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Talkhouse

James Petralli is the frontman of White Denim, a band from Austin, TX. Their album World As A Waiting Room is out now via Radio Milk Records.

James Petralli

Music

White Denim Planned and Executed an Entire Lockdown Album

FEELS is a noise punk band from Los Angeles. Their second album, Post Earth, was released via Wichita Recordings in 2019.
(Photo Credit: Jeff Fribough)

FEELS

The Way We Get By: FEELS’s Amy Allen Is Dabbling in Circus Arts

Holding fast to the emotional honesty of Playing House (2017), Common Holly’s sophomore record, When I say to you Black Lightning is a look outward; an exploration of the ways in which we all experience pain, fear, and self-delusion, and how we can learn to confront those feelings with boldness.
The record is more experimental than Brigitte Naggar’s debut. It is rougher, looser, louder and more atonal. It feels edgy, but still kind. WISTYBL ditches fear without losing vulnerability, and trades in sadness for the healing powers of anger, and the strength of observing, recognizing and confronting. Through its 9 labyrinthian yet catchy tracks, shaped sonically by the seriously unique visions of Devon Bate, Hamish Mitchell, and Naggar herself, the album observes the complexities of mental health, the precarity of life, and the challenges of finding strength in the face of grave misunderstanding. 
(Photo Credit: Alex Apostolidis)

Common Holly

Checking In with Little Kid and Common Holly

Tom Russo is a singer, songwriter and guitarist with Melbourne band Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Their second LP Sideways to New Italy is out now through Sub Pop.

Tom Russo

The Way We Get By: Tom Russo is Literally Stopping to Smell the Roses

Patrick Haggerty is the leader of the band Lavender Country.
(Photo Credit: Isabel Dresler)

Patrick Haggerty

Lavender Country’s Patrick Haggerty Talks with Paisley Fields

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Dean Wareham is a musician (Galaxie 500, Luna, Dean &amp; Britta) and a writer. His memoir, Black Postcards, was published by Penguin. You can follow him <a href="http://www.deanwareham.com/">here</a>.
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Dean Wareham

Dean Wareham interviews Pete Kember, aka Sonic Boom

Bright Light Bright Light has been a staple of the international LGBTQ+ music scene for over ten years, having released three prior albums and touring as both a solo artist and as support alongside pop royalty like Elton John, Cher, Erasure, Ellie Goulding, and Scissor Sisters. He also collaborated with Elton on his 2016 banger “All In The Name” which he also performed with the music legend on The Graham Norton Show.
His new album Fun City is out September 18 on his own label YSKWN!, in partnership with Megaforce Records and The Orchard, and it will serve as not only a stellar collection of expertly crafted &#8217;80s-inspired dance-pop, but also as a musical love letter to the LGBTQ+ community. The album boasts a veritable “who’s who” of LGBTQ+ major-players and allies who serve as collaborators, including (in alphabetical order by first name) Andy Bell (of Erasure), Big Dipper, Brendan MacLean, Caveboy, The Illustrious Blacks, Initial Talk, Jake Shears, Justin Vivian Bond, KAYE, Mark Gatiss, Niki Haris &amp; Donna De Lory, and Sam Sparro.
For the past four years he has curated, hosted and served as the DJ for regular afternoon dance parties (which he affectionately calls the “Romy &amp; Michele&#8217;s Saturday Afternoon Tea Dance”) at Manhattan’s Club Cumming and Brooklyn’s C’Mon Everybody. Aside from using his music as a powerful platform for equality, he has also actively fundraised for The Trevor Project, Ali Forney Center, Hetrick-Martin Institute, ACLU, and Elton John AIDS Foundation over the years.
(Photo Credit: Warren Piece)

Bright Light Bright Light

In Conversation with Jake Shears and Rod Thomas

Matt Sharp launched The Rentals in 1995 with The Return of The Rentals while Weezer was on hiatus between the Blue Album and Pinkerton. The album spawned the hit “Friends of P” and the project became Sharp’s full-time gig departing Weezer after Pinkerton’s release in 1996. The Rentals&#8217; official fourth LP, a sci-fi themed, 16-track double-album opus Q36 is out now, featuring contributions from Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (The KIllers) and Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, Mercury Rev, etc.). Over the past quarter century the amorphous group has featured contributions from Petra Haden (That Dog), Maya Rudolph, Damon Albarn (Gorillaz/Blur), Tim Wheeler (Ash), Donna Matthews (Elastica), Miki Berenyi (Lush), Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig (Lucius), Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), amongst many others. With Q36 Sharp takes the collaborative nature even further, creating new merchandise items for every single with visual artist Ivan Minsloff and connecting with the community at HITRECORD.org.

Matt Sharp

The Way We Get By: Matt Sharp Is Loving the Escapism of ZeroZeroZero

Dougie Poole is a country musician and songwriter based in LA. Coming of age in Providence, Rhode Island he dabbled in heavier and more experimental music before maturing into a country auteur. He writes earnestly about his experience (life in the big city, heartbreak in the digital age) and approaches country music with honesty and a deep respect for the genre&#8217;s traditions. His latest record, At Tubby&#8217;s, is out now on Wharf Cat.

Dougie Poole

A Country Oddball Roundtable

Sondre Lerche is a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and film score composer from Norway. His album Patience is out now. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SondreLerche">here</a>.
(photo credit: Marius Hauge)

Sondre Lerche

Sondre Lerche In Conversation with Van Dyke Parks

Here’s Some Great Music to Buy on Bandcamp Today

Varsity came to fruition one night in 2013 when several Chicago musicians gathered for a &#8220;salon night&#8221; where friends shared stories and songs. Singer-keyboardist Stephanie Smith was set to perform solo, but was quickly drawn to the sound of guitarists Dylan Weschler and Pat Stanton and asked them to join her. Shortly after their first performance as a trio, they recruited Jake Stolz on drums and his brother, Paul Stolz, on bass to fully round out their sound and become the quintet that they are today. Varsity played shows in the Chicago area the following year and spent one weekend at Chicago&#8217;s Public House Studio to record their debut self-titled LP released in March 2015.
Varsity has since found success in the growing indie-pop space. The powerful driving vocals of singer/keyboardist Stephanie Smith over infectious guitar melodies and exciting rhythm has them frequently sharing bills with artists including American Wrestlers, Alvvays, Courtney Barnett, The Hold Steady, and Car Seat Headrest. The band has further explored and developed their sound across a variety of digital releases—often two complementary singles at a time —that have earned rave reviews and a growing audience with millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify.
(Photo Credit: Alexa Viscius)

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