Hell-On by Neko Case Throughout her career, Neko Case has mesmerized long-time fans with her incredible voice and creative storytelling. At times, she’s like a poet, and another moment she’s the greatest fable writer of the past 40 years, painting vivid stories that include sparrows, foxes, and almighty storms. But since Middle Cyclone, Case started to look a lot more […]

First Aid Kit released Ruins earlier this year – actually at the beginning of the year. This might be the first time we’ve included a favorite album and a favorite EP by the same artist/band. Tender Offerings is also one of our favorite EPs. Ruins is a beautiful release by the Swedish duo of sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg. The […]

Mirage by Sam Valdez Sam Valdez is the human equivalent of time machine. She encapsulates the sonic beauty of the Laurel Canyon neighborhood in the ’70s while creating cinematic soundscapes and poignant stories akin to Angel Olsen, Hope Sandoval, and The War On Drugs. This combination should eventually result in the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter becoming an indie star. For now, […]

A year ago, Juanita Stein released her debut solo album, America, which showcased a vastly different side from her days fronting the underappreciated indie-rock band Howling Bells. Instead of catchy and booming numbers, the record was complex and mystical, as Stein combined an ethereal vocal deliver with hard-hitting and occasionally unnerving stories. In addition, she brought an expected cinema and […]

The Matinee ’18 May 17th features nine artists whom we’ve been quite bullish about in terms of their potential. All of them are long-time favorites. Similar to yesterday’s Melodic Tonic, this mini-playlist is dominated by women. As we like to say, women are music’s future now. Annabel Allum – “em(ily)” (Guildford, England) RIYL: Nadine Shah, Eliza Shaddad, Miya Folick Nearly […]

We had to switch up our schedule this week, so today you’ll find The Matinee ’18 May 2nd edition. Snappier descriptions today, which on hump day is ideal. Buck Meek – “Maybe” (Brooklyn via Driftwood, TX, USA) RIYL: Cass McCombs, Twain, subdued Unknown Mortal Orchestra Getting out from under your popular band’s huge shadow is always difficult, but Big Thief […]

The Matinee ’18 April 24th edition features everything from the bone-chilling to the experimental to the exhilarating to the breathtaking. Each of them has a bit of cinema, so be prepared to lose yourself in each of the nine songs. The Bones of J.R. Jones – “Know My Name” (New York City, USA)  RIYL: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night […]

Awesome new music with shorter descriptions are on order for The Matinee ’18 April 17th. Rockers, anthemic numbers, and intimate tunes are all featured. Let’s get to it! BILK – “Spiked” (Essex, England) RIYL: The Clash, The Strokes, Shame Essex trio BILK may still be hovering under the radar, but soon enough Sol Abrahams (vocals/guitar), Luke Hare (bass), and James […]

For this Good Friday, we’re offering two for the price of one. On The Matinee ’18 March 30th – World Edition, we head off to five countries for six songs. There’s a wide range of singles for your listening pleasure. Dirty Pixels – “On Ice” (Auckland, New Zealand) RIYL: Bright Eyes, Deerhunter, of Montreal It has been seven years since […]

The Saturday Sampler February 24th edition mirrors the Olympics: this playlist features plenty of gold-medal caliber talent from across the globe. Artists and bands today represent Austria, England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, and the USA. From indie rock to soulful pop, these tunes will dazzle and delight you. We kick things off with a new UK “supergroup” of sorts.   Mastersystem […]

“I’m starting to feel super country right now,” he said, drawing out the word super, standing with his guitar in front of a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking 59th street. It was impossible not to look behind him. “And I’ll get more redneck as we go. Ok, let’s get started! Are you into…sadness?” The crowd cheered.   John Paul White and his band, […]

Due to the avalanche of new music that has arrived over the past 36 hours, we’ve opted to split the The Matinee ’18 January 11th edition into two parts, dividing the 16 songs alphabetically. Part 2 is available here. Without further delay, let’s get to the music. The Cavves – “Beaches” (Wichita, KS, USA) RIYL: Dick Diver, Wavves, The Regrettes […]

And it all comes to an end… well, sort of. The Saturday Sampler December 9th edition is our very last mini-playlist of 2017. There’s still the Weekend Showcase tomorrow that runs down this past week in music plus our Mega, Mega Playlist of our favorite songs that we will share on New Year’s Eve. In addition, we’ll be sharing our […]

Restless soul. Globetrotter. Dreamer. A life-long dreamer and wander. All these terms apply to Pauline Andrès, who has long searched for a place that will allow her to realize her most cherished dreams and, thus, to call home. Born in France and having lived in Berlin up until last year, Andrès has always been like a square peg in a […]

Everyone knows about the Friday the 13th movies, but how many know about Saturday the 14th? It’s a cult movie made in 1981 that was a parody of horror movies, where some of the great monsters and villains are turned into punch lines. It’s not a very good movie, but it’s entertaining. On that note, we promise you that the […]

The Saturday Sampler October 7th edition includes nine pulse-quickening singles from various genres, from Americana to indie rock, pop, and soul. Featured artists hail from Canada, England, Scotland, and the USA. We kick off this weekend playlist with some vivacious UK indie punk.   Adults – “MSN” (London via Brighton, England) RIYL: Dinosaur, Jr., Parquet Courts, Diet Cig, Fidlar We […]

The Matinee September 14th is in reverse alphabetical order so that a band we’ve featured often gets their chance to be at the top (granted, they’ve always had a special place in our hearts). The mini-playlist features a wide-range of genres, from old-school R&B and soul to smooth dream-pop, catchy indie-rock, and alt-country. There is also a fantastic track from […]

From heart-wrenching stories to shimmering pop anthems to songs that defy a single genre, The Matinee September 5th edition will help you recover from the long weekend. Once again, nine songs occupy today’s mini-playlist with the artists coming from five continents. For the first song, you might want to have some Kleenex nearby. Anna Tivel – “Dark Chandelier” (Portland, OR […]

Making music is tough. Selling music is even tougher, so when you hear of an artist who pounded the streets to sell his CDs door-to-door, you know you’ve found someone with a passion to share their sounds. Blake Berglund is just such an artist, using the opportunity to talk with people about music while bringing in money to move his […]

Most of the nine songs on the Matinee August 31st edition could be considered throwbacks. The artists channel some of the legendary artists and genres in music, but transforming them with a modern twist. There are a couple, though, who are just innovators. Some would even say pioneers. Take a listen below. Oh, you might want to have some popcorn […]