Popular music’s relationship to Art is complicated, at least as far as the term applies to music which people actually want to listen to. Numerous genres, from Punk to Pop to Thrash, have viewed the term with, at best, suspicion, probably because the categorisation of certain music as ‘art’ is as likely to signify pretention …

The Arctic Monkeys newly released single, ‘Four Out of Five,’ is as startling and captivating a listen as their sixth album – ‘Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino’ – from which it is taken. Alex Turner croons the opening lines like ‘Young Americans’ era Bowie covering ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’ over a sinewy, claustrophobic rhythm …

Frankie Cosmos have released a new video for ‘Apathy’ just before embarking on a UK tour which will culminate in a show at London’s La Scala on the 31st of May. Directed by Tom Scharpling, ‘Apathy’ is taken from Frankie Cosmos’ wry third album, ‘Vessel,’ released on Sub Pop on March 30th. Front-person Greta Kline …

New York duo Mass Gothic release their latest single for Sub Pop, ‘Dark Window,’ a captivating mix of scuzzy squall and crystalline synths, accompanied by a lyric video co-directed by the band and filmmaker Nira Burstein. Mass Gothic’s Jessica Zambri had this to say, “It was late at night, I started dancing around the studio …

On their third album, and first for Merge records, Ought augment their anxious, itchy alt-rock with a wider palette of instrumental colours, balancing the agitated highs of earlier records with moments of emotional numbness and tired acceptance. The woozy piano chords which introduce ‘Into the Sea’ establish the introspective mood from the outset. Singer Tim …