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Essaying the pop culture that matters since 1999. Independent and women-owned. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE: https://tinyurl.com/PMmember
Two long-forgotten Czech silent films by pioneer Jan S. Kolár are not only artifacts of a fragile history but lessons in how historical legacy will try to kill you.
Horror and History Collide in Czech Director Jan S. Kolár's Silent Films » PopMatters
Two long-forgotten Czech silent films by pioneer Jan S. Kolár are not only artifacts of a fragile history but lessons in how historical legacy will try to kill you.
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Shaboozey's fourth album is an ambitious concept, combining storytelling with a country/hip-hop blend. @shaboozey.bsky.social is still pop's most undefinable outlaw. 'The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales' is out now.
Shaboozey: The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales- Music Review
Shaboozey’s fourth album The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales is an ambitious concept album that combines storytelling with genre blending.
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Firas Zreik is a much-acclaimed filmmaker, composer, and kanunist who draws on his Palestinian roots in his art. 'Tarabesque' is a sparkling example of this work. #PMPick
Firas Zreik Is Enchanting with Modal Jazz on 'Tarabesque' » PopMatters
Firas Zreik is a much-acclaimed filmmaker, composer, and kanunist who draws on his Palestinian roots in his art. Tarabesque is a sparkling example of this work.
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The Strokes' Reality Awaits doesn't deliver the same charm or hit with the same immediacy fans have come to expect from them. REVIEW: tinyurl.com/Strokes26
Newport Folk Festival 2026: Rage, Serenity, and CMAT Considering the particularly turbulent year for the US, one could expect many Newport Folk Festival performers to lean heavily into politics. – @sachynmital.com READ: tinyurl.com/Newport26
ElectroMatters: The Best Electronic Music of July 2026 While there seemed to be less distance between regular life, pop culture, and the best electronic music of July 2026, there might be more variation on the list itself. READ: tinyurl.com/Electro0726
ElectroMatters: The Best Electronic Music of July 2026 » PopMatters
While there seemed to be less distance between regular life, pop culture, and the best electronic music of July 2026, there might be more variation on the list itself.
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Afropunk's James Spooner: "When we allow our cultures to be stripped of their gravity and their weight, and it just becomes Denny's selling a mosh pit burger? What the f*ck are we doing? How are we allowing this to happen?"
James Spooner Reflects on Afropunk and the Black Punk Experience » PopMatters
Afropunk founder James Spooner reflects on the need to rip it up and start again in his new book, It Starts with Anger: A Punk Beginning. An Afropop Ending.
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Fascism seeks to eradicate difference, that mind-messing hobgoblin. It wants to erase knowledge and create unity in ignorance. Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Mother Night’ distills these themes in our era’s discourse.
Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Mother Night’ Would Like to Speak to You » PopMatters
Fascism seeks to eradicate difference, that mind-messing hobgoblin. It wants to erase knowledge and create unity in ignorance. Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night distills these themes in our era's discourse...
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15 YEARS AGO: Jay-Z and Kanye West Said ‘Watch the Throne’ 'Watch the Throne' gives us both sides of both artists, the braggadocio and the social consciousness, in nearly equal measure.
Jay-Z and Kanye West Say to 'Watch the Throne' » PopMatters
Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne gives us both sides of both artists, the braggadocio and the social consciousness, in nearly equal measure.
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25 YEARS AGO: Neo soul's Maxwell releases 'Now' 'Now' finds Maxwell neither looking back nor looking forward, for that matter, but rather a statement about accepting his audience's most basic assumptions about his art. READ: tinyurl.com/MaxwellNow
INTERVIEW: From transcendental meditation to eschewing industry standards, Bondo's gritty rock style follows a unique path.
The Power of Bondo's Gritty Rock Wave and Transcendental Meditation » PopMatters
From transcendental meditation to eschewing industry standards, Bondo's gritty rock style follows a unique path.
