Yola, courtesy Valeria Rios. This week we bring you Americana from Mindy Smith, samba by Rogê, blues from Larkin Poe, synth-pop by Zimmer90 and Skateland, soul from Yola, power pop from Crash Harmony and folk by Sunsetto. Mindy Smith, “Jericho” – Americana darling Mindy Smith’s last album was 12…

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…

Bristol, U.K.-born singer Yola had big plans: shows, festivals and even a film role—all dashed by the pandemic. But through isolation came clarity and awakening, she planted the seeds of songs that would become the foundation of her sophomore album. The pause provided a reset for the singer who…

Clockwise from top left: PREP, Yola, Spencer Burton, Tank and the Bangas, Kacey Johansing, Drew Citron and Porches. Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips. Artists on platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the radio offers a steady deluge of new singles, but…

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters perform at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Oct. 5, 2019. Photos: Steve Carlson. SAN FRANCISCO — Tens of thousands crammed into the meadow in front of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’ Towers of Gold Stage to see the…

Low Cut Connie. Courtesy: Silvia Saponaro. AUSTIN, TEX. — SXSW 2019 marked a decided return to the “discovery mode” hallmark for which the festival has traditionally been known. While some big names always drop in—for example, Beastie Boys Mike D and Ad-Rock each gave a festival chat; as did David Byrne—the…

Bedouine at the Fox Theater in Oakland during Noise Pop on Feb. 24, 2018. She’s one of the must-see acts at SXSW 2019. Photo: Chloe Catajan. AUSTIN — With 2,000 acts from more than 60 countries, SXSW may have the most intimidating music festival schedule on the planet. The…