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By jumping from experimentation to nostalgia and back again, Wavves' King of the Beach can match and will possibly eclipse the success of last year's self-titled effort. Serving as a furious, rambunctious tour-de-force of what Wavves does best, King of the Beach is a cohesive album that will not only satiate long-time fans, but also bring in new listeners that may have been turned off by the darkness and haziness that Wavves built their success upon.

Though it offers the witty quips and melodic hooks one comes to expect from The-Dream, his third album is not a risk-free production. His self-analysis of the human condition is an ongoing theme, as are his various perspectives on superficial relations. A demanding artistic presence like this is in stark contrast to most modern pop artists, who strive for the radio hit as opposed to the cohesive album. The-Dream shows no regard for conventional fame on this grand achievement.

The King Khan & BBQ Show's break-up last week in Daegu, South Korea was raucously entertaining, much like the garage-rockers' renowned shows. Jay Mattson provides his first-hand account of the chaotic scene at Bar Guess, where Arish Khan and Mark Sultan have appeared to part ways after over a decade of working together.

The vocals on Viernes‘ debut full-length, Sinister Devices, rarely escalate beyond a whisper. This technique is a recently trendy choice within electronic music’s spreading sub-genres, many of which are renowned for a soothing, echoey sound whose structure resembles waves crashing on a beach. Apart from beach-entwined samples, the development of the songs are texturally dependent [...]

Kamp! are a sight to behold. They are on the cusp of an global breakthrough, yet at the moment remain confined to a Polish fan population that rightfully feels as if it has the best kept secret in electro-pop. Their sound rings of no foreign distinction, choosing to present a familiar version of the genre [...]

Max Fishkin provides a second look at Tokyo Police Club's new album, Champ, to follow up our earlier interview of their keyboardist, Graham Wright. The album lives up to the high expectations Wright set forth in the interview (he claimed it was their "best record yet"), and the standouts make it easy to see why.

The Divine Comedy's tenth album, Bang Goes the Knighthood, offers no surprises for longtime fans. As usual, Hannon's wit and playful observations find success in a pleasant medium between folk and pop music. This effort, though, is a little more lighthearted around the edges and its lack of ambition results in one of Hannon's most inconsistent efforts to date.

Pop music formed by ’60s girl groups are often subjected to ancient stereotypes. Joyous harmonies, lyrics consisting of nothing more than multiply layered “doo-wop-da-doo-wop”s, and a subtle sway of the hips for sex appeal (or the most of what was allowed of it on TV at the time). While much of what was considered [...]

A sit down with the two sisters behind Swedish phenomenon First Aid Kit reveals details about their childhood, rise to recognition, songwriting process, and notable influences. Though just 17 and 19, they show why youth is not an obstacle in achieving success. Their highly enjoyable vein of folk-pop speaks volumes on its own.

After dozens of hand-crafted releases, Ariel Pink has emerged with an exceptional album that polishes up his lo-fi production values without sacrificing the ingenious songwriting and domineering personality that brought him acclaim in the first place. This efficient prioritization results in one of the year's finest albums.