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.
Alex Cameron – Miami Memory
Tag: Rock
Reefcity – Current Times
The latest beach rock savants to burst onto the Santa Barbara scene have arrived with their full length debut album.
Whitney – Forever Turned Around
On their second LP, Whitney's sound is warm and carefully calculated.
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.
Lyric of the Week: Marianne Faithfull – Guilt
A sought-after chanteuse out of the London scene during the 1960s, Marianne Faithfull is widely known for her romantic involvement with Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones, but her career as a singer-songwriter is robust and worth its own recognition.
New Music Roundup: July
New music roundups are a monthly recap dedicated to covering the latest music in a series of short, descriptive reviews. This month’s edition includes new releases from Big K.R.I.T., Blood Orange, Thom Yorke and more. Ada Lea - what we say in private Are there really still naysayers out there who claim the creative state … Continue reading New Music Roundup: July
Angel Olsen – “All Mirrors”
"All Mirrors" finds the singer-songwriter shape-shifting once again, veering her poignant life accounts in a more synthetic direction.
The Best Albums of 2019 (so far)
Every introduction to any "best of" type post must make some sort of attempt at quantifying the greatness (or lack thereof) of any given 12 months, but being that this particular year marks the end of the 2010s, it is understandable that these kind of write ups may carry a little more significance this time … Continue reading The Best Albums of 2019 (so far)
New Music Roundup: June
New music roundups are a monthly recap dedicated to covering the latest music in a series of short, descriptive reviews. This month’s edition includes new releases from Bruce Springsteen, Kirin J Callinan, Polo G and more. Bedouine - Bird Songs of a Killjoy Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Azniv Korkejian's sophomore release Bird Songs of a Killjoy, which … Continue reading New Music Roundup: June
Aim High – “Hazey Days”
On their debut single, the punk-rock outfit present themselves as both stylistically uncompromising and emotionally deranged.
The Shorelines – Head Arrangements
As the new decade approaches, California indie rock continues to exist in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Out of the many coastal cities along CA's southern and central coasts, Santa Barbara's local scene is ripe with creative groups chipping away at developing something of a distinct sound. That narrative especially applies to The … Continue reading The Shorelines – Head Arrangements
L.A. Singer-Songwriter Jackie Cohen Has Arrived
In 2018, Jackie Cohen wasn't sure if she was a songwriter. 12 months later, she's toured the U.S. and Europe, and also released one of this year's most addicting debut albums. Read our in-depth Q&A with the young songwriter.
Songs of Totality: The Enduring Excellence of Tijuana Panthers
On their fifth studio album, the Long Beach rock trio infuses their signature sound with meditations on age, death, and what it means to embrace adversity.
The Shorelines – “Love Is Here”
"Love Is Here" packs the same energy that has fueled the band's previous output, albeit with a much more tamed demeanor.
Jackie Cohen – Zagg
The L.A. singer-songwriter's debut is a zany collage of pop, rock and country that is as inventive as it is unabashedly retro.
