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Matthew Kellenberg | Thursday, November 7, 2019
Three albums, two collaborations with Tyler, the Creator and one record deal in, Rex Orange County has hit his stride in the music industry. But the 21-year-old is in no hurry to grow up. “Pony,” Rex’s third and latest album, sees the singer-songwriter reining himself in as he rounds the corner on adulthood, yearning for
Matthew Kellenberg | Thursday, October 17, 2019
Fans of indie rock band Big Thief were surprised last July to receive unmarked, unannounced packages at their doors. Those fans had purchased vinyl copies of the group’s third album, “U.F.O.F.,” back in May, but these new packages contained something different: a two-song record, etched only with the date 10/11/19. The first song on the
Matthew Kellenberg | Thursday, September 19, 2019
In its early heyday, Scottish pop band Belle & Sebastian established its image by telling the stories of others. The group was named not for its members, but rather for the couple in a short story by frontman Stuart Murdoch — characters who were, correspondingly, named for a boy and a dog from a French
Matthew Kellenberg | Monday, September 2, 2019
To some, Clairo is the lip-syncing teen in that viral “Pretty Girl” video, a serendipitous beneficiary of the mysterious YouTube algorithm. To others, she is a music industry plant, a young woman whose father’s connections paved the way for her swift rise. But through a string of dazzling hits, Claire Cottrill has proven herself to
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