Experimental Pop
Kate Bush’s 10 Best Songs
This article originally ran in 2014 and has been updated in celebration of Kate Bush’s birthday on July 30th. Top Songs is a feature in which we definitively handpick the very best songs in an artist or band’s catalog. Sounds simple, right? Oh, if only. Considering the formidable back catalog of someone as musically gifted as Kate Bush, the inevitable dilemma is what to leave out of any top 10. With 10 studio albums and 33 singles to ponder, it’s a particularly tough ask. Advertisement Despite Bush’s status as a national treasure in the UK and considerable success around the world, her career has never really taken off in the US — until this year’s “Running Up That Hill” explosion, that is. Indeed, Bush’s genius is finally getting the recognition it deserves in the States (though this list...
Japanese Breakfast and Alton Brown on Cooking, Music, and Cooking While Listening to Music
What do celebrity chef and TV host Alton Brown and Grammy-nominated indie rock star Michelle Zauner (AKA Japanese Breakfast) have in common? Quite a few things, believe it or not; both have a passionate love of food, with Alton Brown hosting multiple Food Network shows and Zauner exploring the relationship between food, love, and grief in her memoir, Crying in H Mart. Not only that, they’re both musicians; Zauner released her excellent third studio album Jubilee last year, whereas Brown is currently trekking across the country with his “ABL: Beyond The Eats” tour, which features him fronting a live band every night in addition to food science experiments, live cooking, and more. Together, they’re both ambassadors and sonic enthusiasts for Fender’s new futuristic and visually stunning...
Lil Uzi Vert Set to Become “First Human to Legally Own a Planet”
Lil Uzi Vert is preparing to buy a planet. Yes, you read that correctly. Just one day after we’ve started collectively recovering from the billionaire space race, the rapper announced his pending extraterrestrial purchase on social media. The interplanetary tea was actually spilled first by Grimes, who retweeted an artist’s rendering of the planet in question — WASP-127 b. “This is WASP-127b, a gas giant exoplanet 1.4x larger than Jupiter orbiting a yellow dwarf star (like ours)!” the original space-centric account tweeted, leading Grimes to reply, “Apparently @LILUZIVERT owns this planet – just a heads up.” The Eternal Atake rapper quickly responded, confirming Grimes’ assertion while noting she had actually beaten him to the punch. “I tried 2 surprise everyone…still working on it,” he wr...
Sorry Unveil Two New Songs “Cigarette Packet” and “Separate”: Stream
Last year, the British indie-rock band Sorry released their well-received debut album 925. Now, the genre-blending group have returned with two new loosies titled “Cigarette Packet” and “Separate”. As the Domino Records-signed band demonstrated on the myriad singles they released prior to 925, Sorry can’t be pinned to one sound or temperament. Their music is an eclectic mix of indie-rock, experimental pop, trip-hop, and even jazz, and all of those elements are often being housed under the roof of a single song. On these new singles, which were co-produced by James Dring (Gorillaz, Nilüfer Yanya), who also worked the boards on 925, the band continue to evolve in all directions. “Cigarette Packet” is a sleek and brisk synth-pop tune with a blinking synth line, a crisp drum machine, and ...
Rico Nasty Joins chillpill and Soleima on Wacky, Wonderful Single “LiL BiTcH”: Stream
If debut album Nightmare Vacation taught us anything, it’s that Rico Nasty is at her best when operating out of the norm. Genres, rules, and expectations — the young rapper relishes in breaking them all, and all while making it look fun as hell. For her latest project, a single and video called “LiL BiTcH”, Rico ditches her recently acquired 18th century ball gown to become… a video game character that takes down evil ducks and bears. Classic Rico move, baby. The release is a collaboration spearheaded by pop producer chillpill and also features Danish singer Soleima, but per usual, Rico steals the show. The Maryland rapper herself is already like a cartoon character personified, and when coupled with wacky and wonderful hyperpop like this, it’s a guaranteed surreal slam dunk. (Also se...
Linkin Park’s “One Step Closer” Gets New Remix by 100 gecs: Stream
Linkin Park’s mega-selling debut album Hybrid Theory continues to be celebrated after marking its 20th anniversary in October. A new officially sanctioned remix of “One Step Closer” by the innovative hyper-pop duo 100 gecs is the latest musical tribute to Linkin Park and their landmark LP. 100 gecs were personally recruited by Linkin Park to remix “One Step Closer” in any way they saw fit. The duo of Dylan Brady and Laura Les not only offer a new spin on Linkin Park’s breakout hit, but also add their own vocals to the mix, dubbed “One Step Closer (100 gecs Reanimation)”. Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda referenced his band’s 2002 remix album, Reanimation, when praising the 100 gecs version of “One Step Closer” in a press release. “Part of the spirit of Reanimation was to take the&...
