Nicole Atkins just released the music video for her new track, "Domino," off her upcoming album Italian Ice. This new track has a funky R&B feel and rolls along with a cool, indie rock vibe. Atkins' throaty vibrato floats over it all effortlessly as she sings, "Tme is up. This message will self destruct. Hey, hey, hey, hey, look out below. Watch 'em fall like dominos." The video was directed by Taylor McFadden. "Domino is an homage to the iconic opening scene to Saturday Night Fever, mixed with...

ORION SUNHold Space For Me (Mom + Pop) Hold Space for Me may be Orion Sun’s debut album, but don’t expect it to sound like the work of an amateur. A 23-year-old singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Philadelphia, Sun joins the ranks of alternative rap and R&B artists like Solange, the Weeknd, and Tierra Whack. Album standout “Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don’t Leave Me)” showcases her emotional range, while tracks like “El Camino” and “Smooth” reveal her vocal versatility. The album’s 11 tracks effortlessly switch...

BEST COASTAlways Tomorrow(Concord Records) It’s been five years since Best Coast last released an LP, yet the Cali duo (Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno) made the wait well worth it. Always Tomorrow is a stellar collection of 11 songs that shows a considerable progression for the band—both in sound and in Cosentino’s now-substance-free lyrical perspective—reminding us that good things often take time. The sunny lead single, “For The First Time,” whetted our appetites for what was to come, with power-poppy tracks “Everything Has Changed” and “Graceless Kids” providing slick...

Everyone needs a little bit of escapism right now — at least, that’s what Israeli singer Netta Barzilai says. Barzilai, known mononymously as Netta, got her big break in 2017 when she auditioned for Season 5 of HaKokhav HaBa, Israel’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, moving on at each stage of the competition until she won first place and the right to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018, which she also won. Since then, Netta has released 4 original songs and performed a handful...

GLADIESafe Sins(Lame-O Records)     How do you find a way out of grief? Gladie’s Augusta Koch (formerly of the excellent punk band Cayetana) explores the intricacies of loss through indie-pop synths, heart-soaring guitars, and powerfully delivered lyrics that ache with wisdom. The Philadelphia band targets my heart in the same spot as P.S. Eliot and the Mountain Goats, acknowledging that healing is messy, full of wild emotions and contradictions, and often feels worse after it feels better. Cynicism and hope go hand-in-hand on Safe Sins: “The...

There are a lot of rules in the era of COVID-19. Don't gather with your friends. Don't go outside (unless you're looking for TP or sustenance). Don't touch your face. Don't you dare eat that unwashed apple! Although we can all agree that these temporary guidelines are for the greater good, this strange new world can feel pretty oppressive at times. You might even go so far as to compare it to the humorless town from the ’80s flick Footloose, where dancing, teen hijinks, and general fun had been all...

TENNIS Swimmer (Mutually Detrimental) As Tennis, husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley make dreamy indie-pop with a heavy nod towards nostalgia. Their music is warm and breezy, strongly influenced by 1970s AM Gold songwriters like Carole King and the Carpenters, yet bolstered by modern electronic-leaning production, harmonic keyboard and guitar riffs, and their own unique creative flair. On their fifth studio album, that creativity manifests in unexpected ways, like a surprise tempo change in the soulful “Need Your Love” or a swirling synth-driven outro in “Matrimony II.”...

As the world faces a pandemic head on and folks across the globe start to practice social distancing in order to prevent further spreading of COVID-19, many are stuck inside with nothing to do but try to focus on work and read a book for the first time in months. For some, the cabin fever is already setting in. And what are three things that can help when one starts feeling angry, anxious, and a little bit crazy? Music, dope women artists and screaming. As we...

JORDAN MACKAMPA  Foreigner   (AWAL) On his debut album, Jordan Mackampa navigates love, letting go, and life in London. Easy listening, but emotionally deep diving, each track is a soulful exploration of his surroundings. With an acoustic guitar and warm, buttery vocals, the Republic of Congo-born singer-songwriter finds a cozy place for the heart and head to land. On the title track he softly sings, “No matter where I go/I know where I came from,” and I believe it. Never trying too hard, there’s strength and a...

PORRIDGE RADIO  Every Bad  (Secretly Canadian)     Born in Brighton, England’s DIY community, Porridge Radio’s debut is self-aware, lo-fi garage rock and indie-pop (but without the cute, twee overtones). Frontwoman Dana Margolin has said that she struggles with vulnerability, but Every Bad feels like an exercise in open, raw emotion. “Pop Song” is surprisingly spare for its title, and “Lilac” shows that there is power in desperation, while “Born Confused” recognizes the liberation of someone leaving you. The heaviness of the content is sometimes brightened with synths and...