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Stereolab is a band of nerds. They geek out over equipment, quirk up their releases with experimental physical formats, and crate dig like connoisseurs.

For the past few weeks, my college dorm room has been a megachurch. And I have Lana Del Rey to thank for that. There is absolutely no false advertising on “Judah Smith Interlude,” track five on Lana Del Rey’s 2023 release Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Four and a half minutes on Ocean Blvd consists of a sermon delivered by Hollywood megachurch pastor Judah Smith.

This irreverence is borne of a friendship that comes straight out of a Wes Anderson movie: three rising indie artists form an instant bond before entering the studio to record one song, maybe two, before emerging five days later with a lightning-in-a-bottle EP. On The Record, Boygenius explores the etches and grooves of this friendship, both sharing anecdotes of missing their exit while listening to music together on the interstate and reckoning with the struggles of being wholly seen, flaws and all, in this life and the next.

In 2022, four days before the release of their second studio album, Ants from Up There, frontman Isaac Wood left the band, citing mental health reasons and opting for a quiet life instead of stardom. The album went on to reach unprecedented heights for the band. They received universal acclaim from critics, landed on numerous end-of-year lists, cemented an incredibly loyal following, and became stalwarts of a new scene of British indie rock rooted in avant-garde instrumentation and experimental post-punk. In the wake of a standing ovation, Wood simply walked away, leaving the band with the impending question of what to do next.

Released March 28, 1973, this iconic album is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so it is only fitting to write a review. Houses of the Holy was a transition out of the band’s iconic quadruple self-titled albums (Led Zeppelin I, II, III & IV), and it is heard in their sound. Houses of the Holy was the album they began experimenting with genres, delving into funk, reggae, ballads, and some psychedelic. There is also more focus on instrumentation and emphasis on instrumental breaks than in the previous four albums. 

It’s been a hazy last month and Kali Uchis has arisen from the storm. With the days just starting to get longer and spring coming, she delivers with good timing the entrancing Red Moon in Venus. 

Veteran pop-punk band Paramore is back with the 2023 release of their 6th studio album, This is Why. Six years after their widely acclaimed LP, After Laughter, Paramore sought to contrast their previous release and reflect on their own journey as a band and as individuals. Almost 20 years after the band’s inception, we see the group harkening back to their original “guitar-led” sound as opposed to their more recent pop endeavors both in Paramore and in frontwoman Hayley Williams’ solo career.

If you like the relentless energy of early Strokes albums, the gothic kickdrums of Molchat Doma, and the monotonous vocals of Fontaines D.C., this album is worth a listen. It’s good if you like repetitive music – which I really do love! A more generous term for the category is trance-like, hypnotic even. I’ve long said that the Strokes are the most genius, most universally beloved pop band to ever exist. So if you give this album time, it’ll earworm its way into your brain.