Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono (Chimera) Yoko Ono’s musical output has often been misunderstood over the span of her nearly 60-year career. As Ocean Child curator Benjamin Gibbard puts it, “[She’s] run the gamut from avant-garde to bubblegum pop, often across a single album…her songwriting has been criminally overlooked.” Now, several musicians show their appreciation with a stellar tribute album, which includes Sharon Van Etten’s striking interpretation of “Toyboat,” David Byrne and Yo La Tengo’s dreamy version of “Who Has Seen the Wind?,” and Deerhoof’s appropriately...

In light of Olivia Rodrigo’s documentary, driving home 2 you, coming out this month, I want to say something that may be controversial: "drivers license" was targeted bullying, and disliking Sabrina Carpenter or her music because of Olivia Rodrigo is anti-feminist.  For those who don’t know, Disney actress Olivia Rodrigo, a new Gen Z pop sensation, released her single, "driver’s license," in January 2021, from her debut album Sour, and it captured many hearts. It was instantly a favorite, breaking Spotify’s record for the fastest song...

  MITSKI Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans) It wouldn’t be quite right to call Mitski’s latest album “upbeat,” but it’s certainly got a bit more disco flavor than 2018’s stellar Be the Cowboy or 2014’s punk-tinged Bury Me at Makeout Creek. While the tempos may have gotten faster, Mitski’s ability to devastate listeners with a single line remains unchanged. “The Only Heartbreaker,” an early single backed by deceptively peppy synths, has a beat you could Jazzercise to, but the lyrics are about realizing you might be the bad guy in...

Indie rock icon Cat Power—aka Chan Marshall—released her first album in four years into a COVID-weary world thirsty for the kind of emotive energy only she can provide. Here, the revered singer/songwriter shares stories about her son, Boaz, “banana parties,” and why, for her, the past two years have been “brutal on the mind.” - By Eliza C. Thompson Since releasing her debut album in 1995, Cat Power has developed a reputation. As one of the greatest songwriters of her generation, yes—but also as a “difficult”...

Spring is just around the corner, and that means growth, renewal and the return of the light! And we have the perfect playlist to get you in the mood for it all. Featuring music reviewed in our Spring issue, we've got Wet Leg, from the Isle of Wight; Mitski (featured in our fashion pages); the Great Cate LeBon; Cat Power; Jenny Hval; the Linda Lindas; and so much more.  Photo of Wet Leg by Hollie Fernando   ...

It’s that strange limbo between Christmas and New Year’s, and Alex Cameron is grateful for something to do. He talks with an Aussie ease, but after 10 minutes on Zoom, he realizes he doesn’t have his camera on. “Oh! Let me try and fix that, ‘cause that seems like I’m very voyeuristic,” he says, laughing. After a second or two, the screen reveals Cameron, 33, dressed in an oversized gray hoodie, exhaling cigarette smoke and holding his almost-hairless cat, Homer. He’s quick to also turn...

Happy Women’s History Month, ya’ll! Are you looking for a way to celebrate that isn’t just meme-sharing and insta-posts? We got you. The first annual “We Got the Beat – Women in Music Summit'' is debuting at the legendary (and female-owned) Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY at the end of the month (March 25th-27th). This immersive weekend will unite creatives and music lovers alike to commemorate the often overlooked contributions made by women in the music industry. The epic event boasts three days of concerts,...

A conversation with director Celeste Bell about her new doc celebrating her mom, Poly Styrene Poly Styrene, born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, was a punk icon and the rare person of color to gain visibility in the early days of the British punk movement. In Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, the inspiring, heartrending, and engrossing film about her life that began streaming and doing regional screenings in February, we also discover she was something of a prodigy. Film codirector Celeste Bell, who also happens to be...

  Florence and the Machine’s new single and music video “King” just dropped and so did my jaw. The visually stunning and powerful video was directed by photographer/director Autumn de Wilde, who directed 2020’s Emma. It begins in a seemingly abandoned room, filled with empty bookshelves and large windows, and an angry and tearful man in focus. As the camera moves in, we witness a haunting groan coming from a floating Florence Welch–donning a rose colored cloak and looking like pure witchy royalty. A thick bass line...

BUST is thrilled to exclusively premiere NYC’s own Kendra Morris’ new music video for her song “Circle Eights.” Fresh off her new album Nine Lives, “Circle Eights” serves smooth melancholic harmonies with a moody bass line, and features Morris’ powerful lead vocals that are reminiscent of the early ‘70s records she was raised on. Morris often credits her parent's well-stocked vinyl collection for exposing her to music that shaped everything she loves. The collection varied from old reggae to old soul, some Jimi Hendrix, a little...