The music scene has become “girly” in Bono’s opinion. The U2 frontman bemoans the lack of “rage” in rock in this month’s Rolling Stone cover story: “I think music has gotten very girly. And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment – and that’s not good. When I was […]

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. […]

We have arrived at the conclusion of our Favorite Albums of 2017 with Part 5. Today’s list is filled with legends – whether artists and bands who indeed exemplify the term or who channel some of music’s most influential songwriters. After reading through today’s ten LPs, revisit the other 40 in Parts One, Two, Three, and Four. Happy Holidays!   […]

October has arrived, and the calendar change means cooler temperatures and darker music. The Weekend Showcase 3.38 edition reflects the new season, as there are several pulsating and brooding numbers. The mega-playlist features 55 songs from artists representing 14 countries, including: Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Scotland, South Korea, Sweden, the United States, and Wales. […]

In 2015, Wolf Alice were the year’s buzziest and fastest-rising band. They went from UK indie darlings to global stars in the blink of an eye, propelled by their debut album, My Love Is Cool. That LP populated dozens of “Best of” and “Favorite” lists, including our own. It was fierce and edgy, but it also surprised with unexpected pop […]

Another fabulous week in music has passed us, and the next 6 to 8 weeks look incredible. In the meantime, take a moment to reflect back on the week that was with the Weekend Showcase 3.37 edition. Fifty-four songs are on this playlist, although not all of them are on SoundCloud or Spotify. Fifty-three are on the former while the […]

It’s time to go gallivanting around the globe in search for new music. The Matinee September 19th has nine songs from artists in seven countries. You’ll recognize a few of them if you’ve been following this space, and there are, of course, some newcomers. You might want to be sitting down for some of the songs because they are absolutely […]

This was a sensational week for new music, and, as a result, we were extremely busy. We covered six LPs and one EP, featured three premieres, and had two photo essays. Daily picks for Ottawa’s annual CityFolk were also shared. And of course, we had our daily mini-playlist features. All this coverage has yielded a 59-song long Weekend Showcase 3.36 […]

The weekend playlist known as the Saturday Sampler September 16th edition rocks, rolls, and dives deep into the new music sea. This international affair includes nine new singles from Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, Sweden, and the USA. We kick things off with weekend-appropriate dance tunes from one of Australia’s most beloved synth-pop bands. Check back tomorrow when our Weekend Showcase […]

One more week has passed, and another great few days of music. We’ve featured some great playlists of the years, but this one is right near the top and among the best. The Weekend Showcase 3.26 edition has fifty (51) songs with the artists and band representing 12 countries. The nations include: Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, […]

The Matinee July 6th edition features only eight songs instead of the usual nine, so we could add two videos. Besides the number of tunes, the mini-playlist is also a bit different in that it has a heavy UK emphasis. Today’s list could be mistaken as a BBC Introducing episode. Anyway, enjoy the mini-playlist, which has plenty of variety. Be […]

The past week was one of the best of 2017, and the Weekend Showcase 3.23 edition reflects its greatness. A staggering 54 songs are on it, featuring some big-name artists (e.g., Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, Chelsea Wolfe, Cigarettes After Sex); rising stars (e.g., Julia Jacklin, Noga Erez, Wolf Alice); established veterans (e.g., Frankie Rose, The Dears, Michael Nau); and, of […]

The Matinee June 13th has a bit of a familiar feel in that many of the artists and bands listed before have been featured before. We kick things off with the return of one of indie rock’s great bands. Wolf Alice – “Yuk Foo” (London, England) RIYL: Siouxsie Sioux, Hole, Dead Kennedys In 2014 and 2015, Wolf Alice was the […]

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 […]

Even though it’s now autumn in our part of the planet, remixes always have a summery feel – well, most of them. We have three more for you on today’s Rendition. As always, we’ve included the original song for you to check out.   Wolf Alice – “Bros” (NAO Remix)   One of the biggest buzz bands this year is […]

    When it comes to musical acts, there is no shortage of darkness – specifically, black. There are countless “Black” named groups. They are the original cool kids on the music scene. The groups who are still together are now the elder statesmen of rock & roll. Back in the ’70s and ’80s the trend in band names was “The” names: The Who, The Police, […]

Every three months, we like to look back on some of the great albums that crossed our desks, landed in our inboxes, or that we just decided to pick up because we were curious. In April, we counted down our 20 Favorite Albums of the First Quarter. We had so much to write that we had to split it up […]