Narrow Head vocalist and guitarist Jacob Duarte had a point when he said, “Nobody has riffs anymore.” The current rock scene seems afraid to try to write some nasty parts to get people moving. Excluding metal and hardcore, it’s safe to say riff-oriented rock music has steadily wained in…

When an artist pulls off a Nirvana cover without sounding like Nirvana, pay attention. It’s a testament to the songwriting chops of the mind behind Bully. Started by Alicia Bognanno as a solo project in 2013, the past seven years and two LPs have landed Bully as one of…

For a guitarist as respected and prolific as Bill Frisell, keeping things interesting and fresh still becomes a bit of a challenge. He does have the element of surprise on his side, as his balance of avant-garde ventures and timeless melody has taken him all over the map. This…

The existence of Primitive Man almost seems unfair. The conversation suddenly becomes, “heavy metal music, and Primitive Man.” This Colorado trio truly takes the cake as far unrelenting and suffocating darkness. The band set the bar extremely high with its debut, Scorn, and doubled down on Caustic. Even if played…

Among the melodic metalcore troops that defined heavy metal music during the mid-to-late-2000s, Wisconsin’s Misery Signals stood apart for their balance of technicality, emotion and dynamics. Its progressive, post-rock vibes have served the band well through a series of lineup changes, but the prospect of the original lineup reuniting…

Bandcamp Friday Aug. 7, 2020. Clockwise from left: Zombi, Kamaal Williams, The Caretaker, Vein.FM, Master Boot Record and Nelson Dialect. If anyone has a unique opportunity to support independent music, it’s Bandcamp. But the Bandcamp Friday concept has taken that support to a new level. Over the past three…

Taylor Swift, “Folklore.” Taylor Swift’s rise from country star to pop icon had lows to match highs. Considering the abysmal, transparent coping mechanism that was 2017’s Reputation, all 2019’s Lover had to do was not be embarrassing. It wasn’t, but the album’s overblown pop sound felt more detached from…

JARV IS…, the latest brainchild of Jarvis Cocker, vocalist of Britpop icons Pulp, originally formed to play Sigur Rós’ 2017 Norður og Niður festival in Iceland. The group has since developed its sound through a series of performances across the U.K. In fact, the very songs on this debut…

Margo Price has become the roots foil for the likes of Kane Brown with her commitment to thoughtful storytelling and wholesome musicality. Pop country’s current affinity for snap-tracks threatens to extinguish whatever connection it had to its past—so Price’s approach serves as a reminder of “real country” as an artistic…

Those who appreciate the clean singing on Bell Witch‘s past few albums have Erik Moggridge of Aerial Ruin to thank. The neo-folk artist’s contributions to the Seattle funeral doom bass-and-drum duo’s sound trace back to 2012’s Longing. He also played a substantial role in Bell Witch’s 2017 magnum opus, Mirror Reaper. A full-blown…