When Björk was a teenager, she sang in the Hamrahlíð Choir, an ensemble made up of graduates of the Hamrahlíð College in Reykjavík, whose programs have exposed more than 2,500 Icelandic teenagers to classical music. The current iteration of the choir and its founder Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir worked with Björk on Utopia, and she made them […]
Chai – “Plastic Love” (Mariya Takeuchi Cover)
CHAI still haven’t confirmed a full-length follow-up to last year’s PUNK LP, but we’ve been hearing a lot from the sweetly eccentric Japanese pop-rock band. Last month, they capped off a steady stream of one-off tracks with the news that they were signing to Sub Pop. The announcement was accompanied by another single, the supremely […]
27 Different Indie Artists Cover Blink-182's "Dammit" On New Compilation
2020 has been a big year for Blink-182 fandom, especially among indie-rock types. There was the moment in March that a bunch of indie stars parodied the Gal Gadot “Imagine” video by singing Blink’s “I Miss You.” There was Christian Lee Hutson covering “Going Away To College.” There was August’s Dude Ranch tribute compilation — […]
Nekra – "Esquire" & "Red Room"
As of now, the London hardcore band Nekra’s discography consists of a searing, righteously angry 2017 demo and a 2019 compilation one-off called “Dad.” In less than 10 minutes of music, they’ve established an identity: shouty and combative, blisteringly fast, in and out in well under two minutes. Next month they’ll add a proper EP […]
Mary Lattimore – “Hold Your Breath”
It’s been a rough week. And a rough month. And a rough year. Let Mary Lattimore soothe you with the dulcet tones of her harp. The experimental/ambient harpist and composer recently released her deeply calming new album Silver Ladders, produced by Slowdive frontman Neil Halstead. And now she’s back with a lovely new one-off called […]
Mystic Inane – "Peckerwood Nero"
Three years ago my colleague Tom Breihan posted the LA Women mini-LP by a New Orleans punk band called Patsy, noting, “their schoolyard-taunt snarl is one of the coolest things I’ve heard out of the DIY underground in a minute.” Candice, that band’s driving force, is also in Mystic Inane, who have a new EP […]
Rosie Carney – "Just" & "Black Star" (Radiohead Covers)
When Irish singer-songwriter Rosie Carney went to see Radiohead as a teenager, she had an anxiety attack and blacked out at the arena. And when the pandemic hit earlier this year, she relapsed into depression, moved back to her parents’ house, and decided to record a full-length cover of Radiohead’s iconic 1995 album The Bends […]
Benee – “Happen To Me”
The young New Zealand pop singer Benee blew up earlier this year on the strength of “Supalonely,” a Gus Dapperton duet that became a hit on TikTok. Since then, she’s joined beabadoobee in the ranks of the young indie-ish bedroom-pop types whose success has entirely been a result of TikTok popularity. Next week, Benee will […]
Clearbody – “Quarterback”
Clearbody are a young trio out of Charlotte specializing in shoegazey emo that exists in continuum with stated influences like Sunny Day Real Estate and Cloakroom. Earlier this fall they released “Blossom,” the lead single from their debut album One More Day, and today they’re back with another one called “Quarterback.” This one barrels ahead […]
2 Chainz Announces New Album 'So Help Me God' Out Next Week, Shares New Mulatto Collab "Quarantine Thick"
It’s starting to look like today might be a good day for some kind of celebration. A few days ago, 2 Chainz was campaigning for Joe Biden in his Atlanta hometown. People made jokes about it, but there’s at least some chance that 2 Chainz and his Atlanta rap peers helped deliver George to Biden […]