SXSW 2017 is upon us. There are some changes from last year’s festivities including a lower amount of high profile showcases (No Spotify House, Fader Fort, Hype Hotel, etc), but also some really amazing announcements of awesome artists like Ryan Adams, Spoon, Jimmy Eat World and big Hip Hop artists like Lil Wayne. Regardless of the change in pace for […]

The Weekend Showcase 3.09 edition is our longest playlist of ever – not including our year-end Mega, Mega Playlist of course. This week, we have 55 excellent songs for your listening pleasure. The scary thing is that we could have easily shared another 50 songs. This is further evidence regarding how much the indie music scene is flourishing, and just […]

Sarah Bethe Nelson‘s debut album, Fast-Moving Clouds, was one of 2015’s biggest surprises. Her intimate and poignant songwriting and the hazy psychedelic-pop were spellbinding. Beneath the music, however, was a grittiness, a confidence, and an exclamation of perseverance and self-fulfillment. Not surprisingly, the album left a lasting impression on us, and we anxiously waited for her sophomore effort. Two weeks […]

February is already upon us, and whether winter is still hear or spring will be coming, the Weekend Showcase 3.04 edition will warm you up. Hear 50 songs by artists representing 11 countries, including Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. The playlist and tracklisting, as usual, follows the list of articles […]

It’s Groundhog Day, but on The Matinee February 2nd you won’t hear any repeats. Well, maybe you will because these nine singles will have you hitting rewind. There is a noticeable Australian focus, which demonstrates the country’s thriving music scene.   Ainsley Farrell – “Lady Long Hair” (Sydney, Australia via California, USA) RIYL: Laura Marling, Damien Jurado, Julia Jacklin One […]

Choosing our Most Anticipated Albums of 2017 is an extremely difficult exercise. We considered listing 100, but that was unmanageable; 25 would have been too few. So, we settled on 51 albums, many of which have been confirmed and others are simply wishful thinking. Alice Glass (TBA) After a messy departure from Crystal Castles and former bandmate Ethan Kahl, Alice Glass has […]

Weekend Showcase 2.48 edition is the penultimate one for 2016, and it features a bevy of fantastic new music. Forty-six songs by artists are including, and they represent 14 countries – Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, Greece, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. The playlist and tracklisting, as usual, follow the list of articles from […]

You won’t find an East Coast bias on The Matinee December 9th edition, as four of the six songs come from America’s western seaboard. But regardless of geography, each song has a retro feel, which is ideal during this time when we should be reminiscing.   The Feelies – “Been Replaced” (Haledon, NJ, USA) RIYL: Wire, Mission of Burma The […]

Today we have Saturday band picks for SXSW. We hope the weather stays nice today and we have no more cancellations from bad weather like we did last night. So far it looks like no rain, but it’s definitely windy and calls for a jacket. We haven’t seen high in the 60s here in a month or so. Let’s get […]

Over the past year, we’ve listened to thousands of singles – way too many to count. Throughout the year, we’ve shared many of them through three regular features – The Melodic Tonic, The Matinee, and The Weekend Showcase. While we could have rolled up all those singles into one mammoth playlist, that would have meant a playlist of nearly 1,500 songs, not to […]

For ease, here is the complete list of our Favorite 50 Albums of 2015. Click on the sub-heading below to be taken to the original post and hear tracks from the artists. Thanks for reading and here’s to another great year of music ahead of us.   The First 15 Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color Algiers – Algiers The […]

Today, we reach the final 20 of our 50 Favorite Albums of 2015. From riot grrrl to psychedelic pop, from contemporary indie rock to the sounds of the ’50s and ’60s, from alt-folk to alt-country, the list is eclectic, diverse, and filled with the best of 2015. Read the final 20 LPs below. If you’re just catching up, you can find […]

Yesterday, we listed the first ten on our Favorite Albums of the First Quarter 2015. Today, here are the remaining ten albums. As always, they’re in alphabetical order. Celebrate the awesomeness of these fine artists. Lady Lamb Lady Lamb‘s unabashed approach to songwriting and unrestrained creativity made After truly stand out in a first quarter full of incredible records. Part of […]

2015 is barely 10 weeks old, yet there have been plenty of great albums already released. However, there are only a handful of albums that have been truly mind-blowing, ones that leave a lasting mark well after the first listen and that you have to spin over and over again. Sarah Bethe Nelson‘s solo debut, Fast-Moving Clouds, is one of […]

The South by Southwest Festival is right around the corner and if you have never attended, there really is nothing else currently like it. Unlike most other festivals where you have one location with multiple stages, thousands of bands, promoters, record labels, media outlets and sponsors who will descend upon Austin, TX and take over for about a week, playing […]

With today being Friday the 13th and tomorrow Valentine’s Day, we decided to combine the two days and create our Sad Suckers Soundtrack. This list basically consists of tracks that could be heart-wrenching breakup songs,about true love, or songs that feel like someone has stuck a dagger in your heart and twists and twists and twists relentlessly until you yell for […]

Three weeks ago, we had featured Sarah Bethe Nelson‘s “Paying” on our Weekend Showcase, and the track is so good that we had to put it back on once again on The Sad Suckers Soundtrack. It’s a gorgeous, heartbreaking, breakup song. The San Francisco singer-songwriter’s debut album, Fast Moving Clouds comes out March 10 on Burger Records. As we mentioned at […]

With the new year three weeks old, the avalanche of new music has commenced, so we have a slightly longer playlist this week. You’ll find everything from R&B to electronic to indie pop to indie rock to scuzz rock. Some of the artists are well-known and others still developing a following. Either way, we highly recommend that you check these […]