Contributions
Here's how Hyro The Hero and Disturbed's David Draiman came together
When he wrote the lyrics to “We Believe” four years ago, Hyro The Hero believed he’d come up with an anthem. The song, which is about the difficulty of knowing who and what to put your trust in, seemed to speak perfectly to the present moment. As he finally recorded the track in January 2020, […]
'80s Afro-Punks Fishbone are reforming for new political LP with Fat Mike
Fishbone keyboardist, trombonist and songwriter Chris Dowd is describing a creative miracle: hollandaise sauce. “You’re taking an egg and some olive oil. Two components that wouldn’t mix together,” he explains, “but you whisk it together a certain way, and that causes it to bond.” Dowd, who studied at the culinary school Le Cordon Bleu earlier […]
King Youngblood are navigating protests and the pandemic in "Opaque"
If there’s an award for most topical music video of the year, we should probably close the voting now. “Opaque,” by Seattle’s King Youngblood, folds today’s two major storylines—the pandemic and protests—into one striking five-minute clip. The video conflates the isolation of the pandemic and the marginalization that’s spurred protests for racial equality. But the […]
These 16 early Afro-Punk artists made huge contributions to alt-rock
The 2003 documentary Afro-Punk lifted the lid on how many black musicians and fans were part of punk culture. Yet even today, there persists the idea that black participation in rock music is some sort of novelty or anomaly. That disregards, of course, mountains of evidence to the contrary, going back all the way to […]
ROAM will satisfy your need for pop punk anthems with ‘Great Heights & Nosedives’
ROAM Great Heights & Nosedives ROCKS LIKE: New Found Glory, Simple Plan, Blink-182 WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The difference between this album and 2016’s full-length debut, Backbone, is simply a coat of extra polish. Recording in Los Angeles with Kyle Black at the helm, this U.K. quintet now offer the sort of explosive crunch that would slot […]
Algiers' 'The Underside of Power' is a darker-hued follow-up to their debut album
Algiers The Underside of Power FILE UNDER: Nonstop diversa-pop brilliance ROCKS LIKE: The Pop Group, the Veldt, TV On The Radio WHAT'S DIFFERENT: This Atlanta-based act’s 2015 debut, which gave us the sound of a soulful ghost in the post-punk machine, was rightfully called a stunner. And its deft interpolations of everything from dub to […]
Machine Gun Kelly gives authentic, compelling take in 'bloom'
Machine Gun Kelly bloom ROCKS LIKE: Kid Rock, Wiz Khalifa, Everlast WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The best way to view MGK’s third studio set is through the prism of two recent tracks. One of them, of course, is “Bad Things,” the breakthrough duet with Camila Cabello that blew up last year by showcasing Kells’ softer side. bloom […]
LA songwriter Ryan Pollie follows up with 'Los Angeles Police Department'
Los Angeles Police Department Los Angeles Police Department FILE UNDER: Beefed-up bedroom pop ROCKS LIKE: Elliott Smith, Daniel Johnston, Grizzly Bear WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The sense of intimacy and the country-tinged aesthetic survive from LA songwriter Ryan Pollie’s 2014 debut, which produced the left-field hit “She Came Through (Again).” But this eponymous follow-up wisely turns its […]
K.Flay deliver strong lyrics and signature genre-blending in new album
K.Flay Every Where Is Some Where FILE UNDER: Pop, politics, power ROCKS LIKE: Santigold, MC Lars, Lizzo WHAT'S DIFFERENT: In our Spotified world, the hard-to-classify genre-bending that used to bedevil artists like K. Flay (aka Kristine Flaherty) has now become an asset. Every Where Is Some Where is a suitably expansive title for an album […]