LISTEN: Alexei Shishkin Thrives In Jazzy Alt-Pop Bliss On “Magpie”
Alexei Shishkin’s style is equal parts prolific and poignant. Bringing an improvisational air to the bedroom slacker pop sound of the ’90s and early 2000s, his ability to build intersectional compositions from jazz voicings, simple loops, and musings on daily life results in a cathartic rush of content that is nowhere near slowing down. By […]
LISTEN: First Umpire’s “Windows” Explodes With Colorful Shoegaze Textures
First Umpire, the solo project of NYC producer and musician Pat Cheiban, who is an audio engineer at major studios across NYC and a guitarist in the indie rock group A Beacon School. The debut album, Crave, showcases Cheiban’s ability to weave beautifully intricate guitar-driven passages with explosive grunge-gaze intensity, creating a sound that feels […]
Golden Age Thursday: The Faith Create Distorted Bliss in Washington D.C. On Rare Live Recording
When you think of hardcore punk from Washington, D.C., one of the first things that comes to mind is Dischord Records. The illustrious label helped publish and cement one of the most exciting cultural movements in music history, and its list of accolades and discography continues to stand as a monument to the 1980s hardcore […]
LISTEN: Eli Shane’s “Westlands” Brings Psychedelic Experimentation To Modern Folk
Eli Shane is an inventive harpist and songwriter from New York, blending folk, chamber music, and avant-garde influences into a sound that’s uniquely his own. Drawing inspiration from artists like Fiona Apple and Stevie Wonder, his creative songwriting weaves intricate details with sweeping imagery. His self-produced debut album, Therein Lies the Garden (2022), explores genres […]
LISTEN: A Different Thread Deliver Raw Poetry Via Soulful Americana On “Sweet and the Burn”
A Different Thread is a transatlantic folk-americana duo composed of Alicia Best (US) and Robert Jackson (UK). After meeting by chance while busking in Galway, Ireland, the two discovered a unique musical and personal connection that has taken them on a decade-long journey across the globe. Their music, a blend of Appalachian alt-country and British […]
Weirdo Wednesday: Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention Get Jammy On “King Kong” Live 1968
Rounding out our salute to the late great Frank Zappa this week, for today’s Weirdo Wednesday, we’re taking it back to where it all started with his original band: The Mothers of Invention. While it’s debatable if this performance of “King Kong” live on BBC from 1968 is Zappa’s “weirdest” (in fairness, there’s a lot […]
The Macks Announces New Album ‘Bonanza’ and Fall Tour Dates
Building their own bizarre universe out of Portland, Oregon, The Macks today announce their new album Bonanza will be released on September 25 via DevilDuck Records / Monotone, Inc. The news of the album rolls out in the form of two new singles and videos: “Dually of Man” and “The Modern Grape.” Described by the […]
LISTEN: LECTRICS’S “Move, Sucker!” Hides Raw Emotions Under Explosive Punk Bliss
LECTRICS formed in September 2024 in Barcelona, though none of the members are from there. Singer/guitarist Bobby Wade (Southampton, UK) had given up playing for 10 years before listening to Dostoevsky and deciding to ‘step over it’. He met Juan Agudelo (Medellin, Colombia) at a QOTSA show, and they bonded over a love for The […]
LISTEN: Tele & The Ghost of Our Lord Create Immersive Country With Captivating Storytelling On “The Weser Bros. Band”
Tele & The Ghost of Our Lord is the solo recording project of Florida-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Kamm. Blending witty storytelling with oddly familiar yet genre-blurring soundscapes, the debut album, The Jukebox Has Gone Sentient, weaves folk, psychedelia, outlaw country, exotica, and synth-punk influences into a darkly humorous, cinematic meltdown. The album captures a […]
Tortoise Returns With New Album ‘Touch’
Today, Tortoise announce Touch, the first new album from the groundbreaking group since 2016. This new record from the post-everything icons comes via International Anthem and Nonesuch Records on LP, CD, and digital download on October 24, 2025, and on streaming services on November 11, 2025. Lead single “Layered Presence” — which also comes via video filmed and directed by Mikel Patrick Avery — […]