In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re talking about the songs we hate by bands we love.

The nine songs of Natalie Prass’ eponymous debut LP feature elaborate tapestries of full orchestration, and the Nashville-based songwriter occupies more than just their centers; each composes a giant headshot of her striking a different expression. Prass—a close affiliate of Jenny Lewis, The Gaslight Anthem, and…

Even for a band built on the force, persistence, and interplay of its rhythmic elements, The Dodos’ latest album is a kinetic marvel.

In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re talking about the songs we hate by bands we love.

In We’re No. 1, The A.V. Club examines an album that went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts to get to the heart of what it means to be popular in pop music, and how that concept has changed over the years. In this installment, we cover Eminem’s Encore, which went to No. 1 on November 27, 2004, where it stayed for two…

In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re picking our favorite unlikely collaborations.

With all of its Kanye West parallels—producer Arca, the short-notice release, the singular artistic voice—it’s tempting to call Björk’s ninth album Bjeezus. But the circumstances of Vulnicura more closely resemble Madonna’s recent EP: Both were thrust into the world earlier than planned, a reaction to the increasingly…

In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re picking our favorite unlikely collaborations.

In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re picking our favorite unlikely collaborations.

In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re picking our favorite unlikely collaborations.

Though he rose to fame as the shock rocker responsible for dark and polarizing tracks like “The Dope Show” and “The Beautiful People,” Marilyn Manson is more than just a powdered face. He’s a smart dude who gained acclaim for his poignant speech about school shootings in Bowling For Columbine, and an artist who’s…

Once Marilyn Manson’s shock-rock antics ceased being an effective attention-getting mechanism sometime in the ’00s, the boo-scary rocker had a difficult time finding his footing. Although his core fans and rock aficionados never abandoned him or his albums, the one-time Nine Inch Nails protege no longer functioned as…

Leading up to the release of his debut record, Joey Bada$$ has been hailed as a supremely talented up-and-comer, a boast that often had more to do with his age (just 20 years old as of this release) than an honest examination of his output. He showed immense promise on his solo mixtapes 1999 and Summer Knights, but…

Of the many acts quietly hammering away in the shadow of the alternative revolution in the ’90s, Belle & Sebastian wasn’t a strong contender for longest-lived. An apparent shunning of careerist game-playing—press interviews, world tours, exposure of any kind—was part of the group’s appeal. Its discography painted a…

When Fall Out Boy cheekily named its previous album Save Rock And Roll, it opened the group up to criticism about its place (or perceived lack thereof) within the genre. For the most part, these discussions about stylistic semantics were boring and needlessly cynical; after all, the title track very sincerely referred…

Sleater-Kinney’s breakup in 2006 seemed like a logical step for the group, who had been together since 1994. The band’s members were, naturally, interested in pursuing their own routes in life after 12 years, a long time to do anything consistently. Janet Weiss worked with her group, Quasi, and played drums for…

If there’s anything to be learned from Lupe Fiasco’s online presence over the last few years it’s that the long-time Atlantic signee has grown weary of his role as rap’s perennial social justice warrior (a role he has often thrust upon himself by publicizing controversial, sociopolitical opinions and seeking out…

Erudite and punctilious, Portland, Oregon act The Decemberists emerged in the early ’00s, polarizing from the outset. Frontman Colin Meloy used his nasal croon to captivate legions of ardent acolytes, capturing the hearts of Smiths and R.E.M. fans alike with his whip-smart lyrics and a keen ear for inventive melodic…

Permanent Records is an ongoing closer look at the records that matter most.

In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re picking our favorite unlikely collaborations.