MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of June 2024
In June’s best metal, Crypt Sermon offer hooks in doom form, Insect Ark stay on the experimental path, and Ulcerate offer despair with technical death metal.
Lists
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The 50 Best Albums of 2024 So Far
The 50 best albums of 2024 offer sublime music as major artists return with new work and brilliant new sounds bubble up from the underground and worldwide.
25 of the Best Country Songs of the 1990s
The sound of 1990s country was bigger and louder than ever before, and it reached far larger audiences than the genre had ever attained.
MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of May 2024
In May’s best metal, the Hope Conspiracy return to pure hardcore form, Unleash the Archers claim power metal fame and Primitive Warfare declare war against all.
Chicago Critics Film Festival 2024: The Good, the Unremarkable, and the Dead on Arrival
Axe murder, motor scooter theft, projectile breast milk and more from a week at the Music Box Theatre for the Chicago Critics Film Festival 2024.
JazzMatters: The Best Jazz of March-May 2024
PopMatters presents the best new jazz recordings from March to May 2024 in the realm of piano jazz. We also reflect on the legacy of the late David Sanborn.
Ambient Matters: The Best Ambient Albums of April 2024
April was a glorious stew for lovers of this music, and you’ll want to make sure to check out our new playlist showcasing this month’s best ambient entries.
Snow Blinded: My 15 Favorite Styx Songs
Progressive rock, arena rock, romantic ballads: Styx’s catalog presents an enviable chain of success, one that still yields surprises 50 years later.
Nordic Noir in Transition: Jussi Adler-Olsen’s ‘Department Q’ Books on Film
Jussi Adler-Olsen, author of the Nordic noir Department Q series, isn’t thrilled with the transition of his work to film. Five directors of six films argue that’s a crime.
MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of April 2024
In April’s best metal, Locrian fully establish their return, Benighted adorn their anguish in their darkened past, and Inter Arma lead in extreme metal.
The 100 Best Alternative Songs of the 1980s
The best alternative songs of the 1980s span punk, post-punk, new wave, college rock, underground, goth, new romantic, ska, power pop, hardcore, and indie rock.
Hit the Road: 10 Fresh Driving Songs
Does your cruising playlist sound a bit hoary these days? Here are ten fresh driving songs, rocking highway anthems to get your motor running.