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Charli XCX, now on her seventh record, pursues the continuum of human feelings and flairs. This may be the most humane entry yet in the grand canon. #PMPick
Charli XCX's New Album Is a Celebration of the Working Class » PopMatters
Charli XCX, now on her seventh record, pursues the continuum of human feelings and flairs. This may be the most humane entry yet in the grand canon.
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MOMO.'s 'Tum Tum Tum' weaves a dream of sun-splashed Brazilian warmth through samba, sultry trombone, and threads of Tropicália.
MOMO.'s 'Tum Tum Tum' Is an Invitation Into Unhurried Reflection » PopMatters
Across 25 minutes, MOMO.'s Tum Tum Tum weaves a dream of sun-splashed Brazilian warmth through samba, sultry trombone, and threads of Tropicália.
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Indie folk artist Margaret Glaspy's latest album, 'I Am Both', is a low-key masterwork of observational wisdom, lilting melodies, and sharp wit. #PMPick out Friday via @thirdmanrecords.bsky.social
Margaret Glaspy Highlights Beautiful Dualities on New Album » PopMatters
Indie folk artist Margaret Glaspy's latest album, I Am Both, is a low-key masterwork of observational wisdom, lilting melodies, and sharp wit.
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As a South African artist, Nduduzo Makhathini inherits a grand tradition of cross-pollination between American jazz and the music of his own culture. 'The Myth We Choose' is out now via @bluenoterecords.bsky.social
Jazz Pianist Nduduzo Makhathini Mixes Yearning with a Modern Sound » PopMatters
As a South African artist, Nduduzo Makhathini inherits a grand tradition of cross-pollination between American jazz and the music of his own culture.
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James Spooner interview!!! This is honestly my favorite piece I’ve written this year. www.popmatters.com/james-spoone... @popmatters.com
James Spooner Reflects on Afropunk and the Black Punk Experience » PopMatters
Afropunk founder James Spooner reflects on the need to rip it up and start again in his new book, It Starts with Anger: A Punk Beginning. An Afropunk Ending.
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Hildur Guðnadóttir is the undisputed inheritor of Iceland’s classical mantle, and at the 2026 Reykjavik Arts Festival, she is finally back on stage in her homeland.
Hildur Guðnadóttir's Beautiful Homecoming at Reykjavik Arts Festival » PopMatters
Hildur Guðnadóttir is the undisputed inheritor of Iceland’s classical mantle, and at the 2026 Reykjavik Arts Festival, she is finally back on stage in her homeland.
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Quicksand are still standing where peers have fallen off. Their patented sound is evergreen. Smart, upbeat lyrics and chugging riffs will always find an audience. 'Bring on the Psychics' is out now via @equalvision.bsky.social
Quicksand Embrace Positivity on 'Bring on the Psychics' » PopMatters
Quicksand are still standing where peers have fallen off. Their patented sound is evergreen. Smart, upbeat lyrics and chugging riffs will always find an audience.
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Afropunk's James Spooner: "When we allow our cultures to be stripped of their gravity and their weight, and it just becomes Denny's selling a mosh pit burger? What the f*ck are we doing? How are we allowing this to happen?"
James Spooner Reflects on Afropunk and the Black Punk Experience » PopMatters
Afropunk founder James Spooner reflects on the need to rip it up and start again in his new book, It Starts with Anger: A Punk Beginning. An Afropop Ending.
tinyurl.com
Hackdepicciotto allow their bucolic surroundings to bring a bit of light into the murk for an album that shifts, becoming less foreboding with each listen.
Hackdepicciotto Give Their Rural Surroundings a Reflective Influence » PopMatters
Hackdepicciotto allow their bucolic surroundings to bring a bit of light into the murk for an album that shifts, becoming less foreboding with each listen.
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More than anything, 'Little Miss Twain' is a love letter to Shania Twain's late mother, who acted as something of a manager when she first began performing.
