Sam Quealy in "Groovy Jungle" Credits: Creative director @alewm, photograph @wheresjd, styling @Annie_lavie, makeup @samanthalapre, hair @virginie_pineda When we connect by phone on the Fourth of July, Sam Quealy is preparing to head back to Paris, where she has lived for the past four years, from...
by Liz Ohanesian
Photo Credit: Jac Chung Wan One of the many miracles of music – good music – is its ability to transcend cultures, space, time and connect people from all walks of life. On her sophomore record, 9m88 (Joanne Tang) does just this. 9m88 (pronounced “Jo-m-baba”) is a Taiwanese artist who translates...
by Sara Barron
Medusa is a nonbinary ‘revenge-pop’ musician based in Buffalo, New York. Their signature production - described by Soundriv as “a breakthrough collection of LGBTQ hymns,” and by Bucketlist as “the most inventive [expletive] music we’ve heard in a long time” - often features unconventional sounds like wolf howls and cheerleading chants. Medusa describes their style as “by any means necessary,” then makes good on the promise.
by Mandy Brownholtz
Photo Credit: Christopher Mortenson It was 1988, and Peggy Lee was finally going to take a stand. She was representing no one but herself, but she nonetheless was determined to face off against one of the largest media conglomerates in the country — Walt Disney Productions. In one corner, there was...
by Gillian G. Gaar
Photo Credit: Shelby Brakken It's impossible not to recognize Laura Veirs' distinct voice and mystical, almost spoken lyrics. Having released twelve albums since 1999 (the last being 2020's My Echo), she just put out her new album Found Light, on July 8 — and the 14 tracks feature the same folky...
by Marianne White
Photo Credit: Frank Mojica Singer and multi-instrumentalist Natasha Janfaza returned to her hometown of Los Angeles after spending seven years in Washington D.C., where she attended Georgetown University, but she couldn't leave the local music scene behind. “I decided that I wanted to start fresh...
by Liz Ohanesian
La Femme at The Belasco in Los Angeles, 6/24/22 (Photo: Liz Ohanesian) Midway through their set at The Belasco in downtown Los Angeles, La Femme rips into “Antitaxi,” the synth-surf-punk opener of their 2013 debut album Psycho Tropical Berlin. The packed crowd on the floor of this grand, old...
by Liz Ohanesian
Photo Credit: Kathryn Vetter Miller “This may be a record that literally nobody else gets or likes, or like, you know, is into,” says Katie Alice Greer, former vocalist of DC post-punk outfit Priests, of her first solo effort Barbarism, out today on Four Four Records. “But that’s okay, because I...
by Mandy Brownholtz
Photo Credit: Dimitra Tzanou With her latest album, Up and Away, out June 17 via Sub Pop Records, Σtella has been diving deep into the influence of mid-20th century Greek music. In a way, it is a rediscovery of music that had been a part of the Athens-based singer’s youth. “When you listen to...
by Liz Ohanesian
Ikwe (formerly known as Kelsey Pyro) is a Brooklyn based Black and Ojibwe artist from St. Paul / Minneapolis Minnesota. Ikwe is the Ojibwe word for woman. Specializing in Alternative R and B, music production, sound art, and performance art her work often incorporates genres, experiences, and stories from her African American and Native American identity.
by Mandy Brownholtz
Photo Credit: Richard Dumas On her debut album as Quinquis, Èmilie Tiersen, who previously recorded under the artist name Tiny Feet, chose to sing in Breton, the historic, and endangered, language of Brittany. Seim, out on May 20 via Mute, is a Breton word that means sap. “It’s way closer to Welsh...
by Liz Ohanesian
Maria Fernanda Gonzalez Is a Venezuelan bandola llanera player, community organizer, self-thought composer, and educator. With a grounded understanding of the bandola llanera (male-dominated) traditions, she focuses on bringing the instrument to a new artistic path through composition, performance, and improvisation.
by Mandy Brownholtz