Beach House: Sparks

Beach House have kept fans patiently waiting since their 2012 album Bloom, and today the dreamy Baltimore alt-rock duo released their first single off of Depression Cherry, out next month. “Sparks” is a chaotic synergy of vocal loops and unexpected chord progressions that resolves towards the end, as the song refines into Beach House’s now instantly recognizable tone. Complex, rough and stormy, “Sparks” awakens something …

Situations That Actually “Smell Fishy” Bolster Critical Thinking

Aside from making people feel more suspicious, situations that literally “smell fishy” may actually increase critical thinking. In a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers tested this hypothesis by splitting a group of participants into two booths—one of the two sprayed with a fish scent—and asked participants one question: “How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the …

Interview: The Black Lips on Stage Presence

Talking with the band before their Festival d'été de Québec performance

It’s difficult to affix a genre to the type of music made by the Black Lips. There are elements of punk and garage rock; there’s potency and power—and an immediacy. But at the core, a lot of their tracks are just plain fun. While it may be tricky to place them in a musical box, there’s one thing that’s very easy to understand about the …