Though I didn’t hear all the music that came out this year (more like a mere fraction), 2015 was a great year for music fans. I may post more about my favorites of the year, but (for now) here are some top albums from 2015. Alabama Shakes – Sound and Color:Did anyone think the soul-rock throwback […]

I hadn’t heard much of Bjork’s music, but the building excitement around her career-retrospective at the MOMA led to me to get pretty excited about the show… And then the reviews came in. They were harsh. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure about the exhibit. But I went, just the same as a lot of other […]

Pausing after a tour for their 2012 psych-rock album, Lonerism, that spanned three years, but before a series of scheduled summer festival gigs, the Australian indie-rock group released a free single called “Let It Happen” on Tuesday. The song, which was announced on Twitter and posted on their website as a free download, is their first […]

The cover of St. Vincent’s self-titled 2014 album displays the art-rock songstress seated on a regal light-pink chair. Her hair is dyed white with bits of purple, her blue and purple dress has a glossy sparkle, and, more tellingly, her eerily unfazed expression (arched eyebrows, straight-ahead gaze) suggests the possibility of extreme power. And extreme power is […]

Tomorrow, art-pop indie-rocker Annie Clark (who goes by the alien pseudonym St. Vincent) will perform at Lupo’s, the forty-year old downtown Providence concert-venue. NPR’s All Songs Considered called her tour “the best live show of 2014” and her robotic choreography, gorgeous voice, and ecstatic guitar solos have earned raves from listeners and critics alike. Expect a review […]

When Sleater-Kinney announced No Cities to Love, their first album after a 10-year hiatus, the music world was abuzz with a mix of anticipation (they’re back together!) and apprehension (will they still be good?). I had a different question on my mind: who is this band? Unlike other music fans, I hadn’t heard any of the […]

The Grammys, unlike the Oscars, put entertainment first, awards second. Last night’s show, a tiring and tedious event brightened by only a few memorable moments, was lacking in both categories. The show opened with an AC/DC medley of the new “Rock or Bust” and their 80’s hit, “Highway to Hell”. It was an out-of-place, out-of-touch […]

Chances are you haven’t heard Lonerism, and it’s equally likely you don’t know what a Tame Impala is (they’re a band). When the group released the album in 2012, it’s reach was limited to the hippest Pitchfork-literate indie-rock fans. The band, and the album, deserves a wider audience. Though I discovered Lonerism only a month ago, […]

Over nine studios albums and twenty years, Wilco has evolved from a hot new band with potential to a persisting, undeniably influential pillar of indie music. The band’s mix of old-school country and alternative rock (not to mention hints of folk, metal, and more) has been frequently fascinating, sometimes mediocre, and occasionally superb. The band’s […]