arlo parks
Madlib, Japanese Breakfast, Jungle Take Home 2022 Libera Awards: See the Full List of Winners
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has revealed the recipients of this year’s Libera Awards, which honors the successes of the independent music community. Held on June 16th, 2022, the ceremony celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Liberas with an in-person, ticketed gala at New York City’s iconic Webster Hall. EDM.com proudly presented this year’s Libera Award for Best Dance Record, nabbed by British electronic band jungle, whose Loving In Stereo album is a sultry rush of funk and soul. American Association of Independent Music Focusing on industry and advocacy awards, the night’s pièce de résistance was the Independent Icon Award, won by renowned DJ and record producer Madlib. Revered for his seminal collaborations with the late MF DOOM, among o...
Watch Phoebe Bridgers Perform Two Songs With Arlo Parks at Coachella
Phoebe Bridgers took the stage at Coachella for the first time last night. In addition to performing songs off her sophomore album Punisher, she also live-debuted her new single “Sidelines,” which was written for the upcoming Hulu series Conversations With Friends. But that wasn’t all Bridgers had up her sleeve. She also brought Arlo Parks onstage for her last two songs, “Graceland Too” and “I Know the End.” The moment wasn’t the first time the pair sang together. In 2020, they covered Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” Parks will play her own set at Coachella today. Bridgers embarked on her 2022 tour earlier this week. She’s set to perform at the second weekend of Coachella and then continue her tour throughout North America. In mid-June, the singer-songwriter will head over...
The 30 Best Songs of 2021
A pair of rappers pulling off the best Tom Tom Club sample since Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” (G Perico & Rucci), an iconic New Wave band trafficking in tongue-in-cheek nostalgia (Duran Duran), a blackgaze act embracing their love of vocal harmony (Deafheaven), and psych-rockers using the shopping mall as a metaphor for capitalist greed (My Morning Jacket) — SPIN‘s 30 Best Songs of 2021 offer something for everyone. For our latest year-end track recap, we kept our overall sorting process the same as 2020: For a cut to be eligible, it needed to be one of two things: 1) a stand-alone single released in 2021 or 2) part of an album issued in 2021. 30. Beatrice Deer – “The Storm” The sound is so simple that, at first, it feels almost formless: a primal drum groove, shards of metallic elect...
The 30 Best Albums of 2021
Back in June, SPIN published The 30 Best Albums of 2021 (So Far), rounding up everything from mainstream rock to experimental hip-hop. Six months later, we’re back with our year-end recap — and it’s interesting how, even though the stylistic balance has stayed consistent, the picks themselves haven’t. While this list also covers a lot of ground, only six of those earlier records wound up in our final tally. Below, you’ll find massive R&B collaborations (Silk Sonic), trendy pop breakouts (Olivia Rodrigo), big-ticket indie-rock (The War on Drugs), prog-metal giants (Mastodon), and acclaimed indie-rap (Benny the Butcher & Harry Fraud). Looking back at Pandemic Year Number Two, when the music industry forecast seemed to shift on a daily basis, perhaps these changes are only fittin...
The 30 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)
Best Album lists tend to earn all the internet hype — it always feels like a somewhat serious, academic endeavor, adding to the pantheon of OK Computers and To Pimp a Butterflys. But Best Songs lists are weirder, messier, even more challenging on a nuts and bolts level. (When was this song released? When was the album released? Does it need to be singles only?) While LP lists tend to follow the critical consensus, songs lists are harder to predict. And that makes them fun to explore. Below, we gathered our 30 favorite tracks of 2021 so far. (In this case, we decided songs from any 2021 albums were on the table.) And as you’ll notice, we swerved all over the map — from Bieber to Black Country, New Road. Let’s meet back here in six months and see how things shake out. Bachelor – “Anything At...
The 30 Best Albums of 2021 (So Far)
Despite what some “best of” blurb intros may tell you, there is no exact science to list-making. And constructing one so methodically just might ruin the joy altogether — for both us, the curators, and you, the readers. Even though debate is a natural reaction, anger is not. These stories are supposed to be fun! And hopefully unique — who wants to read the exact same list at every publication? Sure, SPIN’s Best Albums of 2021 (So Far) does feature some of the year’s biggest buzz bands. But we hope you’ll also discover some records that slipped through the cracks — and maybe, just maybe, reconsider some LPs you previously dismissed. Let’s meet back here in six months and see how things shake out. Adjective Animal – America’s Got Talons CREDIT: Adjective Animal For over a decade, Jon Bi...
