“In 2025, Bon Iver announced his retirement, and the search began for his replacement.” That’s the setup, anyway. Bon Iver leader Justin Vernon is not retiring, as far as anyone knows, and you can’t exactly replace a solo artist in his own band. But that’s the conceit of director Jos Diaz Contreras’ cameo-jammed video for “Day One,” a song from Bon Iver’s recent album SABLE, fABLE.
After nearly two hours of chatting, Izzy Hagerup throws her hands up in the air and admits, “I’m just really scared of music right now.” Her eyes widen below her short-trimmed brown bangs. A smile tugs at her lips, and she shifts in her seat, as if trying to shake off creeping anxiety. The Western Massachusetts musician, who transplanted to LA a few months ago, makes music under the moniker Prewn with rickety, goosebump-inducing cello-rock. When we talk via Zoom, it’s a week away from last Friday’s release of System, the vehement follow-up to her 2023 debut Through The Window.
Last night, ’90s emo pioneers Knapsack reunited for a show at Soda Bar in San Diego, CA. The one-off show was announced this past June and precedes the band’s appearance at Best Friends Festival later this week. No other shows have been announced, and the band says on social media that they don’t have any plans booked.
Look at that cover art. Really take it in. It’s beautiful. It looks like the cover of a ’90s underground comic about a heroic, super-powered rioter. It looks fucking awesome. I really shouldn’t need to write anything to get you to check out this new EP from the Manchester-based hardcore band T.S. Warspite. You should already be sold.
Madi Diaz has this incredible talent: She makes common modern language about romantic relationships sound poetic and emotionally charged. Even therapy-speak that would come off as cringe coming from most people, when harnessed and molded by Diaz, takes on a kind of raw-nerve intimacy that transcends cliché. On “Why’d You Have To Bring Me Flowers,” the final single from this week’s Fatal Optimist, she’s done it again. “My toxic trait is hanging on,” Diaz begins. “Your toxic trait is showing up.”
If you like to hear voices and acoustic guitars and sometimes strings cascading all over each other in a headlong rush, you should be advised that the singer and composer Hannah Frances will release Nestled In Tangles, her new album, later this week. Frances sounds absolutely nothing like, say, Ed Droste, but you can hear some echoes of Grizzly Bear in her ecstatic impressionism, and that’s not your imagination. Grizzly Bear member Daniel Rossen contributed a bit to the album, and he’s a featured guest on Frances’ new song “The Space Between.”
Back in the spring, Bill Orcutt teamed up with fellow experimental guitar virtuosos Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza, and Shane Parish as the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet for the revelatory album HausLive 4. This week the former Harry Pussy mastermind is back with news of a new solo album called Another Perfect Day. In a note to Bandcamp followers, he summed it up like so:
The first weekend of Austin City Limits 2025 is well underway at Austin’s Zilker Park, and on Saturday night Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend herself, held court as headliner. She brought along some other famous people for the occasion.
Saturday Night Live kicked off its 51st season Saturday night with an episode heavy on pop stars. Newly announced Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner Bad Bunny, a regular around Studio 8H lately, was back to host, but not to be musical guest. That honor went to Doja Cat, fresh off the release of new album Vie. Making her first SNL appearance, she gave a highly expressive performance of “AAAHH MEN!” that ended with her shaking on the floor, followed a more subdued run through “Gorgeous” spent seated in a giant rose.
New stacked compilation alert! Big Hug Records got Robber Robber, Asher White, Dirt Buyer, Scarlet Rae, Starcleaner Reunion, My Wonderful Boyfriend, Margaux, villagerrr, and more indie faves to contribute to an album whose proceeds go to New Alternatives, an NYC resource center that helps transgender homeless youth and young adults transition out of the shelter system.