Whimsical curmudgeon Stephin Merritt is undeniably one of the most significant artists of the past 20 years. A clever wordsmith equally devoted to Human League and Cole Porter, Merritt's nascent musical explorations produced the lo-fi, synthesized sound of the Magnetic Fields. Even then, with his intellectual interest in diverse pop and folk instrumentation and the timeless art of charming, sentimental songs, glimmers of a contemporary pop genius shone through.... Read More

The early 1980s were an amazing time for music lovers. Underground genres like metal, punk, synth pop, reggae and hip-hop were burbling up into the mainstream. You could hear new music via nascent music TV channels or a newly FM-licensed college radio station near you. You could buy just about anything in your local record store and if they didn't stock it, you could special order.... Read More

Saturday night is meant for hand pumping and fraternal writhing, and nothing inspires it like Parisian pop. With an armoury of feel-good songs — almost all single-worthy — and a stellar warm-up act in Holy Fuck, French six-piece Phoenix played a joyous and infectiously amiable Sound Academy show.Full Review