Draw a line down the middle of Owen’s discography and you’ll find two distinctly different Mike Kinsellas. Having started the project in 2001 following the breakup of American Football, Kinsella took to recording albums all by himself, sometimes in his old bedroom at his mom’s house. Between 2001 and 2006, Kinsella…

The 49th parallel might be the bane of Billy Talent’s existence. The alt-rock quartet is undeniably massive in their homeland of Canada, with all four of their previous albums having been certified platinum or higher, and their past three LPs debuting at number one on the Canadian charts. Yet as soon as Billy Talent…

Ringworm represents the blue-collar, working-man metalhead in all of us: steadfast, bent out of shape, and 100 percent loathe to sugarcoat one goddamn fucking thing for you. Born from a hulking early-’90s hardcore scene, the Cleveland band quickly called it after just a handful of years on the circuit—a demo, split,…

2016 has been a big year for music, with the likes of Beyoncé, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Radiohead, Chance The Rapper, and Drake all releasing records that vary from pretty good to really, really great. Then there’s the emerging talents that have turned in career-defining works and earned high marks, like Blood…

The Descendents have never been concerned with working on any timeline but their own. The band’s lengthy periods of inactivity rival its time making records and touring, driven home by the fact that, though it’s existed for nearly four decades, it’s only released six studio albums. But 2016 has seen the band in the…

In Set List, we talk to veteran musicians about some of their most famous songs, learning about their lives and careers, and maybe hearing a good backstage anecdote or two in the process.

Despite the continuing growth of vinyl—and with Apple supposedly aggressively phasing out downloads—the streaming market is growing, leaving everything else in the rearview mirror.

Kaiser Chiefs: This British band has a ton of great songs that I never really think to listen to but would be happy to hear on the radio: “Every Day I Love You Less And Less,” “I Predict A Riot,” “Ruby.” Like Franz Ferdinand or The Futureheads, I appreciated them in the moment but no longer grab these discs. Maybe…

The transcontinental psych act Unknown Mortal Orchestra is no stranger to getting conceptual. The A.V. Club asked if UMO would be down to play a game based on the mortal part of its name, giving them a celebrity and forcing them to guess whether they are alive or not alive.

From a commercial standpoint, Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage was an unqualified success. Released in June 1982, the record went platinum by the end of the year and spent five weeks atop the Billboard album charts. Mirage also spawned two major hit singles—the piano-spun, Christine McVie co-written “Hold Me” and the Stevie…

Although the official soundtrack to the Republican National Convention was a hornet’s nest of sustained, paranoid screaming, there was also music. Loud, incessant music, as it’s been since the days of brass bands blaring John Philip Sousa marches and—somehow—Booker T. And The MG’s “Hip Hug-Her” to the awkwardly…

At this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, The A.V. Club gave artists a challenge: Draw a name from a deck of cards, then spend $20 on a gift for that person at either the on-site record fair or craft expo. In this video, Lost Under Heaven finds music that a vampire can enjoy for all eternity.

At this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, The A.V. Club gave artists a challenge: Draw a name from a deck of cards, then spend $20 on a gift for that person at either the on-site record fair or craft expo. In this video, Girl Band finds music that’ll make a T-Rex dance.

At this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, The A.V. Club gave artists a challenge: Draw a name from a deck of cards, then spend $20 on a gift for that person at either the on-site record fair or craft expo. In this video, Haley Fohr finds the perfect soundtrack for a long drive.

After Death From Above 1979 split in 2006, Jesse F. Keeler immediately started focusing full-time on his electronic duo project, MSTRKRFT. The two groups shared a penchant for beat-borne aggression, but little else: DFA 1979 favored thrashing screampunk, while MSTRKRFT stuck to club-ready electro-disco. Over time,…

On This Is Gap Dream, his third full-length offering for Burger Records, Gabe Fulvimar, who records as Gap Dream, showcases a new breadth and depth. It sounds like reaching this territory has taken its toll on him. This Is Gap Dream is about personal reinvention and, by extension, musical reinvention. That the album’s…

At this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, The A.V. Club gave artists a challenge: Draw a name from a deck of cards, then spend $20 on a gift for that person at either the on-site record fair or craft expo. In this video, Thundercat hunts for gifts that should make the Clinton household a little funkier.

At this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, The A.V. Club gave artists a challenge: Draw a name from a deck of cards, then spend $20 on a gift for that person at either the on-site record fair or craft expo. In this video, Kevin Morby searches for items that would make Bill Murray smile.

At this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, The A.V. Club gave artists a challenge: Draw a name from a deck of cards, then spend $20 on a gift for that person at either the on-site record fair or craft expo. In this video, Royal Headache digs for records that their younger selves would enjoy.

Silly Little Show-Biz Book Club is Nathan Rabin’s ongoing exploration of books involving show business, with a special emphasis on the very bad and the very sleazy.