Qichen ZhangThe path that led Francesca Lee to her musical career markedly sets her apart from other soft-spoken female musicians toting a piano or guitar. As the daughter of a Polish mother and Korean father, she scraped together money herself to attend...
Vee Hua 華婷婷New video for Foreign Born’s “Early Warnings.” In its ’80s-esque summery treatment, random plants, flowers, and animals are identified almost scientifically, but I don’t think any of them actually exist in our current...
Eskimo Snow is an album full of what I would call “unseeming pop songs.” WHY? have managed to craft an album of songs that aren’t particularly graceful or classically poppy, but somehow, it works. A couple lines from this song or...
Francesca Lee’s sound is so reminiscent of ’90s fem rock that it’s as if a transportation has taken place: I’m now 19-years-old, lying on the floor next to the speakers, probably crying over some faceless boyfriend. I can...
Upon first listen, it’s not surprising to see how John Vanderslice has achieved acclaim in the indie rock world. He has all necessary ingredients — a soft, sweet voice and well put together instrumentals — of a non-religious Sufjan...
Perhaps I’m jaded these days, but out of the 30+ bands I saw this year at SxSW, only one truly astounded me. HEALTH, Constantines, and Anavan won my heart last year, but this year, my heart goes solely to Madrid’s Hyperpotamus, brought...
Allen HuangWhen it comes to pop music, bands can try to “defy convention” in a myriad of ways. Some reach for far off musical influences, seeking to add some contrived spice to their normally pedestrian songwriting. Some try to create jarring...