The Matinee ’18 December 11th – Part 1 has some powerful tunes, clever takes on the world that is, and a sultry affair. It’s, in our humble opinions, the ideal mini-playlist for these wintry days. After you’re finished here, check out Part 2 of The Matinee. Deerhunter– “Element” (Atlanta, USA)  RIYL: Ezra Furman, The Beatles, Plastic Ono Band Most […]

The Matinee ’18 September 20th edition demonstrates that women are the present and future of music. Each of the nine songs are by a woman singer-songwriter or a female-fronted band. Each offers something different, ranging from indie rock to power-pop to disco-pop to shoegaze to downtempo to grunge. Bec Sandridge – “Animal” (Sydney, Australia) RIYL: La Roux, Dead or Alive, […]

The Matinee ’18 September 14th edition is a rambunctious affair with most of the songs turning back the clocks. Many of them take us to the eras and genres that our parents and grandparents spun in their youth. For some of us here, these times were also when we were teenagers. So whether you’re 18 or 80, we think you’ll […]

The Matinee ’18 September 4th edition is filled with surprises. This includes the return of an indie star from abroad, songs that sound like one thing but reveal a different message in its lyrics, and playful tunes that will leave you smiling. CASTLEBEAT – “Research” (Brooklyn, USA) RIYL: DIIV, Ghost Wave, Daywave The summer may be over in some parts […]

We’re offering another double dip of new music. The Matinee ’18 August 28th – Rock Edition will may cause some sensory overload, but we guarantee the six songs will energize you. Some may even make you laugh, and others will cause you to slow down (you’ll understand what this mean as you read more below). For the second half of […]

Since officially arriving in 2014 with their tantalizingly rich EP, Pale, followed by the hypnotic Pine and 2016’s emotional roller coaster, Please, Plush established themselves as one of the Bay area’s most promising bands. They also quickly emerged as a new outfit ready to take shoegaze and dream-pop to new heights. Along the way, however, they’ve undergone a couple of adjustments. […]

Happy June everyone! To celebrate the arrival of one of the grandest months of the year, The Matinee ’18 June 1st features some sizzling and some cool new tunes. A few alumni of our mini-playlists are making another appearance while there are a few newcomers worthy of your attention. We start things off, though, with a cinematic number that will […]

The Matinee ’18 May 8th – European Edition features some rocking numbers plus jaw-dropping, gorgeous tunes. There isn’t a better way to spend Tuesday than music that will make you say, “Wow!” The second part of The Matinee (the Rest-of-the-World version) is here.   Drenge – “This Dance” (Sheffield, England) RIYL: Blood Red Shoes, The Music, Royal Blood It was […]

Here is part two of our daily playlist. The Matinee ’18 January 23rd – US Edition features a few of our all-time favorites plus several impressive newcomers that made us do double takes. There are some incredibly moving and powerful songs while others will get you rocking or dancing. After spinning these songs, check out the part one of The […]

The Matinee November 9th edition is filled with alumni. As a result, the artists and bands are listed in reverse alphabetical order once again so those at the end of the alphabet get their time at the top. There is one newcomer to the list, but they’ve been around for a couple of years. We’ve also changed things up a […]

Australia-based Triple J’s family of radio stations are among the very best in the world. Their dedication to independent music globally and within the country is unmatched, and each year they hand out several awards to celebrate Oz’s finest indie bands and artists. One of the awards (and arguably the most popular) is Unearthed Artist of the Year. Past winners […]

Deap Vally Not only is Deap Vally‘s Femejism one of my favourite names for an album; it’s quite possibly one of my favourite albums of all-time. Rarely do you find an album where you like every single song! Hearing it live is even better. Fresh from the airport by the sounds of their tales, the Californian duo headlined a night […]

Another eclectic and awesome batch of new music singles occupies The Matinee July 21st edition. We won’t say much more because we’re ecstatic that one of the great Canadian bands has released a new single, meaning a new album is on the way! Just to change things up, the list is in reverse alphabetical order. Wolf Parade – “Valley Boy” […]

Happy Fourth of July to all our American friends. We hope the day is full of fantastic food, drink, and, of course, friends and family. To help you celebrate the holiday, we offer a selection of nine songs on The Matinee July 4th edition. Some of them are as explosive as fireworks while others will have you contemplating what it […]

The Matinee February 21st edition is another full-course buffet of new music. The mini-playlist is littered with alumni who are making their second, third, and even fourth appearance in these parts. Of course, there are new artists to discover, too (heck, they all are still waiting to be discovered by the rest of the world). Alex the Astronaut – “Rockstar City” […]

As The Matinee January 19th edition demonstrates, women are taking over the music industry. We’ve long purported that female artists are creating some of the most creative, ambitious, and meaningful music today. Eight of the nine songs below are either by a female singer-songwriter or a woman-fronted band. And this is a global phenomenon, as the artists are from Ireland, […]

The curtain has lifted on The Matinee October 27th edition. Today’s set of songs features new music by a few familiar names (including one star band) and a handful of talented artists about to make major noise. Today’s list is in reverse, alphabetical order.   The Van T’s – “Fun Garçon” (Glasgow, Scotland) RIYL: Black Honey, Honeyblood, iDestroy There are […]

We could dedicate the Saturday Sampler September 3rd edition to the long weekend in North America or to all the dads celebrating Father’s Day in Australia and New Zealand, but we’re not. Instead, this playlist goes to Alice Costelloe and Kacey Underwood, who announced on Thursday that Big Deal was dissolving. We wish the two all the best, especially after […]

Every ten days or so, we have had the privilege of showing videos from intimate live sessions by grunge rockers Heyrocco. Each video features a song from the band’s excellent new EP, Waiting for Cool, which showcased a young band maturing before for eyes. Two videos have been shared to date: “Yeah” and “It’s Always Something New”. Today, the third session […]

For the past couple of months, I’ve been photographing soldout shows hosted by large venues, so I was delighted that Mitski’s show at SideWinder had a small-scaled crowd and intimate setting. The two opening acts were Jay Som, a soft spoken singer-songwriter who performed with just her electric guitar set to a clean tone and sang “cute” songs that had […]