Alice Glass Teases Debut Album with New Song “SUFFER AND SWALLOW”: Stream
Since her tumultuous departure from Crystal Castles back in 2014, Alice Glass has steadily worked to carve out a solo career for herself. She put out her first-ever EP two years later, followed by a handful of singles, a collaboration with Adult Swim, and even a spot on The Turning soundtrack alongside folks like Courtney Love and Mitski. Today, Glass begins a new chapter in her post-Crystal Castles era with the announcement of her debut solo album. According to a statement, the as-yet-untitled full-length is expected to arrive later this year. In lieu of other specifics, Glass has let loose lead single “SUFFER AND SWALLOW”. The track is said to examine “the dichotomy of pain and beauty,” and it does so by alternating between harsh, blistering beats and fluid, almost angelic, vocals. Think...
100 gecs Unwrap New Anti-Christmas Song “sympathy 4 the grinch”: Stream
Consider the halls gec’d. The experimental pop duo 100 gecs have returned with a new Christmas song called “sympathy 4 the grinch” that wraps their signature quirks in silver and gold. Laura Les and Dylan Brady pack so many influences into their music that there’s no telling where they’ll draw from next, but this tune finds a cheerful middle ground between their neon electro-pop and early 2000s pop-punk. The ska-like verses sound like chiptune’d versions of a Reel Big Fish song, while the bouncy pre-chorus and crunchy guitar riffs during the hook throw it back to Good Charlotte’s “The Anthem”. Lyrically, the song is almost somewhat of an anti-Christmas tune. After Les complains that she “Wanted some speakers, Xbox, and t-shirts / I’ve been good like every single day/ Looked under my tree, ...
Rico Nasty Unleashes New Song “OHFR?”, Produced by 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady: Stream
On Monday, Rico Nasty formally announced her debut album, Nightmare Vacation. Due out in just a few weeks, the project is being teased now with “OHFR?”, a new single that reunites the young rapper with Dylan Brady of 100 gecs. Over the summer, the two acts joined forces on Rico track “iPhone”, as well as on 100 gecs’ “ringtone” remix alongside Charli XCX and Kero Kero Bonito. Not unlike those previous offerings, “OHFR?” continues to see Rico and Brady finding their collaborative sweet spot all while disregarding genre barriers. Rico is as fearless and unapologetic as ever as she rap-growls, “I been movin’ how I want/ Fuck how you feel.” Brady’s booming production here is a departure from 100 gecs’ adrenaline-crazed hyper-pop, but fits right in with Rico’s calculated confidence. EditorsR...
Tierra Whack Is Living Her Best Life on New Song “Dora”: Stream
Experimental rapper and all-around creative Tierra Whack is back with a brand new song. It’s called “Dora” and it sees the rising Philadelphia talent giving herself a much-deserved dose of praise for her glow-up. Since dropping her acclaimed debut album, Whack World, in 2018, Tierra Whack has never stopped hustling. Last year alone saw her release five fresh standout singles and music videos, make a cameo on Beyonce’s album The Lion King, and crash Janelle Monaé’s Coachella set. So yeah, “Dora” is a welcome breath of fresh air because it sees Whack taking stock of just how far she’s come. “When I go to sleep, Gucci sheets now,” she says over the song’s bouncy beat. “Forty thousand, turn that shit to fifty thousand/ Bitch I’m wildin’, stranded on an island/ Money piling, Rolex ’cause I put ...
Empress Of Enlists Amber Mark for New Song “You’ve Got to Feel”: Stream
With exactly one week left until the presidential election, experimental pop artist Empress Of has shared a new single featuring Amber Mark called “You’ve Got to Feel” that encourages listeners to make their voices heard. “You’ve Got To Feel” is an infectious dance-pop number that wields synths, airy guitar strums, and spacious reverb to pack a punch. Surprisingly, it doesn’t build towards the traditional pop peak, which makes the song all the more intriguing. With Empress Of manning the role of producer, Mark is free to spit out lines about breaking down capitalism, looking out for your fellow Americans, and choosing to rise above. Stream the single below. Editors’ Picks To coincide with this news, Empress Of has also announced the launch of her own record label, Major Arcana. Expec...
ANOHNI Reveals Blazing Protest Song “R.N.C. 2020”: Stream
At a time when nothing — whether it be art, action, or even speaking truth to power — feels like it can loosen the Trump administration’s white nationalist, anti-science stranglehold on America, ANOHNI has returned with something that at the very least articulates our sense of overwhelming dread. The experimental pop artist has released a new song called “R.N.C. 2020” that was written in response to last week’s spectacle of death and democratic destruction at the Republican National Convention. Compared to her exotic yet high-fidelity 2016 album Hopelessness, “R.N.C. 2020” has the production of a ragged no-wave song from the ’80s. The track sees ANOHNI muttering solemnly over a proto-punk loop that starts off crusty and tattered, but gradually becomes clearer and more present in the mix as...
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