George Ezra, “Staying At Tamara’s.” English singer-songwriter George Ezra proves he’s got more to him besides “Budapest” on his second album, Staying at Tamara’s. Following the release of his debut, Wanted on Voyage, in 2014, and three years on the road, Ezra spent last year in the studio. On the 11-track…

Preoccupations (formed under the name Viet Cong) are back with new material titled, well … New Material. While the title of the band’s second album under the Preoccupations name is odd to say the least, the content beneath the subversive joke prevails as the band’s best output to date.…

After a lengthy court battle with his old label and the devastating loss of his grandfather, no one could have blamed country singer-songwriter Scotty McCreery for dropping his music career and returning to his quiet North Carolina hometown. Operating from the wheelhouse of pop country, Scotty McCreery’s rise from…

With a name inspired by the villainous family in The Goonies, The Fratellis have a groove just as far-out as the 1980s cult classic. The Glasgow indie rock trio remains riffy garage rock at heart, but bears a folksy soft spot that gives its material a rustic tinge. Longstanding radio…

To label Young Fathers as a pop band may seem like a lazy cop out, but it’s also the best way to describe the Scottish trio’s eclectic styles. The self-described “psychedelic hip-hop electro boy band,” consisting of multi-instrumentalists Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham Hastings, has proven its innate ability…

Much has been said about Of Montreal‘s gradual transformation from a sunny tongue-in-cheek pop band to a darker, funky and angst-ridden glam-pop group. While the transformation has been drastic when compared to Of Montreal’s debut, the Kevin Barnes-led psych-pop act has been consistently resilient in stretching its explorative efforts.…

Just as Deep Purple organist Jon Lorde complemented Ritchie Blackmore’s acrobatic guitar shredding, Swedish singer-songwriter and organist Anna Von Hausswolff uses her atmospheric touch to drive a unique blend of folksy doom metal, classical ambient and gothic aesthetics. She matches the volume and weight of such abysmal heaviness with…

Since 2006, rock musician Andrew W.K. has been a motivational speaker, owned a New York nightclub, hosted a national radio show, released an improvised solo piano album, hosted a children’s show, written an advice column, released a cover album of songs from the Gundam anime franchise, toured as a…

Though Matt Scottoline had already made a name for himself within the emo revival movement as the bassist in Everyone Everywhere, his has become the classic tale of a solo project becoming an actual band. Hurry’s current incarnation consists of drummer Rob DeCarolis and bassist Joe DeCarolis—cousins respectively known…

Tragedy brings out both the best and the worst in people. From the worst events in people’s lives, there is always opportunity to grow, and to become something greater. In the case of folk singer-songwriter Laurie Anderson, tragedy was her muse. Drawing inspiration from her experiences during Hurricane Sandy, Anderson recruited…