Decisive Pink’s Ticket to Fame
Ticket to Fame, the debut LP by avantpop duo Decisive Pink, isn’t likely to take them far. But the band's refusal to follow the playbook for success gives the record a staying power that hit-minded music rarely achieves.(...)
Belgrado’s Intra Apogeum
If superficial nostalgia has an opposite, it’s Barcelona band Belgrado. (...)
Molchat Doma in America
When Belorussian dark wave band Molchat Doma began to play their viral TikTok hit Судно at their recent Tucson, Arizona show, I looked out over the tightly packed crowd filling the floor in front of me and was struck by how happy and how diverse it was, from race to age to fashion.(...)
Catalogue’s Modern Delusion
Marseille trio Catalogue’s new album Modern Delusion demonstrates why we need music criticism more than ever.(...)
Dignity of Labour, by The Ex
Listening for the Future, by Charlie Bertsch
Charlie Bertsch begins the illuminating introduction to his new book Listening for the Future by posing a question: “What do we ask of popular music?” (...)
Gut and Fratti’s Let’s Talk About the Weather
While the pandemic continues to inflict horrific suffering on the world, its early phase is now capable of inspiring nostalgia. We remember the excitement of watching everyday routines grind to a halt and then having to figure out what to do in their absence.(...)
Mush’s Lines Redacted
It’s not easy for popular music to surprise these days. And it’s even harder for it to pull off that feat without becoming perverse or pretentious in the process.(...)