Q&A with Slow Magic

Interviews, Madison
Slow Magic hides behind a colorful, somewhat creepy wolf mask. For anonymity, for a phantom-like presence, as a symbolic gesture: it’s tough to be sure. Even the man behind the façade is ambiguous on the subjec...
81%Overall

Alt-J
This is All Yours

Albums
This is All Yours is just what you would expect from Alt-J. It feels more like a sequel to their last album, An Awesome Wave, than a separate entity. Like its predecessor, This is All Yours combines authentic b...

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Twin Peaks

Interviews, Madison
Chicago youngins, college drop-outs, pot-smoking misfits, the members of Twin Peaks—no, unfortunately they were unaware of the David Lynch drama series—have just recently retired from their teens. Flaunting the...

Terror Pigeon: “Girl!”

Songs
I rolled out of bed this morning to the sound of Terror Pigeon. Now, that’s the way they should be listened to. Or late at night when the party is starting to scatter and fade out. The “World’s Sweatiest Band” ...
84%Overall

Karen O
Crush Songs

Albums
A beauty in the making, Karen O’s Crush Songs plays like a disappearing phantom. Let me clarify: Crush Songs sounds like a lost collection of tracks from an unknown great. Apparently the album was produced q...

Cathedrals: “OOO AAA”

Songs
Cathedrals is an experiment in complements. A San Franciscan duo, Brodie Jenkins and Johnny Hwin know how to mix things up. Jenkins’ gorgeous, elegant voice doesn’t immediately fit into the techno-dance world o...

SW/MM/NG: “All I Want”

Songs
You better be ready to go SW/MM/NG. All lazy puns aside, the charming band from Fayetteville, Arkansas has won this writer’s heart. With a pretty obvious penchant for echoey guitar solos, the “lake pop” (as adv...

Avi Buffalo: “So What”

Songs
If I had to pin Avi Buffalo to an image based on their alternative sound, they would be a cross-country road trip in an old Ford Galaxie. The band is rooted in my native California, founded by guitarist and sin...

Lemonade: “Stepping”

Songs
Lemonade’s “Stepping” is a fun listen: Maybe not the kind of fun you would expect, but it definitely creates a complex and interesting atmosphere. This is probably best explained by the lyrics: “It lifts me up ...

Mapei: “Change”

Songs
If you’re aware of Jacqueline Cummings, better known as Mapei, it’s probably through her single “Don’t Wait,” which weaves together a complete, almost international palette of sounds. An oriental twang resembli...