Upstate New York-based singer-songwriter Rick Spataro has his fingerprints over some of our favorite albums over the last few years. From his contributions to Florist to his releases with The Firs, Spataro has a knack for crafting gorgeous, delicate music and bringing melody to life. This July, Spataro will release his first album as Onlyness. The self-titled debut marks a […]

Words and photos are from Elissa Vinh, a photographer and writer based in Paris, France and London, England. An assertive, high-pitched scream from the audience filled the whole room as the band came up on stage. “We do it really soft”, Florist front woman Emily Sprague quietly replied in the microphone, alluding to her blend of calm folk and electronic […]

More than 2,500 songs shared, some 200 LPs and EPs reviewed, thousands of photos from concerts and festivals, and dozens of premieres later, we’ve arrived at our annual tradition of sharing our favorite songs of the past 52 weeks – also known as The Mega, Mega Playlist of 2017. This year’s playlist is the biggest yet. The 2015 version had […]

2017 has been another fabulous year for music. Numerous bands and artists made triumphant returns, dozens of newcomers took music to new heights, and some established stars aged like fine wines. With the holiday season upon us, it’s the perfect time to review the year that was. For the last five days, we shared our Favorite 50 Albums of 2017. […]

Ten more of our of Favorite Albums of 2017 – Part 2 are shared today. The list includes artists who refine the familiar approaches, others who completely re-invented themselves, and some who released records that bordered on pure cinematic ecstasy. After reading the below, revisit Part One.   Dan Auerbach (USA) – Waiting on a Song (via Easy Eye Sound) […]

We’re heading down the backstretch of 2017, and the music continues to amaze. The Weekend Showcase 3.40 edition is proof that there is still great new music to be found. This week’s mega-playlist features 57 songs. The artists and bands represent from 16 countries, including: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Scotland, […]

Florist’s music has always been laid-back, as she paints vivid pictures with her lyrics. Her 2016 record, The Birds Outside Sang, was mostly about a bicycle accident that left Emily Sprague, Florist’s creative force, severely injured.  Sprague relocated to the gorgeous Catskill Mountain region of New York to record a new LP, and that move greatly fits and adds to […]

It might be Sunday but there’s no better time to discover new music, and the Weekend Showcase 3.31 edition is the answer. This week’s playlist features 49 songs by 48 artists and bands, who represent 11 countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. The playlist and tracklisting, as usual, follows the […]

Today’s mid-week serving of new music cocktails has a unifying, one-word theme: calming. These are great rainy-day tunes. We are all seeking relief from the stress of life and the chaos of the world. What better way to find solace than with six new singles from artists in Canada, USA, and Netherlands? All of the artists have one-word band names, so […]

In New York, there is a collective of artists making some of the most interesting, creative, emotional, and unique music out there. The Epoch consists of bands like eskimeaux, Small Wonder, Bellows, Florist, and Told Slant. Despite sharing members across projects, each band in the collective creates a distinctive sound, from Sharpless’ huge electronic loudness to the intimate recordings of […]

Eskimeaux’s O.K. was one of our favorite records last year. O.K. felt like a warm blanket on a cold day, bringing a warmth and comfort to the listener. Tomorrow, Eskimeaux releases their latest EP, Year of The Rabbit. From the music, to the record’s artwork, it’s just as warm and welcoming as O.K. On Year of The Rabbit, Gabrielle Smith […]

Another week and another Weekend Showcase arrives, this time version 2.04, reviews the week that was in music, between February 1st to February 6th. There were some great albums that dropped this week with a couple being early contenders for album of the year. We premiered new music by two emerging acts. And of course, we featured at least 5 […]

Florist’s Emily Sprague has been writing music for a surprisingly long time for someone so young. Years ago, Sprague played music in upstate New York. In Albany, she met members of The Epoch, a collective of artists including Bellows, eskimeaux, Told Slant, and Small Wonder. After that, she moved to Brooklyn to collaborate with Epoch members. Shortly after the move, Sprague […]