New Music Roundup: April
New music roundups are a monthly recap dedicated to covering the latest music in a series of short, descriptive reviews. This month’s edition includes new releases from Foxygen, Kevin Morby, ScHoolboy Q and more. Foxygen - Seeing Other People The always unpredictable and infinitely enigmatic duo returns with their latest venture, Seeing Other People, a … Continue reading New Music Roundup: April
Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
Natalie Mering has a track record of pushing boundaries. Thus far in her career, she's had the odd ability to always seem left-field and out of the ordinary, yet fit seamlessly into multiple indie music circles. Over time, her experimental tendencies constructed a unique discography consisting of artful fusions of chamber pop and ‘70s-inspired singer-songwriter … Continue reading Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
Jenny Lewis – On the Line
Jenny Lewis has been in the spotlight since her childhood acting days in the 1980s. Also the daughter of two Las Vegas lounge singers, you could say she was destined to be a performer. Whichever way you view Lewis, there is little debate her songs have been some of indie rock's most defining tunes over … Continue reading Jenny Lewis – On the Line
Nilüfer Yanya -Miss Universe
The trend of young and extremely talented musicians emerging from London, UK continues. The daughter of two visual artists, 23-year-old Nilüfer Yanya grew up in West London. From her mother playing classical music and her father playing traditional turkish music, to her older sister who would listen primarily to skater rock bands like Blink-182 and … Continue reading Nilüfer Yanya -Miss Universe
New Music Roundup: March
New music roundups are a monthly recap dedicated to covering the latest music in a series of short, descriptive reviews. This month’s edition includes new releases from Hand Habits, Kyle Dion, Stella Donnelly and more. Choosey & Exile - Black Beans LP The long awaited full length collaboration from the CA duo is as jazzy … Continue reading New Music Roundup: March
Today or Tomorrow: Maxton Schulte’s Endless Vertigo
We sat down with the Santa Barbara multi-instrumentalist to chat about his new record, outerspace, his top underrated guitarists and more.
New Music Roundup: February
New music roundups are a monthly recap dedicated to covering the latest music in a series of short, descriptive reviews. This month’s edition includes new releases from Gary Clark Jr., Julia Jacklin, Panda Bear and more. Blu & Oh No - A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night When it comes to west coast … Continue reading New Music Roundup: February
Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center
I'm of the opinion that collaboration doesn't get celebrated enough in mainstream music. Sure, there are plenty of landmark records that are a direct result of two or more amazing artistic talents linking up (DOOM and Madlib's Madvillainy, The Postal Service's Get Up, etc.) but generally speaking, I think collab records are one the more exciting … Continue reading Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center
How Potty Mouth Stayed the Course en Route to Their Self-Empowering Sophomore Record
The Los Angeles-based punk outfit's new record, Situation Normal All Fucked Up (SNAFU), is set for a March 1 release on Get Better Records.
New Music Roundup: January
New music roundups are a monthly recap dedicated to covering the latest music in a series of short, descriptive reviews. This month’s edition includes new releases from Boogie, Bring Me The Horizon, James Blake and more. Boogie - Everything's For Sale Honesty. It’s the quality that Shady Record’s newest star, Boogie, is showcasing on his … Continue reading New Music Roundup: January
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
In this decade, there aren't many artists who come as praised and respected by critics, fans and musicians alike as Sharon Van Etten. Prior to her latest release, each of her four studio albums had been well received for their harrowing portrayals of the human condition and consistently stellar vocal performances. She is a champion … Continue reading Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
New Music Roundup: December
New music roundups are a monthly recap dedicated to covering the latest music in a series of short, descriptive reviews. This month’s edition includes new releases from 21 Savage, Bad Bunny, Jeff Tweedy and more. 21 Savage - i am > i was 21 Savage returns with his sophomore album that truly shows he was … Continue reading New Music Roundup: December
Best of 2018: Matthew’s Top 10 Albums
In 2018, I had the pleasure to come on board at Riffs and Rhymes and give my opinion about multiple artists and styles of music. With that being said, 2018 was such a great year for music! The amount of music that was covered this year was very constant and diverse. No matter what week … Continue reading Best of 2018: Matthew’s Top 10 Albums
Tash Sultana – Flow State
I’ll never forget the first time I heard a song by Tash Sultana. I was scrolling through Instagram and one of my friends posted a video he’d made using Sultana’s song “Notion” in the background. Although I had never heard of this artist, it all sounded somewhat familiar to me. I don’t know what you … Continue reading Tash Sultana – Flow State
Boston Manor – Welcome to the Neighbourhood
When looking back over the past several years, so many pop punk artists have gone from being upcoming artists to one of the bigger names in the game, and Boston Manor is no exception. In 2016, the boys from Blackpool, United Kingdom decided to draw their line in the sand with their debut LP Stop … Continue reading Boston Manor – Welcome to the Neighbourhood
Riffs & Rhymes 