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.
alternative rock
Skank’s Postmodern ‘Calango’ Keeps Trippin’ at 30
Skank’s Calango mixes Jamaican reggae, Latin percussion, keyboards, and guitars into a blend that sounds very much from Brazil and yet completely alien.
Everything Feels Alright: The Promise Ring’s ‘Very Emergency’
The Promise Ring’s Very Emergency succeeds by subverting expectations but delivering ten nuggets of power pop and a rebuke of the emerging emo tropes.
Fake Fruit Are Caught Between Catchy Hooks and Sloppy Playing
When Fake Fruit find a strong musical hook on Mucho Mistrust, their songs are a lot of fun. When they don’t, their sloppiness comes to the fore.
No More Apocalypse Father Plead We Are Winter’s Blue and Radiant Children
On their first missive, We Are Winter’s Blue and Radiant Children create beauty amid the contemporary horror of a vicarious, voyeuristic existence.
Nada Surf Have a Good Time on ‘Moon Mirror’
Moon Mirror finds long-running power poppers Nada Surf relaxed and having fun with the same strong, catchy songs they’ve written for nearly 30 years.
The The’s ‘Ensoulment’ Is Pithy and Perceptive
Life is hard, and the world is a dangerous place. The The’s Matt Johnson has never shied away from these realities. He’s as pithy and perceptive as ever.
Enumclaw Do Some Soul Searching on ‘Home in Another Life’
Enumclaw’s sophomore LP, Home in Another Life, again delivers 1990s alternative sounds but is confessional in nature and speaks to what ails us.
Cursive’s Tim Kasher Discusses the Artist’s Life and ‘Devourer’
“I fit through a pinhole of success,” notes indie rock titan Tim Kasher on Cursive’s ninth full-length album. “I’m lucky as hell that I’m able to do this.”
Cursive Soundtrack Your Existential Dread on ‘Devourer’
Devourer‘s songs are the best Cursive have released since 2003, balancing a noisy attack and withering lyrics with some of their prettiest, accessible tracks.
The Jesus Lizard Return With the Uncompromising ‘Rack’
Rack is another thrilling chapter from the Jesus Lizard, one of the most significant noise bands ever and whom many groups claim as a heavy influence.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Declare “Now Is the Time For Joy”
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Wild God teems with creative ambitions and sacred content. An ode to the surprise of joy, it is an audacious, reaching record.