THROWING MUSESSun Racket(Fire Records) Throwing Muses has returned with its 10th studio album, Sun Racket. Kristin Hersh’s vocals and songwriting have always been intense, and nearly 35 years after Throwing Muses’ debut, she and her band aren’t toning things down. From the opener, “Dark Blue,” the band tears into it with its signature melodic, distorted guitar squall. “Bo Diddley Bridge,” “St. Charles,” and “Frosting” rock with the same determination. Hersh’s introspective side is amply displayed on “Bywater,” “Sue’s,” and “Milk At McDonald’s” where she declares, “I don’t...

COREY FLOOD Hanging Garden(Fire Talk) The Philly indie-pop trio Corey Flood, led by Ivy Gray-Klein, tackles its fears with lo-fi ambivalence. The slightly askew “Heaven Or” takes on disassociation with the affirmation, “I know what I saw.” While the cacophonous “Slow Bleeder” uses Gray-Klein’s anemia as a metaphor for her fear of intimacy. (“Takes time/But I’ll be there.”) There’s a nervousness that permeates the band’s debut LP, which leads to new musical discoveries—the pulsing samba grooves; the fuzzy guitars on album closer “Poppies”—and emotional ones, too. As...

When Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the foot in Los Angeles about a month ago, both she and the authorities said little about what happened. However, in an Instagram Live session, she revealed that rapper Tory Lanez was in fact the person who shot her. She says, “Yes, this n**** Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to [talk to] to these blogs, lying and shit. Stop lying!” Representatives for Lanez have not responded to any requests for...

To most casual music fans, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! is the face of hardcore and punk transness, the woman who came out and started it all. And while those accolades are well deserved, those less familiar with underground music often miss the story of Mina Caputo, a metal vocalist best known for her time with Life of Agony.   For those not familiar, Life of Agony are a seminal hardcore band from New York in the ’90s, one of the bands credited with starting the...

Country music sensation and feminist icon Dolly Parton has once again proved that she’s a queen while admitting she’s still learning. Earlier this week, the 76-year-old musician made headlines when she spoke out about the Black Lives Matter movement in an interview with Billboard. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” Parton stated on the recent global uprisings that followed the murders of George Floyd and other Black Americans. “Of course Black lives matter! Do we think our little white asses...

It’s been said that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. That the only certainty is uncertainty. And if 2020 has forced us to do anything, it’s to shake hands with the unknown. A loss of normalcy has culminated in collective grief. We may have never had control, but now we don’t even get to have the illusion of it. And since Covid shows no signs of slowing down, never has the phrase, radical acceptance, been more pertinent.  Much like how it sounds, radical...

An incredible rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter, Big Mama Thornton recorded multiple hits in the early ’50s that have been credited with helping to jumpstart the decade’s new music craze known as rock ‘n’ roll. Think you know how Big Mama came to define the era? Then take the quiz! 1. Born on December 11, 1926, in Ariton, AL, Big Mama’s given name was _____ Thornton.a. Norma Rae b. Willie Maec. Sandra Day d. Tammy Faye   2. Which instrument(s) did Big Mama play?a. Harmonica b. Drums c. Both...

After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 and amassing a worldwide following, sensational 27-year-old Israeli singer-songwriter Netta set to work transforming pop music as we know it. Her dance-worthy anthems, often layered with dizzying electronic vocal loops (which she creates live in performances), are brimming with positivity. And so was she when we caught up via Zoom to chat about everything from self-celebration to the power of gibberish.  What has life been like since Eurovision? I’m trying to hold on like when you’re on a rollercoaster—trying...

Meet Rina Sawayama, a Japanese-British triple threat: she can do it all as a singer, songwriter, and model. Not to mention, her self-titled record Sawayama was hailed by those at Metacritic and the like all the way to the revered Sir Elton John. Not too shabby at all. Looking back, she recalled a time when her record label, Dirty Hit, asked what she wanted to achieve with her forthcoming album, and she casually replied, "I want to win a Mercury Award." I've lived here 25 YEARS (most of...

A new wave of Black trans talent is breaking through the music industry. What started with a desire to provide free beats to Black trans people has developed into a historical music-industry collaboration. Record label, Trans Trenderz, has partnered with renowned New York recording studio, Studio G Brooklyn, to pair Black trans musicians with Grammy caliber industry professionals throughout the entire process of producing their projects. Not only will resources for artists be free of charge, all production decisions will be made by a team...