All posts by msmith

Album Of The Week: Samia Bloodless

“You don’t know me, bitch.” Near the end of her new album Bloodless, on a minimal ballad called “Proof,” Samia Finnerty unfurls those words as defiantly as one can when singing in a trembling whisper. In the most intimate moment on an album full of indie-rock confessionals, this is her message, delivered firmly even at a volume that suggests she’s trying not to wake anybody up. It’s addressed to a fickle flirt, a guy who loves her “like a child’s toy or cigarette,” but it’s possible to hear that quiet diss as a takedown of listeners who think they’ve got Samia pegged.

Luster – “Sunday”

Los Angeles shoegazers Luster have been putting out records since 2020, and they’ve earned the admiration of their fuzz-guitar contemporaries. Last year, Luster’s one-off single “Like I Do” caught our attention and landed on our best-songs-of-the-week list. Today, Luster follow that single with “Sunday,” another blearily romantic rush of bittersweet vocals and gigantic, crushing guitar sounds.

David Murray Takes Flight

Gregg Greenwood

David Murray turned 70 in February. That feels wrong somehow, not because I’m unaware that time only moves in one direction but because Murray doesn’t fit the mold of an elder statesman. Since his arrival in New York in the mid-’70s, he’s been on a unique creative path, releasing a torrent of material — his Discogs page lists close to 300 credits — in contexts ranging from solo recitals to big bands to collaborations with musicians from all corners of the globe. He never seems to stop moving, and he’s never stayed on a single path for any length of time. Typically, when a jazz musician gets this far into their career, they settle down. Even fire-breathing radicals get predictable. But Murray is still taking chances, as his new album Birdly Serenade proves.

Blonde Redhead End Coachella Set With Mahmoud Khalil Audio And Palestine Flag

Emma McIntyre

Last month, ICE agents abducted Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from his home in New York City and took him to an immigration detention center in Louisiana, where he’s still being held today. Born to Palestinian parents in a refugee camp in Syria and now a US green card holder, Khalil had a key role in pro-Palestine protests on campus. While he hasn’t been hit with any criminal charges, he’s currently facing deportation and revocation of his student visa, with the Trump administration making the very hypocritical argument that his activism puts US foreign policy at risk.

Stream SAULT’s New Album 10

Just a few days ago, the elusive yet prolific UK indie-soul collective SAULT dropped four new songs with very few additional details. Yesterday — keeping in line with their tendency to surprise-release albums — they went ahead and put a full LP called 10 on streaming services. (After first appearing on Spotify on Friday, before being taken down after a few hours, the album is now back on the platform.) It’s a fitting release for Easter weekend, coming from a band who lean heavily on gospel influences.

Kendrick Lamar & SZA Perform GNX & Lana Songs Live For The First Time At Minneapolis Tour Kickoff

Cassidy Meyers

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s co-headlining Grand National Tour kicked off in Minneapolis Saturday night. After appearing together during the Super Bowl Halftime Show earlier this year, the duo performed familiar favorites and debuted some songs from their respective recent albums GNX and Lana. Kendrick did tracks like “wacced out murals,” “hey now,” “dodger blue,” and “reincarnated” for the first time, while SZA did first-time performances of “30 For 30,” “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” “Kitchen,” and “BMF.”