music commentary
Zachary Lipez (Freshkills, Publicist UK) Talks Downtown Boys’ “Slumlord Sal”
Summer may be pointless, but Downtown Boys’ kiss-off to a landlord is anything but.
Amy Klein (Leda, Hilly Eye, Titus Andronicus) Talks the War on Drugs’ “Eyes to the Wind”
The War on Drugs’ “Eyes to the Wind” is a grand anthem about the power of letting go.
Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz) Talks Bluffing’s “Sheltered”
Speedy Ortiz's singer-guitarist hates summer but she loves this song. Let her count the ways.
Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction, Polarbear) Talks Ben Frost’s Aurora
When music isn’t immediately pleasing, sometimes that’s when the real fun begins.
John Colpitts (Kid Millions) (Oneida, Man Forever) Talks Eric Clapton & Friends’ The Breeze (An Appreciation of J.J. Cale)
Eric Clapton wants to introduce the American master J.J. Cale to a wider audience. On that level, this album is a success.
Steve Wynn (the Dream Syndicate, Gutterball, the Baseball Project) Talks Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Hypnotic Eye
After 35 years, you might think you have Tom Petty figured out, but this portrait of modern malaise is worth spending time with.
Rafiq Bhatia (Son Lux) Talks Shabazz Palaces’ Lèse Majésty
Can phantasmagorical hip-hop unseat oligarchs and führers? Son Lux's guitarist phantasmagorically explores this intriguing idea.
Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) Talks Jenny Lewis’ The Voyager
Jenny Lewis' music has soundtracked key moments in the life of Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield. Will Lewis' new album do the same?
Sergio Vega (Quicksand, the Deftones) Talks Slow Club’s Complete Surrender
Don't be fooled by appearances, Slow Club's sonic landscapes are more epic than you might think.
Max Henry (Suuns) Talks Monomyth’s Saturnalia Regalia
Album are like green copper rooftops and reviewing them is absurd, which is precisely why you should read this piece.
Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Rival Schools, Gorilla Biscuits) Talks White Fence’s For the Recently Found Innocent
How is the new White Fence album like the freshly exonerated Central Park Five? A meditation on innocence, psychedelia and what’s wrong with the U.S.
Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes, Swan Lake) Talks Viet Cong’s Cassette
What does it mean when a band from a conservative Canadian town names itself after Southeast Asian Communist rebels from the '60s?












