Feedback
13 Albums That Cleared the Way for the Post-Punk Explosion of the 2020s
Remember 2018? Though it was still years before the global pandemic of the 2020s, the world was not exactly holding itself together in perfect harmony. In times of heightened emotions, artists from around the globe tend to produce a wealth of inspired, sharply-written music highlighting the fears and insecurities about ourselves and the world.
Years & Years Review - You Can Dance to ‘Night Call,’ But That’s About It
For any mainstream pop record in 2022, following The Weeknd’s conceptual masterwork Dawn FM will be a nearly impossible feat. Considering that context, the third album from British singer Olly Alexander, also known as Years & Years, falls immensely below the standards set for this year’s pop music. That doesn’t mean it is a failure as an album; Night Call charted as a UK #1 record and succeeded in its mission to be a good-time-celebrating collection of songs. But frankly, listeners looking for the exciting, reliable rewards of a great pop album will probably find only surface thrills on Night Call.
The Vintage Art of Beach House's 'Once Twice Melody'
If you need any more convincing, Beach House's eighth album, Once Twice Melody, truly is as good as everyone says. In place of an actual review, here is a celebration of the new music of Beach House, complete with a gallery of stills from the animated artwork for each song!
Bands That Redefined the Word "Hardcore"
Navigating the maligned genres labeled “hardcore” is an extensive amount of inspiring bands with intricate music and histories. Whether on the side of punk or metal, these bands revolutionized the meanings of their labels, most either reinventing their approach on every album or sadly breaking up to avoid creative stagnancy.
New Album Review - Mitski Becomes Even More of Herself on 'Laurel Hell'
Laurel Hell, the new album from Japanese-American singer/songwriter Mitski, is the most discussed album this year in the music critic world. The high hopes for the new record follow stellar reviews from her critically-successful Dead Oceans debut Puberty 2 and its breakout follow-up Be the Cowboy. Does Mitski’s new record live up to the hype, or were the expectations simply too high?
Kanye West Is Taking Profits On His Music Away From Streaming and Record Executives… and So Far It’s Working
The rollout for Kanye West’s new album, Donda 2, is yet another bout headline-grabbing excess that everyone has come to expect from the singer/rapper/producer. Ye’s record from last year, Donda, took up multiple weeks of news with online listening parties, release date drama, and controversy for its inclusion of DaBaby, Marilyn Manson, and Chris Brown (though he eventually removed the vocals from Brown). On February 22, 2022, fans can enjoy his new album’s release live in Miami or at theaters nationwide. Check below if your city is streaming the IMAX release!
Advertisement
Majestic Dream-Pop Band Slowdive Has New Music Coming Soon!
The shoegaze/dream-pop masters are back at it again; a fifth Slowdive album is officially in the works. The follow-up to their self-titled fourth album does not have much in the way of a name, release date, or tracklist yet, but the record is on its way nonetheless. This release will be their second album since the 2014 reunion and the first album since 2017 when they released Slowdive.
Tenacious D - News of an Upcoming Album?
It’s been ten years since the world heard a proper Tenacious D record. Their 2018 studio album, Post-Apocalypto, was hardly above soundtrack-level quality, so this comedy-rock band’s work of the last decade has pretty much just been a few massive tours. Here is all the information we have about a potential new Tenacious D follow-up, though don't get your hopes up: it doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon.
The Stylish Resurgence of Enigmatic Indie Genius Father John Misty
Josh Tillman, better known by his stage name Father John Misty, returns after four long years with his fifth album, Chloë and the Next 20th Century, on April 8th, 2022. Except for a 4-song covers EP released in 2020, Tillman has been relatively quiet on all fronts since his last full-length record, God’s Favorite Customer. Now, after recording in 2020 and spending the next year adding his signature expanded tweaks like string, brass, and woodwind accompaniment, Chloë and the Next 20th Century is only a few weeks away, following some typically unique marketing from this individual artist.
