Indietronic Antiheroes +/- Still Attract Over Two Decades In
A pandemic-era plan to soft-drop a series of EPs proved difficult, so New York’s digi-pop alternates +/- pivoted to a new LP that stands amongst their best.
indie electronic
San Holo Blends Bass Music and Emo on ‘bb u ok?’
On his second full-length album, bb u ok?, Dutch producer San Holo finds the natural affinity between emo and EDM.
Stats Bring the Dance Party Even When They Go Acoustic on ‘Powys 1999’
Stats' Powys 1999 features songs that feel like they're gliding on a dance-rock groove, even when they actually aren't. The music is catchy and clever and always glossy.
Hot Chip Stay Up for ‘Late Night Tales’
Hot Chip's contribution to the perennial compilation project Late Night Tales is a mixed bag, but its high points are consistent with the band's excellence.
Beacon Creates a Leaner Electronic Sound on ‘Gravity Pairs’
On Beacon's Gravity Pairs, every gentle breath of synth, gliding piano note, and softly tapped pad is expertly cultivated to enrich the song with Thomas Mullarney's voice drawing out the humanity, compassion and empathy.
The Depth and Breadth of Matthew Dear’s ‘Bunny’ Makes It His Best Album Ever
Matthew Dear has written an album in Bunny that wholly reflects the person he is now, and it's the best record of his career.
alt-J’s ‘REDUXER’ Reinterprets ‘RELAXER’
REDUXER is alt-J's fourth full-length release, a collection of reinterpretations of the songs from their successful third album RELAXER.
Roosevelt Aims to Create Non-Populist Pop on ‘Young Romance’
On Young Romance, Roosevelt's '80s-indebted yet EDM-inflected confections aren't as anthemic as he wants them to be, but they're almost uniformly infectious.
St. Lucia’s ‘Hyperion’ Finds the Sunlight Between the Clouds
We have to get to the point where we see each other as human again. On Hyperion, St. Lucia is trying to show us the way. We need to start listening.
Irmin Schmidt Tells His Story of Can
If All Gates Open isn't the full picture of Irmin Schmidt and Can, then the real McCoy must give one a hernia.
Counterbalance: The xx – ‘xx’
Watch things on VCRs with me and talk about big love. I think we're superstars -- or at least the xx are. A 2009 indie pop masterpiece is the focus of this week's Counterbalance.