It’s undeniable that Jónsi epitomized whimsical folk rock on his 2010 solo debut, Go. The album’s jubilant boisterousness—let’s call it “youth retreat campfire folk”—came ripe for mumblecore drama movies and summer camp recap videos, all while carrying the depth and dynamics the Icelandic prodigy built as the frontman of post-rock…

Christmas has come early this year—thank God—as Dolly Parton is set to release her first holiday album in 30 years. A Holly Dolly Christmas is the latest offering from country music’s queen, and it includes all the merriment of the season. This 12-track album features Parton singing favorites, as…

Following The Spice Girls reunion tour in 2019, “Sporty Spice” Melanie C began to take on a more introspective look on herself and her music. Her eighth solo album, a self-titled effort, was constructed with both herself and her audience in mind—that is to say, she wanted to create a…

Bon Jovi’s new album is titled 2020; a simple idea for a simple record … in a complicated year. And Bon Jovi, who has always excelled at simplicity, could be what some people need right now. 2020 Bon Jovi Island Records, Oct. 2 6/10 But not everyone. Calling Bon…

Hip-hop has always held a dichotomy between socially conscious lyricism and party-hard bars. The latest album from A$AP Ferg, Floor Seats II embraces the latter, with bombastic club bangers that are sure to receive plenty of spins when nightclubs open back up. Floor Seats II A$AP Ferg RCA, Sept. 25 5/10 The…

Arcade Fire’s Will Butler is not one for idle time, apparently. In the five years since his first solo release, Policy, Butler has released a live record, recorded and released a No. 1 album with Arcade Fire, earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard and raised his three…

Ten years and four albums on from its debut, Surfer Blood returns with Carefree Theatre. The album has a back-to-the-roots ethos about it, and rightly so. It coincides with both the band’s return to its first label, Kanine Records, and frontman John Paul Pitts moving back to his hometown…

The place where pop and art intersect eludes most seekers. Some ambitious bands aim for the sweet spot and overshoot grossly. More commonly, a group disdains one dimension in favor of the other. Too arty for the mainstream yet too accessible for the purist, alternative rocker Thurston Moore is…

In this shitbag year of 2020 A.D. (Absolute Deception? Assembly of Dicks? All Duck?), a punk rocker with a brain fine-tuned to sweet melody, about to turn 60 all while still raking musical muck—is literally beautiful music to the ears. Not that anyone should expect anything else from Bob Mould.…

Portland’s Blitzen Trapper has spent the last two decades blending indie folk with shades of alt-country. Sometimes, like on 2017’s Wild and Reckless, the country is front and center. During the band’s Sub Pop heyday, it made the group stand out from the Pacific Northwest’s indie field and helped…