Advertisement
New Album Review - The Inspired Chemistry of Black Country, New Road's 'Ants From Up There'
The 2021 debut of the British septet Black Country, New Road declared its existence with innovative confidence, circulating music forums and ranking as one of the best-reviewed rock albums of the year. With instrumental prowess and ranting, oblique lyrics, For the First Time won over audiences after brewing for a few years with the release of 2019 singles “Athens, France” and “Sunglasses.” In 2022, the follow-up record Ants From Up There releases one day short of one year after their debut, with even better reviews from listeners and critics than their first. With this album, the band improves on their debut by highlighting their potency in the group effort, finding more concise and more substantial ways to develop an already original approach as the new leaders of art-rock.
Underrated Australian Sub Pop Mastery - Here’s The Rundown on Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
The Seattle, Washington record company Sub Pop, known for its top-notch slate of indie bands, will release the third record from Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever on May 6th, 2022. Though they have flown mostly under the radar save for one breakout single, this Australian band deserves further attention from the world at large, with a catchy three-guitarist/three-vocalist vigor and surprisingly sharp songwriting to match.
Alt-J 'The Dream' - New Album Review and Tracklist
The kings of weird indie craziness are back after five long years, and the group returns with a long-awaited worthy follow-up to their trend-setting debut, An Awesome Wave. Known for their “everything and the kitchen sink” approach, Alt-J have spent four albums exploring the balance between unexpected diversions and songwriting clarity; with The Dream, they have found a stable and perpetually exciting formula at last.
The Great New Rap Tracks of February 2022
Are you craving a fix for the recent best songs in hip-hop? Though two new songs from Nicki Minaj have graced the charts, look no further for the other essentials of this month. For better or worse, these are the songs blowing up right now!
New Album Review - The Weeknd 'Dawn FM'
While radio-inspired sequencing is nothing new in the history of concept albums, Dawn FM, the latest by Canadian singer/songwriter The Weeknd, utilizes the approach for a presentation more concise and exciting than his previous records. Where older imitations of the airwaves made by DJ Shadow and Queens of the Stone Age compellingly demonstrated an uninterrupted flow on an album, recent records like Vince Staples and Oneohtrix Point Never infused more diverse musical styles to show appreciation for their inspirations. Adding in a consistently retro late-90s aesthetic throughout, Dawn FM brings this method into the limelight by effectively balancing his pop appeal with this niche affection.
Advertisement
New Album Review - Earl Sweatshirt 'SICK!'
Concentrating ten tracks into 24 minutes admittedly sounds like a recipe for empty brevity on paper. However, rap fans already know about Thebe Kgositsile (Earl Sweatshirt) and his demonstrated power of shorter songs from his critically-acclaimed masterwork Some Rap Songs. Released early this year, SICK! follows the Chicago rapper’s trajectory of reduced album lengths, yet it plays like his most musically expansive. Assertive but atmospheric production buoys each track with a mix of nostalgic references and modern synth flourishes, and Kgositsile’s lyrics on the whole album are more contemplative than ever before.
With Epic Song And Video Release, Nicki Minaj Appears Forgiven For Last Year's Vaccine Controversy
Nicki Minaj returned in early February with the back-to-basics track 'Do We Have A Problem?' featuring fellow rapper Lil Baby, hopefully indicating that a new album for Minaj is right around the corner. By all accounts, this song demonstrates the two wordsmiths in peak form, with Lil Baby highlighting Minaj's classic hardcore image by weaving an intricate web of references in his verse reminiscent of rap giants like Jay-Z. On the production side, one can instantly catch the signature tag of Papi Yerr, a Miami-based artist who has also produced for Tory Lanez.
16 Free-Spirited Hollywood Celebrities Who Once Had Religiously Strict Families
etiket
Conservatism is not just in Muslim societies or in the Middle East; it's also in the western world. Even Hollywood celebrities, recognized by the whole world, may have grown up with strict rules in conservative families. Somewhere along the way, they must have figured something out and changed their paths but they were all raised in either religious or very conservative families. Let's see who these rebels are!