Phoebe Bridgers took the stage at Coachella for the first time last night. In addition to performing songs off her sophomore album Punisher, she also live-debuted her new single “Sidelines,” which was written for the upcoming Hulu series Conversations With Friends. But that wasn’t all Bridgers had up her sleeve. She also brought Arlo Parks onstage for […]
A pair of rappers pulling off the best Tom Tom Club sample since Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” (G Perico & Rucci), an iconic New Wave band trafficking in tongue-in-cheek nostalgia (Duran Duran), a blackgaze act embracing their love of vocal harmony (Deafheaven), and psych-rockers using the shopping mall as a metaphor for capitalist greed (My Morning […]
Back in June, SPIN published The 30 Best Albums of 2021 (So Far), rounding up everything from mainstream rock to experimental hip-hop. Six months later, we’re back with our year-end recap — and it’s interesting how, even though the stylistic balance has stayed consistent, the picks themselves haven’t. While this list also covers a lot of […]
Best Album lists tend to earn all the internet hype — it always feels like a somewhat serious, academic endeavor, adding to the pantheon of OK Computers and To Pimp a Butterflys. But Best Songs lists are weirder, messier, even more challenging on a nuts and bolts level. (When was this song released? When was […]
Despite what some “best of” blurb intros may tell you, there is no exact science to list-making. And constructing one so methodically just might ruin the joy altogether — for both us, the curators, and you, the readers. Even though debate is a natural reaction, anger is not. These stories are supposed to be fun! […]
One of the most interesting festivals every year is Iceland Airwaves. This year, following an obvious year away physically (the fest still existed virtually), will see the event return to downtown Reykjavík on Nov. 3-6. As usual, the tastemaking festival features a nice blend of international and Icelandic artists, including two of our favorites with Arlo […]
With most indie venues closed due to the pandemic and many record stores altering their business methods, it was a challenging year for music discovery. Luckily, we live in the internet age, where a glowing album review, trending social media post or intriguing Bandcamp tag can instantly connect fans to their next favorite band. As […]
Arlo Parks hasn’t enjoyed lockdown any more than the rest of us. But the 20-year-old, London-based singer/songwriter and self-described “social creature” has ridden out the year with help from the kind of oddly specific activities that populate her emotive songs. Recently it’s been photographing brightly colored flowers that has been keeping her busy. (She laughs, […]
Friday is finally here and you know what that means… SPIN is back with yet another exciting Daybreaker roundup for your listening pleasure. We’re in our feelings this week with a unique selection of artists that possess a certain musical prowess to tug at our heartstrings. Get swooned by the beautiful sounds of alternative indie […]
Phoebe Bridgers’ great new album Punisher has been out for a few months now, and she’s made a number of appearances since then. The latest, which was released on Sunday, saw her team with another great songwriter Arlo Parks (who handled the keys) on BBC’s Radio 1’s Chillest Show for a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” […]