Dua Lipa wins album of the year at Brit Awards
Dua Lipa won the coveted British Album of the Year prize at the Brit Awards on Tuesday, in a ceremony that saw female artists dominate the mixed categories. Around 4,000 guests streamed into London’s O2 Arena for the biggest night in British pop music, as the ceremony welcomed guests for the first time in two years as part of the government’s pilot scheme easing coronavirus restrictions. The Brit Awards have been criticised in the past for nominations seen as skewing heavily male, but this year almost all of the main prizes went to female artists. Little Mix won best British group — becoming the first female act ever to do so. Singer and poet Arlo Parks took the Breakthrough Artist award, and best international group went to the American band HAIM. In another history-making moment, Taylor ...
Iceland Airwaves to Return This Fall With Arlo Parks, Bartees Strange
One of the most interesting festivals every year is Iceland Airwaves. This year, following an obvious year away physically (the fest still existed virtually), will see the event return to downtown Reykjavík on Nov. 3-6. As usual, the tastemaking festival features a nice blend of international and Icelandic artists, including two of our favorites with Arlo Parks and Bartees Strange, who featured very prominently on our best of 2020 albums and songs lists. Other artists include perennial Grammy favorites (and San Antonio Spurs fans) Black Pumas, British rockers Squid, Crack Cloud, Metronomy, Pale Moon, and many more. Check out the full lineup below. You can grab tickets for the in-person event here. ADHDAndavaldAndy SvartholAny OtherAragrúiArlo ParksAron CanÁstaAxel FlóventBalming ...
The 20 Most Interesting New Artists of 2020
With most indie venues closed due to the pandemic and many record stores altering their business methods, it was a challenging year for music discovery. Luckily, we live in the Internet age, where a glowing album review, trending social media post or intriguing Bandcamp tag can instantly connect fans to their next favorite band. As the music world remained stuck in quarantine limbo, upcoming songwriters had more time than usual to record, hype, network and livestream — and it’s safe to say we all needed the distraction. To cap off the year’s depressing madness with a glimmer of optimism, we gathered this list of our 20 Most Interesting New Artists of 2020 — from indie-pop to Afrobeat. Where there are fresh sounds, there’s hope. Anjimile The trendy comparison for Anjimile is Sufjan Stevens,...
SPIN Daybreaker: 15 Songs You Need In Your Life
Friday is finally here and you know what that means… SPIN is back with yet another exciting Daybreaker roundup for your listening pleasure. We’re in our feelings this week with a unique selection of artists that possess a certain musical prowess to tug at our heartstrings. Get swooned by the beautiful sounds of alternative indie artist Nick Leng, vibe like you’re back in the club with electronic sensation Park Hye Jin, and indulge in the sounds of the artist that’s been dominating the indie scene, Arlo Parks. Whether you live in a city that never sleeps or secluded in a quaint small town in the mountains, this introspective roster will be enough to drown out the sounds of the hustle and bustle or serve as the perfect soundtrack to your next stargazing adventure. You Deserve to Make Money E...
Arlo Parks Is Feeling It
Arlo Parks hasn’t enjoyed lockdown any more than the rest of us. But the 20-year-old, London-based singer/songwriter and self-described “social creature” has ridden out the year with help from the kind of oddly specific activities that populate her emotive songs. Recently it’s been photographing brightly colored flowers that has been keeping her busy. (She laughs, remembering how she asked that a recent press photoshoot be held at South London’s Rookery Gardens just so she could sneak in a few shots on her phone). There’s also been endless cups of tea drank alone, journaling, and reading list that has her tearing through David Lynch’s Catching the Big Fish, Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov, and Joan Didion’s essay collection, Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Overall, she’d call herself happ...
Phoebe Bridgers and Arlo Parks Team to Cover Radiohead’s ‘Fake Plastic Trees’
Phoebe Bridgers’ great new album Punisher has been out for a few months now, and she’s made a number of appearances since then. The latest, which was released on Sunday, saw her team with another great songwriter Arlo Parks (who handled the keys) on BBC’s Radio 1’s Chillest Show for a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” The performance, which also featured a version of “Kyoto,” was filmed inside of a church. You can check out both performances below. [embedded content] [embedded content] Bridgers recently featured on a massive compilation with R.E.M., Hayley Williams and many more that was available on Bandcamp for one day that benefited voting rights charities. She also covered Gillian Welch’s “Everything Is Free” with Courtney Barnett in July. You Deserve to Make Money E...
