Iceage: "The Lord’s Favorite&...

The early accusations of fascist sympathies wouldn’t have stuck if Iceage‘s music didn’t have such a pronounced streak of militant physicality, purity and discipline—you could mosh at one of their shows until you got knocked unconscious, but if you’re looking to joke, smoke, drink or fuck, take that shit elsewhere. New Brigade established the Danes as deadly serious missionaries, while the uncompromising You’re Nothing solidified that image. “The Lord’s Favorite” finds them rebounding off their reputation with equal and...

Susanna / Jenny Hval: "I Have Walke...

In March, the Norwegian singer Jenny Hval told me that she often writes her songs atop a canvas of noise, incidental sounds captured by a cheap microphone. “Instead of silence, it’s like a sheet that’s very dirty instead of blank,” she said. “How can you ever start from nothing? I like to start from noise.” So begins “I Have Walked This Body”, the first sample of her voluminous full-length collaboration with fellow Nordic singer Susanna Wallumrød: Hval’s voice rises suddenly from a bed of harmonium drone, the tone cold...

Perfume Genius: "Queen"

Perfume Genius is a very aggressive singer-songwriter project. Michael Hadreas’ most notable songs are unencumbered, bold and direct to the point of confrontation. Many of us first heard him on “Mr. Petersen”, an unflinching look at student/teacher impropriety. More of us, through the stark, sweet and ultimately tragic video for “Hood”, a two-minute visual love story with now-deceased gay porn star, Arpad Miklos. This aspect of Hadreas’ artistry creates a fascinating tension against the music of a Perfume Genius song, which bear typical...

Rowdy Rebbel: "Shmoney Dance" ...

I’m not gonna lie: it’s almost impossible to talk about “Shmoney Dance” in a critical capacity. What I can tell is you that it appears to be a distinctly New York take on drill music, which means it’s OK for people from New York to like it because it’s innately superior to and more “lyrical” than Chief Keef or King L (see the numerous “Chi-wack” references in its YouTube comments). I’ve watched the video several dozen times this week and can confirm maybe 15 words of its lyrics; for the most part, Rowdy...

Ariana Grande: "Break Free" [f...

Ariana Grande‘s first full-length, last year’s Yours Truly, paired the teen TV star-turned-pop singer’s impressive vocal skills with airy yet sumptuous R&B-leaning pop that, at its best, evoked Mariah Carey in a way that transcended Grande’s own mini-Mariah aspirations. From the looks of it, her forthcoming My Everything stands to expand her sound palette a bit: first single “Problem” overcame guest appearances by no-talent stars Iggy Azalea and Big Sean, coming off as the best saxophone-featuring pop song since Jennifer...