Rules are meant to be broken, or so the saying goes. Rufus Wainwright has spent the better part of 20 years ignoring the rulebook and forging his own musical way. Gloriously bon vivant one moment and stunningly heartbreaking the next, Wainwright has a poet’s style of making the rough…

Since releasing her 2011 self-titled debut album, Anna Calvi, as an artist, has resided within liminal spaces. Liminal spaces are transitional in nature, where the veil is very thin between worlds seen and unseen. Through her atmospheric music and evocative lyrics, Calvi has become our guide into these unknown…

“This album is the story of a second chance,” Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast said about the duo’s new LP, Always Tomorrow. The definition of a second chance, loosely speaking, is the opportunity to say that one failure isn’t the end and there’s always hope for something better. For Cosentino and Bobb…

In many ways, Ashley Frangipane—much better known as Halsey—has come a long way from her days of posting videos to Tumblr under the username se7enteenblack. After her song “Ghost” caught the ears of not only listeners but of record labels in 2014, Halsey has steadily been climbing into higher…

Ayane Yamazaki, Courtesy. Ayane Yamazaki was 11 when she discovered Haruki Murakami’s novel Kafka on the Shore. The themes within Murakami’s story, especially concerning the power of music, played a huge part in sparking Yamazaki’s urge to create. The book features a song that’s key to the story. “I was…

Back in the mid-2000s, there was a distinct, wondrous synergy that often surrounded Nashville. That’s where Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood came together to form Lady Antebellum. It didn’t take too long for the trio’s mix of melodic pop and classic country to be heard everywhere. The band…

Hootie and the Blowfish, “Imperfect Circle.” If you were around in the mid-’90s and listened to the radio at all, then you know who Hootie & the Blowfish are. Cracked Rear View earned these four friends from South Carolina much attention in 1994 with an engaging mix of roots rock…