Taylor Swift transitioned from country to pop music effortless on her 2014 LP 1989. It’s indie pop sound and tongue-and-cheek lyrics around Swift’s persona and personal life were a hit with her audience. Coming off of this album and some rocky publicity revolving around Kim Kardashian and Kayne West, Taylor…

The mid-90s were a turning point in Kylie Minogue’s career. She was transitioning out of the sugary pop she started her career with and into a more mature sound and image. She would sign with Deconstruction Records in 1993 and embark on a new sound. By 1995, she had collaborated…

Polly Jean Harvey garnered national attention with her first three albums. The drama, darkness, and bluesy nature of To Bring You My Love was something to be in awe of. Her follow up to that record, the collaborative record with John Parish Dance Hall at Louse Point, would be sonic…

In 1994, Madonna reached out to Nellee Hooper to collaborate on a track for her upcoming album, Bedtime Stories. Hooper asked Bjork, who was a friend and collaborator at the time, to help contribute to the writing of the track. What Bjork and Hooper would create would be Madonna’s third…

If you are a millennial, or just have the radio on the right channel, chances are you are familiar with Natalie Imbruglia’s 1997 smash hit “Torn”. The song was everywhere in the late nineties and was perfect for the softening sound of alternative music in the mainstream. One thing many…

A while back I did a review of Bat for Lashes second album Two Suns and thoroughly enjoyed its mystical pop driven landscape. The stand out track on the record has to be the first single “Daniel”. The song opens with these mystical synths and percussion that lets you know…

“Black and Blonde” — Veruca Salt Vercua Salt have been in my alternative playlist for a while with their 90s hits “Seether” and “Volcano Girls”. One of my favorite things about them is their girlish yet punchy vocal delivery and more ragged alt-rock sound. They are back strong with their…

I have been a big fan of Nellie McKay’s quirky brand of jazz, pop, rock, and standards since her 2004 debut album Get Away From Me. The title is a clever play on the Norah Jones title Come Away with Me. The album cover, with its joyful display of Nellie…

Lily Allen — “Trigger Bang” (feat. Giggs) One of the most notable and refreshing things about Allen’s brand of pop is her candid lyrics. Her career has taken on homophobes with “Fuck You” and pop culture on with “The Fear” and “Hard Out Here”. Her 2016 album, No Shame, looks…