Shania Twain Journeys to the Past on 'Little Miss Twain' » PopMatters
More than anything, Little Miss Twain is a love letter to Shania Twain's late mother, who acted as something of a manager when she first began performing.
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'A Whispered Promise of Failure' sees Long Goodbye cut the fat from their sound, but lose some of the elements that made them stand out. #emo #hardcore
Long Goodbye's Evolution Becomes Imitation on Their New LP » PopMatters
A Whispered Promise of Failure sees Long Goodbye cut the fat from their sound, but lose some of the elements that made them stand out.
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Alex Cameron's 'Late to Set' rewards repeat listens with evocative storytelling, emotional ambiguity and impeccable pop craftsmanship. #PMPick [9/10]
Alex Cameron's 'Late to Set' Rewards Every Listen » PopMatters
Alex Cameron's Late to Set rewards repeat listens with evocative storytelling, emotional ambiguity and impeccable pop craftsmanship.
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THE BALLAD OF HIP-HOP ICON FOXY BROWN Foxy Brown’s music is often overshadowed by the controversies that curtailed her career, but her rise to fame reveals a complex story. READ: tinyurl.com/FoxyBrown26
The Ballad of Hip-Hop Icon Foxy Brown » PopMatters
Foxy Brown’s music is often overshadowed by the controversies that curtailed her career, but her rise to fame reveals a complex story.
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INTERVIEW: Doublespeak's Vince Clarke, Neil Arthur, and Benge on Analogue and Their Exciting Collaboration A modern-day electropop supergroup, Vince Clarke lets Doublespeak's reputation and carefully curated cover songs speak to their influence. READ: tinyurl.com/Doublespk26
Doublespeak's Vince Clarke, Neil Arthur, and Benge on Analog and Their Exciting Collaboration » PopMatters
A modern day elecropop supergroup, Vince Clarke lets Doublespeak's reputation and carefully curated cover songs speak to their influence.
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THE BALLAD OF HIP-HOP ICON FOXY BROWN Foxy Brown’s music is often overshadowed by the controversies that curtailed her career, but her rise to fame reveals a complex story. READ: tinyurl.com/FoxyBrown26
The Ballad of Hip-Hop Icon Foxy Brown » PopMatters
Foxy Brown’s music is often overshadowed by the controversies that curtailed her career, but her rise to fame reveals a complex story.
tinyurl.com
R&B artist Cautious Clay's 'The Hours: High Noon' delivers a deeply resonant reflection on daily life and time passing. #PMPick out tomorrow.
Cautious Clay Conceptually Completes His Non-Linear 'Hours' Trilogy » PopMatters
R&B artist Cautious Clay's The Hours: High Noon delivers a deeply resonant reflection on daily life and time passing.
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DIY Afropunk James Spooner tells how he stuck to his guns and helped alter the punk genre in his memoir, 'It Starts with Anger' published via @pantheonbooks.bsky.social.
How Afropunk's James Spooner Punked the Movement » PopMatters
DIY Afropunk James Spooner tells how he stuck to his guns and helped alter the punk genre in his memoir, It Starts with Anger.
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Rob Smith's 'Salt Star' is a brief, bright light of emotion and musical interplay, highlighting his unique, consistently engaging vision through psychedelic folk. #PMPick
Rob Smith Unspools Mesmerizing Psychedelic Folk on 'Salt Star' » PopMatters
Rob Smith's Salt Star is a brief, bright light of emotion and musical interplay, highlighting his unique, consistently engaging vision.
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Alex Cameron's 'Late to Set' rewards repeat listens with evocative storytelling, emotional ambiguity and impeccable pop craftsmanship. #PMPick [9/10]
Alex Cameron's 'Late to Set' Rewards Every Listen » PopMatters
Alex Cameron's Late to Set rewards repeat listens with evocative storytelling, emotional ambiguity and impeccable pop craftsmanship.
tinyurl.com