected Everything

Games

The 24 Best Video Games of 2024

PopMatters’ 24 Best Video Games of 2024 highlight achievements in game design and the risks creators take to lure gamers into the magic circle.

Phoenix Springs’ Journey to Nowhere Is Worth It

‘Silent Hill 2 Remake’ Is a Dark Gem in the Horror Game Renaissance

Neva’s Emotion-Engine Gameplay Is a Beautiful Crowd-Pleaser

Video Games Set in the 19th Century and Their Literary Allusions

Interviews

Warhaus Is the Music of Maarten Devoldere’s Subconscious

For Warhaus’ latest LP, Karaoke Moon, Belgian songwriter Maarten Devoldere (Balthazar) delved into his subconscious with some hypnotic assistance.

Carminho Expresses Her Passion for Life Through Song

Digging Deeper with Denver Emo Band A Place For Owls

The Rhythmic Remembrances of Fred Thomas

‘The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey’ Is Spectacular

Lists

The 80 Best Albums of 2024

The best albums of 2024 challenged orthodoxies, blended and created new genres, and spanned a vast range of musical styles and traditions, while looking forward.

The 25 Best Rock Albums of 2024

The 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024

The 10 Best Punk and Hardcore Albums of 2024

The 24 Best Video Games of 2024

Television

‘Slow Horses: Season Four’ Subverts the Spy Genre

The good, the bad, and the ugly dance to Slow Horses‘ strange game, which reminds viewers that solidarity is essential to fighting oppression.

When the 1950s Met the 1960s via LSD TV

Rom-Communism: ‘Ted Lasso’ and the Future of the Romantic Comedy

The Top 10 Episodes of ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’

Deadwood’s Moral Optimism

PopMatters Picks

The 80 Best Albums of 2024

The best albums of 2024 challenged orthodoxies, blended and created new genres, and spanned a vast range of musical styles and traditions, while looking forward.

The 25 Best Rock Albums of 2024

Annarella and Django Sparkle on Jazzy ‘Jouer’

The 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024

The 10 Best Punk and Hardcore Albums of 2024