At the start of the decade, Deerhunter was the indie rock act to beat. Their third LP, 2008’s Microcastle, had been a huge leap forward. Psychedelic drones were still a part of their sound, but their songwriting had opened up to incorporate more traditional rock influences. Guitarist Lockett Pundt’s occasional contributions, like album opener and…
All posts by Rich Bradley
“Tightrope” – Janelle Monáe
Every so often a star shows up who’s so original and fully-formed that her ascent to cultural icon status feels inevitable. Janelle Monáe is the 2010s’ prime example. Raised in Kansas City, Monáe had early showbiz ambitions that couldn’t be tempered by her conservative Baptist upbringing. In a 2018 Rolling Stone article, her family tells…
“Silhouette” – Julia Holter
Julia Holter makes a kind of music that could be too cerebral to be fun. She holds multiple degrees in composition and studied under avant-garde musician Michael Pisaro. Her early records are highbrow-conceptual, inspired by Euripides and Virginia Woolf. She called her most recent album Aviary after learning that birdcages were considered storehouses for memories…
“All Day” – Kanye West
Kanye West – All Day / I Feel Like That Music Video Do I have to write about Kanye? Of course I don’t. I’m the only one making me do this. But since I’m going to anyway, maybe the question is, why is this entry harder to write than the others? Kanye West has always…
“Snow Is Falling in Manhattan” – Purple Mountains
It took me longer than it should have to get David Berman. Like a lot of people, I was exposed to Silver Jews mainly because Stephen Malkmus had been in the band, reducing it in my mind to a Pavement side project. In reality, Silver Jews predated Pavement and was the primary vehicle for Gen…