review
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REVIEW — ‘Lake Effect’ by Hillary Behrman
“All the enchantments of the place were gone.” Hillary Behrman scours the human condition with no time to slip on rose-colored glasses in Lake Effect. This debut short story collection received the 2024 Mary McCarthy Prize for Short Fiction, a distinguished award firmly rooted in the indie literary world. Its recipient is chosen by a…
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REVIEW — BACKHOUSE’s debut album ‘Songs in the Key of Orange’
A debut album has one job: convince listeners that a band is worth paying attention to. Great ones become more than just introductions, instead establishing themselves as almost mythological benchmarks that every future release is measured against (such as Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not or even The Killers’ Hot…
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In conversation with Sasha Perskie: exploring contemporary indie & working with RiverJAM
“I don’t just record them [songs] myself, but I write them too,” explains indie pop artist Sasha Perskie. “And that’s been a huge part of my life: writing music, performing, playing gigs, playing open mics.” Last year, Perskie released Day Night, a four-song EP self-described from the influences of Fiona Apple and Lizzy McAlpine. The project…
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REVIEW – ‘Mantras of the Moon’ by Srijana Mitra
Srijana Mitra’s collection of poems, Mantras of the Moon, reflects an appreciation and longing for one’s culture and past heritage. Mitra herself is a writer based in India who has spoken at many literary festivals (Mangalore Lit Fest and Shoolini University Literary Festival, to name a few). She’s been published previously in publications such as…
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In conversation with SYLVR: leaning into “nightmare pop” and embracing the strange
There’s something instantly intriguing about SYLVR (pronounced “silver”). This UK-Peruvian duo seems to have arrived fully formed, with a sound that feels less like a debut and more like recollecting your dream from a few nights ago. Made up of Jamie Thomas and Raquel Bartra, SYLVR’s sound lives somewhere between goth-pop and electronic haze. It’s…
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In conversation with Avery Cochrane: proving she’s one to watch at NYC show
On an unassuming Tuesday evening in the East Village, a sequin-studded popstar stepped towards the stage. The lights were bright, and the bass was loud as she made her way through the crowd. When the lights come up on Avery Cochrane, it feels like her three hundredth concert, not her third. The Seattle-born singer embarked…
