Lili Peper

Marching On

January 25, 2017

On Saturday, millions of people around the world, in what was to become the largest protest in U.S. history, came together to demonstrate for the rights of women and marginalized groups in the wake of the inauguration of Donald J. Trump.

All About You

June 2, 2015

Among contemporary authors, one of the most intriguing and distinctive voices to come along in fiction belongs to Vendela Vida.

Kindness Returns

November 11, 2014

In considering the two years that have passed since Kindness’ debut album, World, You Need a Change of Mind, it’s tempting to draw a connection between that title and the opening lyrics of Otherness, his sophomore album: “I felt the world restart; I felt the world begin.”

An Older, Wiser Weyes Blood

October 21, 2014

At 15, Natalie Mering started writing and recording songs under the name Weyes Blood. In conversation today, Mering still seems wise beyond her 26 years.

Minka Sicklinger, in Pen and Ink

June 27, 2014

Artist Minka Sicklinger likes to refer to herself as a treasure-hunting pirate.

Discovery: Lorella Paleni

February 12, 2014

Originally from the Italian hinterlands, Lorella Paleni first visited New York City in summer 2012 for a six-week intensive painting program at Columbia. There, she encountered eager faculty and a sense of community—elements she felt were lacking during her time at an arts academy in Italy.

The Noise-Punk Band

December 9, 2013

Syracuse’s Perfect Pussy is a band that started with a purpose, and that purpose was… to appear in an indie film.

Whiskey Business: Stephen Yorsz and Brett David

December 3, 2013

When you give your brand-new bar a name as distinctive as Leave Rochelle Out of It (or “Rochelle’s,” for short), you’re fairly begging to tell its story.

Connan Mockasin Heats Up Caramel

November 5, 2013

Led by an unorthodox creative instinct, Mockasin has shaped a forum of sound where jazz, blues, funk, and psychedelic melody effortlessly cohere.

Surfer Blood Sheds a Skin

June 11, 2013

Surfer Blood is as tight as ever, and its new album Pythons distills everything that made the first LP a hit—shoring up its sound and bringing new fidelity to the band’s power-pop hooks.

Aaron David Ross’ Fair Trades

April 15, 2013

What happens when you mix clip art with stock music? Two words: Chunky Monkey, the second solo LP by New York-based ADR, or Aaron David Ross.

Matteo Garrone’s Take on Reality

March 15, 2013

Matteo Garrone’s Reality follows Luciano (expertly played by Aniello Areno), a charismatic Neapolitan fishmonger who is pushed by his family to try out for the reality TV show Big Brother, and becomes increasingly unhinged while awaiting the results of his audition.

Charles Hamilton

November 25, 2008

It’s been a long time since a rapper came along with skills like Charles Hamilton’s. The 20-year-old MC’s flow is spellbindingly dense, studded with punchy triplets and trippy associations.