RIFF’s best albums of 2024 include Tyler, The Creator, Charli XCX, Beyoncé, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Brittany Howard, Kamasi Washington, St. Vincent, The Cure, Jack White and Vampire Weekend. Our album reviews are the opinion of one writer, while this list is a survey of our entire…

Tyler, the Creator, “CHROMAKOPIA.” Despite being one of the most prolific faces in hip-hop, Tyler, the Creator has always been intentionally opaque with his personal life, letting his artistic endeavors speak for themselves. On his new album, CHROMAKOPIA, he slowly begins to take off his mask. CHROMAKOPIA Tyler, the…

Tyler, The Creator performs at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Oct. 29, 2021. Tyler, The Creator on Wednesday announced a 2025 world tour and a new album, CHROMAKOPIA, which he’ll release on Oct. 28. CHROMAKOPIA: THE WORLD TOUR kicks off on Feb. 4 and runs into September 2025.…

Tyler, The Creator performs at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Oct. 29, 2021. Rapper Tyler, The Creator, Las Vegas rock stalwarts  The Killers and alt-country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson top the marquee for the 2024 edition of San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival. The event will return to Golden…

Rex Orange County, ‘Who Cares?’ Alexander James O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, keeps things laidback despite the stresses and anxieties of life on his third album, Who Cares? The 11 tracks are quick and punchy, with the record clocking in at just over 30 minutes. He blends a…

As we close one chapter and open another in the wake of the new year, The Weeknd delivered his fifth studio album Dawn FM. It comes following the success of 2020’s After Hours and the milestone of headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. The album delivers dreamy and dreary electronic…

Clockwise from top right: Olivia Rodrigo, Shawn Mendes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chris Stapleton, The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, HAIM, Roger Waters, Tyler, The Creator, Billie Eilish, Lorde and John Mayer. After the pandemic canceled concerts in 2020, we crossed out fingers that our favorites would be rescheduled. Slowly, they’re…

Our list of the 20 best hip-hop albums of 2021 includes (L to R): Row 1: Lil Nas X, Polo G, Tyler, the Creator, J. Cole, Nas. Row 2: Little Simz, Meek Mill, Isaiah Rashad, Czarface & MF DOOM, Backxwash. Row 3: Vince Staples, Wale, Your Old Droog, BROCKHAMPTON,…

The best albums of 2021 include Billie Eilish, Brandi Carlile, Tyler, The Creator, Little Simz, Olivia Rodrigo, Wolf Alice, Gojira, Rise Against, Yola and Lord Huron. We’ve made it to the end! These are our absolute favorite 10 albums of the year. What we discovered as a team was…

The Strokes perform at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Oct. 29, 2021. Adam Pardee/STAFF and courtesy. SAN FRANCISCO — Indie rock band The Strokes’ set at Outside Lands got off to a rough start, then it stayed rough for an uncomfortably long time. The Strokes. The band started…