Tame Impala's latest ventures deeper into the world of commercialized electronica while retaining the adventurous spirit of the band's earliest recordings. It's the most impeccably produced set of Tame Impala songs to date.
Author: Roberto Johnson
Jeffrey Silverstein – “Cosmic Scene” / “Easy Rider”
"Cosmic Scene" and "Easy Rider" mark the latest entries in the Portland songwriter's growing catalog of meditative guitar music.
Tan Cologne – Cave Vaults On The Moon In New Mexico
The Taos-based duo crafts an immersive concept album that explores the terrestrial, spatial, and spiritual elements of their native Land of Enchantment.
Justin Kass – “Living in My World”
On "Living in My World," the Santa Barbara multi-instrumentalist tries his hand at composing an ambitious art-rock ballad.
Jen Starsinic’s Dreamy Heartland Rock Will Make You Melt
We caught up with the fiddler-turned indie rocker to talk more about her stellar new EP, life in Nashville, musical identity and more.
Acres Even – “Separate” (Music Video)
Los Angeles indie rock outfit Acres Even are back with visuals for their debut single.
Nashville, Broken Hearts and Country-Pop Dreams: A Conversation With Singer-Songwriter Mercy Bell
Like everyone else, the last ten years for Mercy Bell were filled with life-altering decisions, events and experiences, all of which can be heard loud and clear on her new self-titled album.
Lyric of the Week: David Bowie – Moonage Daydream
Out of all the artistic touchstones in David Bowie's mercurial career, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars remains one of his most celebrated and accessible bodies of work.
Jazz-funk auetur Riley Geare welcomes in new decade with album release event at Moroccan Lounge on January 5
The Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist's second studio album, The Trip Vol. 2, is due out December 31.
Chatting With South Carolina’s PATx About His Explosive New Album and the Power of Self-Expression
PATx is a hip-hop fiend with a taste for stitching together emotionally anarchic verses over eerie trap soundscapes. We linked up with the producer-rapper to learn about his brand new album, Mesomatic.
Lyric of the Week: JAY-Z – Cashmere Thoughts
In observing all of JAY-Z's achievements, all roads point back to his seminal debut album, Reasonable Doubt, a landmark record for East Coast hip-hop that embodied the mafioso ethos which fueled many of New York’s great rap releases in the 1990s.
Cave Flowers – “Best Lonesome Friend”
The Los Angeles-based country outfit embrace the spirit of the California sound by melding dreamy atmospheres with a colorful and punchy brand of Americana.
The Lasting Influence of Gram Parsons, Country Music’s Greatest Connoisseur
Gram Parsons and his inner circle of country converts forever altered how roots and rock music intermingled. We retraced the work of Parsons' contemporaries to explore how they borrowed from and expanded upon the framework of his Cosmic American Music.
Top 20 Gram Parsons Songs
For his tragically short career, Gram Parsons churned out a bounty of memorable songs. Our picks for 20 of his very best.
Examining the Music That Made Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Offspring
Explore the wide range of influences that informed Gram Parsons and his jambalaya of American music.
GP: The Essential Gram Parsons Playlist
Get hip to the Grievous Angel's cosmic country with a comprehensive playlist of his best tracks.
A Gram Parsons Primer: Remembering the Grievous Angel 45 Years After His Death
Dive into the legacy of Gram Parsons and the music that changed the landscapes of country and rock forever.
Week of Gram: Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Country-Rock Pioneer Gram Parsons
This week, in honor of what would have been his 73rd birthday, Riffs & Rhymes is celebrating the musical legacy of country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.
10 Years of Fashawn’s Magnificent Debut Album, ‘Boy Meets World’
Fashawn's 2009 debut is a gem in the canons of both West Coast and underground hip-hop. A decade later, it holds up as one of the compelling works from its era.
Danny Brown – uknowhatimsayin¿
Danny Brown's latest is a celebration of longevity, artistic significance and an allegiance to the craft of being one of this decade's most dynamic rappers.
Alex Cameron – Miami Memory
The third studio album from the Australian singer-songwriter is a declaration of love, laden with his signature wit and penchant for crafting an infectious pop song.
Reefcity – Current Times
The latest beach rock savants to burst onto the Santa Barbara scene have arrived with their full length debut album.
Imp and Daniel Saylor on Their Cannabis-Infused Beat Tape, Their Favorite Weed Strains and the Art of Collaboration
The Southern-based producers and songwriters have teamed up for a new instrumental project that explores and embraces the THC experience.
Paradox & ReFlex the Architect – “Persistence”
The tandem's new collaboration is a motivational boom-bap cut that seeks out growth amid struggle and hardship.
Danny Brown – “Best Life”
Hip-hop is full of colorful characters, but none quite like Danny Brown.
Whitney – Forever Turned Around
On their second LP, Whitney's sound is warm and carefully calculated.
Lyric of the Week: Blu & Fa†e – Think
Lyric: I was always told think before you talk, I jogged alongside my train of thought Song: Blu & Fa†e - “Think” Album: Open Your Optics to Optimism (2016) Background: One of the most celebrated underground MCs of the new millennium, Blu has built an extensive discography of densely layered concept albums that pay homage … Continue reading Lyric of the Week: Blu & Fa†e – Think
Acres Even – “Separate”
On their debut single, Los Angeles-based indie outfit Acres Even embrace the inevitability of change, while proudly flashing their alt-rock sensibilities.
Classic Artist of the Week: Big L
One of the most inherently gifted MCs of all time, this week’s Riffs & Rhymes classic artist is legendary Harlem rapper Lamont Coleman, aka Big L. Emerging from Harlem, NY in the early 1990s, Coleman became well known in underground circles for his freestyling ability. He once showed off his rhyme skills for renown producer … Continue reading Classic Artist of the Week: Big L
Understanding the Immersive Soundscapes of Sonoda, Meditative Pop Extraordinaires
Inspired by the atmospheric soundscapes of modern indie pioneers, Lisa Sonoda’s entrancing songs constantly reach for something out of the ordinary.