Caroline Polachek grew up in Connecticut and was formerly the vocalist for the indie-pop duo Chairlift, who had a surprise hit in 2008 with ‘Bruises’. She’s previously flirted with a solo career, releasing albums under the aliases Ramona Lisa and…
The saddest story in popular music this year probably belonged to David Berman. The former leader of Silver Jews had taken a ten year hiatus from music, during which he sought to undo the damage to society caused by his…
Genre: Pop Pop star or pop maverick? Charlotte Emma Aitchison is talented enough to go in either direction, and her entire career to date has felt like a struggle between the two camps. 2014’s Sucker focused on radio-friendly pop/rock like…
Genre: Folk-rock, Singer-songwriter New Zealand is presently enjoying a very strong crop of female asinger-songwriters. Along with Hollie Fullbrook of Tiny Ruins, we also have the weirdness of Aldous Harding and the imagery-laden writing of Nadia Reid. Pop superstar Lorde…
The New Pornographers are successors to vintage pop/rock acts like The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and The Zombies. All of these groups could write brilliant pop songs that incorporate memorable melodies, beautiful harmonies, and intricate arrangements. The Canadian super-group have…
Indie-folk band Big Thief started recording Two Hands five days after completing U.F.O.F. (released in May 2019). U.F.O.F. was recorded in a cabin in Washington state, and has a mystical backwoods atmosphere that recalls The Band. In comparison, Two Hands…
In 1985, four male country superstars – Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson – teamed up to make their first album as The Highwaymen. The group took their name from a song by Jimmy Webb, and the…
When Lana Del Rey emerged with the virally successful single ‘Video Games’ in 2011, she wasn’t someone who I had pegged for a long career. ‘Video Games’ had a unique atmosphere, a cinematic ballad with nostalgic Hollywood glamour, but it…
My expectations for Taylor Swift‘s seventh album, Lover, were low. Her previous album, Reputation, was disappointing, with its defensive lyrical stance and dark textures. The first two songs released from Lover were both concerning – lead single ‘Me!’ seemed designed…
Tyler Gregory Okonma, better known as Tyler, the Creator, has enjoyed a rapid career evolution over the last decade. He started as a brash teenager, gaining attention with his provocative lyrics for hip hop crew Odd Future. Along the way,…
I adored The Hold Steady in my twenties. The band had three different focal points – guitarist Tad Kubler was a classic rock riff machine, emulating the bar band rock of Thin Lizzy. Vocalist Craig Finn was inspired by hip…
Most successful musicians start their recording careers as young adults, but New Zealand country artist Aly Cook’s an exception. Cook’s been involved in the music scene for years, but only released her debut album in 2011, crowdfunding for each of…
