The Marías appear on the cover of the Spring 2024 Issue — head to the AP Shop to grab a copy. There’s a scene in Three Colors Blue, the 1993 film directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, where the protagonist, Julie, visits her mother after walking around in an intense state of grief. She’s lost her husband and daughter to a horrific car accident and is in the thick of selling off her home, and everything in it, except for a transfixing lamp of blue beads. “I want no possessions, no memories, no friends, no lovers. They’re all traps,” she confesses. All these years later, the scene remains deeply arr ..read more

“Our songs are reactive,” says Callum Moloney, one-half of the bluesy, post-punk duo Big Special. “They’re loud, and they’re fun, and they’re honest and emotional.” Alongside singer Joe Hicklin, the Birmingham-based band have been making waves in the U.K. for their poetic, lyrically revealing music. Grooving to a fusion of folk, grunge, electronic, blues, and rock, Big Special are serving up a narrative close to home — stories of coming up in working class, industrial families in Black Country, and living in a country experiencing an ever-worsening depression. The idea of depression, both fisc ..read more

Since its formation in 1994, Fearless Records has been a guidepost for some of the most alluring acts within emo, post-hardcore, metal, and beyond. From Pierce the Veil’s label debut with Collide With The Sky, an album that took them to impossible heights, to the unforgettable Punk Goes… series, there’s been no shortage of stirring and storied moments for Fearless over the years. In celebration of its 30 anniversary, we asked our readers to name the best Fearless Records bands of all time, past and present. They sounded off with their favorites, and these are the top fan picks, ranked accordin ..read more

Beyond their frontman Bryan Garris being named one of the greatest hardcore vocalists ever by our readers, Knocked Loose are readying the release of their long-awaited new album, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To.  Now, they’ve dropped another crushing single from the album, a scorching blitzkrieg called “Suffocate” that features a shockingly heavy guest appearance from genre-hopping pop-metal auteur Poppy.  Read more: 15 greatest supergroups across rock, punk, and metal Poppy’s voice first arrives shaped into her trademark speak-sing whisper, but within a few measures, she’s sh ..read more

Another episode of Artist Friendly arrives this week. Following conversations with Matt Koma of Winnetka Bowling League, Tori Kelly, and Matt Pryor of the Get Up Kids, Bea Miller will join Joel Madden on the latest episode of the series. Since her emergence in 2014, Miller has created frank pop-rock songs that sound massive. It makes total sense when you consider her influences, as she grew up exposed to hundreds of records from her mother, a former vinyl DJ, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Alanis Morissette. Then when she was 12, she experienced a life-altering Paramore concert ..read more

Though the beloved Christmas tree or ice skating rink has never tempted me, this Saturday, I excitedly made my way up to Rockefeller Center. It was Record Store Day, and Rough Trade was to host its third annual “Indieplaza,” a showcase featuring indie acts leading the scene. While I’d naively hoped to hit the store on my way and snag an RSD exclusive (my eye was on the David Byrne/Paramore 12-inch and the Team Sleep reissue), the long line of customers wrapped around the building appeared to have been camped out ahead of time, and for that dedication, they certainly deserved all of the exclusi ..read more

At the beginning of the year, we named VIAL as one of our rising bands to watch. The indie-punk trio have more than exceeded our expectations, returning with their biting sophomore album, burnout, in March. Filled with soaring rippers that are both brilliantly queer and beg to be heard onstage, they have been making their live debut on the band’s headlining tour, which launched at the beginning of April. They also included two covers — Metric’s “Blank Sheep” and Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings” — for good measure. Sachyn Mital was up close during their stop at The Sultan Room in New York ..read more

Anthony Green, the Circa Survive/L.S. Dunes/Saosin/etc. leader that you voted the best post-hardcore vocalist of all time, has announced a new solo album. It’s called Doom. Spun., and it’s a sequel and companion to 2022’s excellent Boom. Done. It arrives June 26 via Born Losers Records (preorder), and the first single “Megadeath” is out now. Green says the following about the new song and album: The album is a collection of experimentation and collaboration, like a collage of moments from my life since Boom. Done. was released. I began building the record using some of the songs that did ..read more

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