Xiu Xiu OH NO Polyvinyl · March 26, 2021 There is some music you cannot enter into lightly. It takes a cautionary warning, maybe a few deep breaths, before diving in. Then the music splatters all over you, screams in your face, and shakes you. This is Xiu Xiu. The duo, composed of Jamie Stewart […]
Black Honey Written & Directed Foxfive · March 19, 2021 Black Honey charged into the scene with their self-titled EP in 2014, booking shows, starring on the cover of NME, and churning out new music with ease. In 2021, they’re slamming down the door again with their bigger and bolder second studio album, Written & […]
Nervous Dater Call in the Mess Counter Intuitive · February 26, 2021 There are bands that create music with a formula you can always rely on, a guarantee in expectation. Then there are bands like Nervous Dater, whose musical creativity creates a big, beautiful mess, like a purposeful paint splatter all over their albums. Their […]
Indigo Sparke Echo Sacred Bones · February 19, 2021 “Some things cannot be rushed. Some seasons turn slowly. And some weather can only be seen and felt with gentleness,” writes Australian musician Indigo Sparke in the Instagram post announcing her debut album Echo. The creation of Echo involved an entire team, including Adrianne Lenker of […]
King Princess Cheap Queen Zelig Records · October 25, 2019 King Princess, a.k.a. 20-year-old Mikaela Straus, made a name for herself even before her debut album Cheap Queen. Being the daughter of Brooklyn’s Mission Sound Recording owner, she started recording her own music by age 11. Entering the game this early gave her the leg […]
Frankie Cosmos Close It Quietly Sub Pop · September 6, 2019 “Close It Quietly is a continual re-framing of the known,” starts the description for Frankie Cosmos’ junior album. Singer Greta Kline’s voice is distinctive, making the entire sound that Frankie Cosmos creates distinctive. This could easily pave the path towards redundancy, but the band […]
SWMRS with Destroy Boys and Beach Goons April 12, 2019 at Paradise Rock Club The venue: punk rock. The crowd: punk rock. The bands: punk rock. SWMRS played at Paradise Rock Club on April 12th joined by Destroy Boys (replacing The Regrettes) and Beach Goons. SWMRS brought their new album, Berkeley’s on Fire, to a […]
SWMRS Berkeley’s On Fire Fueled by Ramen · February 15, 2019 Since the success of their debut album Drive North, SWMRS has taken control of the punk rock scene. Now, with the release of their sophomore album Berkeley’s On Fire, they’re leaning on fans’ support in an effort to evolve their sound. Despite carrying notes of […]
FIDLAR Almost Free Mom+Pop · January 25, 2019 From the cracks of the Los Angeles punk rock scene grew FIDLAR, a skater punk band writing music about some of life’s grittiest aspects: beer, drugs, and forever-youth. That was 2013. Six years later, FIDLAR released their third studio album Almost Free, evolving from their original brand […]
People saw two females coexisting in a hip hop space, and they remembered the tacit rule of this culture: there’s only room for one. Nicki Minaj is not a rapper. Cardi B is not a rapper. Noname, Rico Nasty, Princess Nokia are not rappers. They are female rappers, emphasis on the female. Hip hop was […]
