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Matthew Kellenberg | Thursday, April 25, 2019
On the topic of predicting a film’s critical or commercial success, screenwriter William Goldman famously declared: “Nobody knows anything.” Goldman’s Law seems to apply to the music world as well. Rivers Cuomo of Weezer once called “Pinkerton,” the band’s second album, “a hideous record … a hugely painful mistake,” though it matured into one of
Matthew Kellenberg | Thursday, March 21, 2019
“Take Me to Church” is one of the great pop songs of our time. The anthemic blues-gospel track tugs expertly at strings of devotion and disillusionment. Earnest “amens” juxtapose biting premonitions: “I’ll tell you my sins, and you can sharpen your knife.” The song’s key fluctuates between major and minor, evoking visceral agitation. Yet, Hozier’s
Matthew Kellenberg | Thursday, February 28, 2019
“The Pitchfork Effect”: When a Pitchfork review, typically given on a debut or early album, appreciably alters the trajectory of a given artist. Examples include Arcade Fire (“Funeral”: 9.7/10), Bon Iver (“For Emma, Forever Ago”: 8.1/10), Travis Morrison (“Travistan”: 0.0/10). The same can be said for the indie-pop/rock project Broken Social Scene. Its 2003 debut,
Matthew Kellenberg | Thursday, February 7, 2019
Zach Condon was 20 when his band Beirut released their debut album “Gulag Orkestar.” Condon wrote and recorded the album in his childhood bedroom in New Mexico, but the record itself explores destinations and cultures thousands of miles away: scenic Italy, the Rhineland and Balkan brass all figure into the album’s sound. Condon’s flair for
Matthew Kellenberg | Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Things are looking up for Phoebe Bridgers. In 2017, she released her debut album, “Strangers in the Alps,” to critical acclaim. A year later, her collaboration with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, “boygenius,” received album-of-the-year buzz. Also in this time, Bridgers joined indie darling and former Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst on his “Salutations” European
Matthew Kellenberg | Friday, January 18, 2019
There’s some irony to the fact that The Tallest Man on Earth went under the radar last year. Kristian Matsson, stage name The Tallest Man on Earth, released six singles over the course of 2018. In September 2018, the folk singer-songwriter compiled five into his EP “When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground.” The reception
Matthew Kellenberg | Monday, October 29, 2018
When Gregory Alan Isakov isn’t tending to his three-acre farm, the singer-songwriter spends his time touring across the globe and recording music in his converted studio-barn. “Evening Machines,” born from these studio-barn sessions, tackles Isakov’s curious lifestyle with impressive clarity and depth. Isakov has long thrived at illustrating setting. Here, the musician too strives for
Matthew Kellenberg | Friday, October 26, 2018
The mere title of boy pablo’s sophomore release, “Soy Pablo,” illustrates more about the Norwegian pop band than does the record itself. The title, Spanish for “I am Pablo,” is a declaration of identity. In contrast, the seven tracks on “Soy Pablo” sound good but say little; all variations on one marketable “indie” theme. Boy
Matthew Kellenberg | Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Arlie, the band, came together on Vanderbilt campus in 2016. Their early singles “big fat mouth” and “didya think” gained traction on Spotify’s curated indie playlists. And now, to much anticipation, the band has released its first EP. They call it “Wait.” There’s something very “Vampire Weekend” about Arlie’s “Wait.” A band of recent college
Matthew Kellenberg | Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Last June, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and the National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner launched the online publishing platform PEOPLE. The goals of the platform: promote collaboration, remove the obstacles of music publication and provide listeners with more content from their favorite artists. PEOPLE already has 160 artists onboard, ranging from indie darlings to classically trained