Kayo Dot are the weirdest, most confounding band in the world, and possibly ever. Each of their 9 bizarre albums has its own distinct mood and personality, to say nothing of how they actually sound. At times, the band appears to be tinkering with its approach and style mid-song. Sonically adventurous and structurally meticulous as they come, lead singer/composer/only constant member Toby Driver (vocals, guitar, bunch of other shit) has forged his own path many times over, taking every release as an opportunity to expand on what came before, to take this strange project to the outer limits of his and … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Kayo Dot

You know those Youtube videos that are just like “How every _____ song is written”, where some guy walks you through the recurring themes and formulas a certain artist tends to return to over and over again? If they ever get popular or recognizable enough (and there’s a good chance they will), no doubt someone will make one of those for Phantogram – piling on a loud, massive trip-hop beat, a dark smoky minor-key synth-driven atmosphere, disembodied vocal samples, and a distinctive, ethereal high-pitched female voice singing about “Feeling like I’m gonna die” and “Walk with me to the edge”. … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Phantogram

Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch (b. July 2, 1983) is not a tragic figure. Her achievements in the recording industry — teenage stardom, multiplatinum certifications, mainstream crossover success, even a goddamn Grammy — are nothing to sigh for. It feels weird to look at the career of someone who experienced so much fame and popularity and say “Yeah, but she deserved to be even MORE famous and MORE popular”. And yet that’s exactly how I feel when I go back and listen to her early work. I think the problem was, she was both ahead of AND behind the times. Arriving … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Michelle Branch

When one thinks of iconic rap groups of the 90s, several names should immediately leap to mind: Wu-Tang, Tribe, De La Soul, maybe Outkast (arguably more of a 00s phenomenon), if we’re feeling ambitious, maybe Company Flow. Yet if that list does not include these quick-spitting, smooth voiced dudes from the harsh, bleak, hopeless streets of Cleveland, Ohio, it can’t help but seem incomplete. As cruel as the Key & Peele sketch is, it does have a point — these guys were HUMONGOUS in their prime, seemingly everywhere, popping up in movie soundtracks, being featured alongside some of the biggest … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony