The Underground Sound of Emerson College
Only Kinoko Teikoku’s earliest three projects are truly shoegaze. They stand as relics of a short-lived period when the band created some of the most prodigious music of the genre, regardless of era or style. If in writing this I send them to their cultural death-in-revival, then let this also be a plea. Kinoko Teikoku: please get back together and tour the U.S. and play the two greatest Japanese shoegaze albums of all time.
If you’re at all tapped in to the world of alt R&B, you likely already know her name: Rochelle Jordan. She made appearances on popular electronic-groovemaker KAYTRANADA’s 2024 album TIMELESS and the 2023 collab EP Lover/Friend. But if dance-pop is more your speed, you’ve likely already danced your way through her solo output—some of the finest house music since Azealia Banks got pseudo-cancelled for the nth time. Jordan’s sound is a sensual melange of genres, pulling from hip-hop, slow jams, drum’n’bass, and U.K. garage to make songs that get you out voguing on the dancefloor and follow you all the way back to the lounge-heavy afters. Her third and most recent album, 2025’s Through The Wall, is her most infectious project to date, with a glitzy high-production pulse that just doesn’t let up. Neither, for the most part, did the energy of Jordan’s show at the body-packed Paradise Rock Club on Monday.
“The Downtown Lights” by The Blue Nile In the rain, a solitary silhouette. A walker in a wide brim hat and a trench coat. Neon spills from the lamplights and billboards onto the wet, reflective concrete. Each step sends up a little splash, twinkling like sapphires. Each puff of his breath, cigarette smoke. “It will…
At its heart, Unrest’s music has always been moved by desire, and their final album was no exception. It’s a romantic, restless, and somewhat reckless landmark of the indie-pop genre. Each and every track is humming with the tumultuous push-and-pull of youth, its lyrics replete with intimate confessions and fleeting connections. Perfect Teeth is authentically vulnerable in a way that still resonates decades later as a true indie-pop expression of longing.
“Holiday” by Madonna My mom is nothing if not a Madonna fan. Released in 1983 off of Madonna’s self-titled debut album, “Holiday” was Madonna’s first hit—before “Material Girl” or “Like a Virgin”—and represents the 80s at its finest: palpable synth and feel-good dance beats. Somehow, Madonna makes even the cowbell cool. What’s most special to…
Anniemal, as a whole, was welcomed with open arms by the indie scene and music critics alike. Through sheer word of mouth, dance-pop had suddenly earned a seat at the table in indie music. With tracks that commented on class, like the title track, or freaky, slinky breakup songs like “Always Too Late,” Annie reshaped a genre that was at times campy or cheesy into something undeniably cool. They weren’t songs about huge emotions, or parties for the end of the world, but rather songs about life. Friendships and nights out and one night stands, and I guess manic Spice Girls. It could be argued that, without Anniemal, dance-pop may never have gotten the respect it deserves.
Smooth-brained mood waiting at airport terminal for very early or very late flights For that ultimate liminal space where fluorescent light sterilizes the eyes and the utter monotony of each minute passes, seemingly slower than the last, sending the mind turning in its concentric purgatory like a hamster on its wheel. — Christian Jones Cold…
Doggone can do it all. Producing, recording, songwriting, singing…his creative vision is one that spans every mode of production, and it’s evident through his consistent delivery. Within a year and half, he’s released six singles, all intentionally paired with a visual aid and entirely his own creative direction, of course.
Exile in Guyville could be a sob story about shitty ex-boyfriends and childhood trauma and bad sex, but Phair doesn’t sing it like she wants your sympathy, or even like she’s particularly upset over the situation. It sounds like she’s resigned herself to it. It’s the tone of voice of a breakup that you’ve known is coming for months, the end of a relationship that you’ve already mourned the loss of by the time the conversation happens, the numbness that comes with deciding not to expect too much. Her vocals are devoid of any flourish or technical stylings, but are instead a monotone that sounds like she’s complaining to you over the phone.