Cameron Matthews
Weirdest Lollapalooza Acts of All Time
Since its beginnings in 1991, Lollapalooza has ranked among the best-curated live music festivals in the world. Creator -- and Jane's Addiction singer -- Perry Ferrell has been behind some of modern music's most interesting shifts, and back in the day, he did everything from booking Pavement and Sonic Youth to delivering amazing hip-hop showcases to the masses...
Late in the Playoffs, ‘Golden Years’ – Free MP3 Download
Early fall is an amazing time in the baseball world. Seemingly dormant outfielders become home run sluggers, while bad-record teams (Chicago Cubs excluded) rise from their regular-season ashes to become world champions. Midwest rockers Late in the Playoffs evoke this wonderful time of year through a revival of early-'00s pop punk that packs a powerful October punch.
Appomattox, ‘United’ – Free MP3 Download
In today's economic climate, it's nice to hear some banker bashing. Brooklyn band Appomattox have quite the talent for distilling stories of corporate greed and political insurrection into bite-sized pop hits.
Belgrade, ‘Truth Serum’ – Free MP3 Download
Restraint isn't a concept many young bands are familiar with. It's easy to get lost in a 20-minute solo, filled with hammer-ons and sexual innuendo, even when you're playing a crummy bowling ally, and your booze-soaked, Skynard-tee-clad audience couldn't care less.
Rainbow Chan, ‘Long Vacation’ – EP Stream
Solo artists commit a lot of fakery in order to get away with their one-man acts -- everything from setting up loops to hiring backing bands. Being solo isn't really an option. But have you met Rainbow Chan? The Sydney-based producer/singer does it all herself. She's able to weave delicate bell samples, twinkling avant-garde percussion and her own perfect voice into a shimmering quilt of maddening
TWYNS, ‘Chyr’ – Free Album Download
What were you doing when you were 19? Probably sitting on your rickety futon, sucking back a cold one … or trying to pull a "Hey Mister" in a gas station parking lot … or trying to get Cindy to actually like you … or maybe you were like young whippersnapper Ed Tullett, devoting your entire brain to mastering your musical craft.
Pillars and Tongues, ‘Knifelike’ – Song Premiere
Meditation is difficult to maintain in our hyper-connected world. A daily symphony of honking cars, whirring fans, buzzing refrigerators, grinding espresso machines, crying newborns and myriad other cacophonies fill our overstuffed noggins with mind-melting noise.
The Divers, ‘Castle in the Air’ – Free MP3 Download
The Divers are on a journey to revive '90s-era melodic rock. The U.K. band's latest single, 'Castle in the Air,' mines FM gold from two decades ago for an excellent pop jam.
David Bronson, ‘Times (Silk Lung Remix)’ – Free MP3 Download
These days, remixes usually give moody ballads a dance-club lift and zesty beat. Re-engineering a rock song? That's more of a challenge.
Old Monk, ‘Fowl and Foe’ – Video Premiere
Brooklyn rockers Old Monk aren't huge fans of cheesy, live-action music videos. So they set about animating their own tunes through 8-bit MS Paint-style masterpieces. Singer Josh Carrafa (who just so happens to be the brains behind Music History Gifs) recently converted his band's single 'Fowl and Foe' into a MindCraft odyssey of gore.