Skank’s Postmodern ‘Calango’ Keeps Trippin’ at 30
Skank’s Calango mixes Jamaican reggae, Latin percussion, keyboards, and guitars into a blend that sounds very much from Brazil and yet completely alien.
Features
The Far-Reaching Legacy of Tonny Brasil’s Tecnobrega Song “Lana”
There are debates about technobrega’s origins, but tracking its history leads us to one artist and one song: “Lana” by Tonny Brasil.
Johnny Cash in Psycho-Heist Thriller ‘Door-to-Door Maniac’
What a difference a script makes. Johnny Cash and Cay Forrester goose up the histrionics of Door-to-Door Maniac.
Everything Feels Alright: The Promise Ring’s ‘Very Emergency’
The Promise Ring’s Very Emergency succeeds by subverting expectations but delivering ten nuggets of power pop and a rebuke of the emerging emo tropes.
Ionnalee’s Bilingual Gambit to Hear the End of Every Song
Ionnalee has electronic LPs under multiple monikers, but she uncovers her full songwriting prowess by dropping a double-album split between English and Swedish.
Video Games Set in the 19th Century and Their Literary Allusions
It’s fitting that these video games set in 19th century England transform reading into a form of socializing, as reading in the 19th century was communal.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2014
The 15 Best Electronic Albums of 2014
The best electronic music of 2014 could be found in thoughtful experimentation and dancefloor-ready fun. But the ones who led the way were the pioneers.
Neil Young at World’s End: ‘On the Beach’ at 50
Neil Young’s On the Beach lodges not in the heart or brain but in the spleen. Perfect for depressed, alienated teenagers in the soft-rock days before punk.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2014
The 10 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2014
Jump back a decade to revisit the best indie rock of 2014, where newer acts did more than just fill the vacuum left by the usual suspects.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2014
The 20 Best New Musical Artists of 2014
Travel back ten years ago to 2014 and discover the best new musical artists that lit up the year, and hear their latest music to see how they’ve evolved.
Rock en Seine Sets the Bar High for Music Festivals
The 20th edition of France’s famed Rock en Seine sees ever-growing crowds, impressive performances, and an atmosphere to rival the highest of highs.
From Melville to Metal: The Conceptual Depths of Mastodon’s ‘Leviathan’
Mastodon’s Leviathan is a concept LP inspired by American novelist Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Think of it as sludge metal’s answer to Dark Side of the Moon.