1.22.2013

When listening to Foxygen for the first time, it’s apparent that a particular lack of focus runs throughout their songs. That’s a good thing, through, as the Los Angeles duo’s frenzied psychedelia...

Bands as sturdy as L.A.‘s Local Natives don’t come around too often, and neither do debut albums as fully-realized as 2009’s Gorilla Manor. In our “Best New Music” era, where music listeners are...

David Lowery is the lead singer and chief lyricist for two well-known rock bands: Camper Van Beethoven, which he co-founded in 1983, and Cracker, which he co-founded in 1991. Ever since the first band...

Greg Wohlwend didn’t own an iPad or iPhone when his Flash game Hundreds was first ported to iOS. “Eric Johnson, who’s the programmer with Semisecret Games, ported Hundreds via the open source code to...

According to the Nielsen SoundScan, the best-selling album of 2012 was Adele’s 21, which sold 4.4 million copies, followed by Taylor Swift’s Red, which sold 3.1 million. I find this very good news,...

Toro Y Moi reminds me of a Portlandia character. He’s a graphic designer and electronic musician. At the age of 26, he’s releasing his third studio album, Anything in Return. There’s also a half a...

At some point, the Black Lips went from peeing in each other’s mouths to giving an interview from a cruise ship about their desire for a genuine, Mark Ronson-produced hit. Yeah, this evolution didn’t...

The story of Widowspeak can be seen as a sudden musical venture, but also as a lifetime in the making, as both singer Molly Hamilton and former drummer Michael Stasiak grew up in the neighboring...

When Amy Klein announced her departure from Titus Andronicus in late 2011, it came as a bit of surprise to those traveling in circles that, well, pay attention to the arrivals and departures of guitar...

Dark folk trio Esben and the Witch are distractingly beautiful in the video for “Deathwaltz,” a single from their sophomore release. It’s just a bummer all the allure goes wasted on Wash The Sins Not...

Petra Haden is best known as a vocal artist, less well known as a former member of the band That Dog or daughter of Charlie Haden. But she’s not in the vein of vocal sculptors like Meredith Monk or a...

It might be on the first listen, it might be after a year, but chances are at some point in listening to The Joy Formidable, you will discover complete ignorance as to what the songs are about. Like...

Mama began its decidedly creepy life almost five years ago as a web short shot in Spanish. The craftsmanship and scare factor were such that Guillermo del Toro was inspired to help sibling creators...

So much of director-cowriter Sheldon Candis’ LUV demonstrates a singularity of vision and maturity of craft. With the city of Baltimore as a backdrop/character in its own right—similar to its “role”...

One of the things Parks and Recreation does best is take large events and walk incrementally through the many small steps that led to them. The show has relentless energy that always needs to move...

My wife doesn’t read anything that I write. That’s a pretty firm rule. She used to and it almost always ended in argument. Granted I basically only write about stuff she’s not interested in, like...

In a long-running American show, it’s usually a treat when an old supporting character returns and we get to see how they’re doing with their lives. Sideshow Bob was a longtime favorite until he went...

Driving on the interstate at night is a head on collision with mystery. We drive a hunk of metal down a darkened path, shafts of light guiding our...

Since the beginnings of man, wrestling has been a staple of the human disposition. When conflict arose between two parties, it got settled one-on-one in a test of strength. Two men entered. One man...

It takes appreciating the unbearable cruelty of luck and life, sometimes. It takes appreciating the unbearable properties of whatever it is out there that decides to have it in for certain people on...

Every year, the Americana Music Association descends upon Nashville, Tenn. for a music festival to celebrate the accomplishment and further the creative spirit of the genre. Vanguard Records and Sugar...

Shortly before the release of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut, the Lone Bellow stopped by the Paste office to play an acoustic set. Despite the unplugged setting, frontman Zach Williams...