On the Record
Phoenix's 2009 album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, was a commercial and critical hit. It brought the French band to the world stage. This year, fresh off a headlining spot at Coachella, they keep up the pace …
“Alive, alive, alive, alive/ Alive, alive, alive, alive-o/ Alive-o,” she finishes. And if that sounds too simple, remember it’s shorn of her melody. Remember, too, that after Boston, after Waco (again), after Washington D.C. (why …
When The Strokes released Is This It in 2001, it wasn't uncommon to hear them proclaimed as the saviors of modern rock ’n’ roll. Their sound was gritty and focused but also loose and impossibly …
What does a Flaming Lips album written and recorded in a matter of days sound like circa 2013? Pretty much as one would expect: loose, psychedelic, jam-heavy, and LOUD! For all the complaints leveled at …
The Clavin sisters, members of L.A.-based indie act Mika Miko, have released their first album as Bleached. Jennifer (vocals/guitar) and Jessica (guitar) can affect deep, raw feeling as well as a cheery summer vibe through …
The first quarter of 2013 has brought with it strong releases from the likes of Jim James, Foxygen, Serengeti, and Atoms for Peace, yet perhaps none catchier than the latest record from San Diego pop-punk …
Denitia, a modern-day folkie from Texas, and Sene, a neo-classicist NYC rapper, met by accident and began recording together almost on a whim. They’ve since forged an unlikely union, but the result is nothing like …
“Timbalake” is back! From the opening seconds of “Pusher Love Girl,” you can sense a new brand of swag. Luscious strings, sick beats, filthy vocals. It’s 9:23 a.m. and “Don’t Hold the Wall” is grooving …
Drummer Paul Motian died in New York City in 2011, on the 48th anniversary of John Kennedy’s assassination. He carried one cymbal around with him for the last 30 of his 80 years on Earth, …
Jimi Hendrix has been dead 43 years – and continues to be represented by a seemingly infinite stream of releases. If his Age of Aquarius idealism has been muddied, he can’t be held accountable for …
Dear Foals,What are you doing? You used to have so much potential. When Antidotes was released in 2008, you were regarded as Battles for the pop listener! What a compliment! Your plinky guitar lines, math-rock …
Sam France's voice has a hint of femininity to it as he introduces us to "In the Darkness," the gateway track to Foxygen’s second album. The L.A. indie-pop duo could have gone the campy route …
Parquet Courts' Light Up Gold is all sorts of what indie-rock should be heading toward in 2013 — clever lyrics, catchy song craft, infectious hooks, and an irresistible, giddy feel. It's like a stoner trapped …
Mark February 2, 2013, on your calendars as “the day My Bloody Valentine broke the internet.” Why? Because on that day the band released mbv, the follow-up to a perfect album: 1991's Loveless. Twenty-two years …
It’s embarrassing to admit I’ve never heard of a band that’s been around since 2002 — which convinces me its winsome sound transcends “noteworthy,” demanding “essential” status — unless that sound is so good that …