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Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alex G's ‘Headlights' Is a Low-Key Gem in a Catalog Full of 'Em
Hitting play on a new Alex G album can feel a little bit like that sequence in Alan Moore's Watchmen comics where Doctor Manhattan sits on a rock on Mars, pondering the nature of time. It's 2014. I'm listening to an oddly moving song that Alex G recorded by himself in a small room in Philadelphia… It's 2019. I'm listening to an oddly moving song that Alex G recorded by himself in a slightly bigger room in Philadelphia… It's 2022. I'm listening to an oddly moving song that Alex G recorded by himself in yet another room in yet another part of Philadelphia… It's 2025. That brings us to Headlights, the indie-rock hero's tenth album, and his first for RCA Records. There was a time — let's call it the Nineties — when an artist like Alex Giannascoli signing to a major label would have felt like a seismic shift, complete with passionate arguments both pro and con in photocopied zines across the land. But that world is long gone, thanks in part to the revolution that Giannascoli and his generation of DIY auteurs led in the 2010s. He was one of the first and finest acts to break through to a national audience by posting his home-recorded music straight to Bandcamp starting in his teens. By the time publications like Rolling Stone began writing about him, he was already four years and several albums deep into a catalog full of low-key profundity. More from Rolling Stone Alex G Announces New Album 'Headlights,' Shares First Track, 'Afterlife' Alex G Unveils 2025 North American Tour Dates Jack White, Cigarettes After Sex, Alex G Lead Desert Daze 2024 He hasn't veered far from that course in the decade-plus since then, and why should he? His tried-and-true methods haven't stopped yielding uncannily compelling results, no matter the size of the label releasing them. Find a seat on that Martian landscape and pop on some headphones for Headlights, and you'll be greeted by the chiming chords and quiet wisdom of 'June Guitar.' 'Love ain't for the young, anyhow/Something that you learn from falling down,' Giannascoli sings in one of many choruses you'll find echoing through your gauziest daydreams for years to come. He's the only musician credited on that song — playing acoustic guitar, bass, drums, and what sounds like a harmonium, with longtime co-producer Jacob Portrait behind the boards — and his ability to create a sound this magical and lived-in that way remains remarkable, like whole histories of folk and rock music are expressing themselves through this one chill guy. His live bandmates have even less presence on this album than usual, appearing on just one track, the energetic closing singalong 'Logan Hotel (Live)' (which he has admitted is 'basically a studio song' despite that subtitle). Otherwise, this is Alex being Alex. There's some back-porch strumming, some ambiguous yet powerful imagery, and an occasional splash of vocal processing, all presented with an appealing, off-the-cuff looseness. On the casually tuneful 'Real Thing,' he opens with a couple of verses that sound like honest reflections of his (or someone's) life — 'Hoping I can make it through to April/On whatever's left of all this label cash' — before lapsing into a wordless coda. On 'Is It Still You in There?' he lets a trio of guest singers including Molly Germer, his partner of many years, deliver his words of eerie self-interrogation: 'Has your wish come true?/Is there nothing left between the world and you?' And despite those hints of doubt elsewhere on the record, songs like the warm, nostalgic 'Oranges' and the bright, bluegrass-tinged 'Afterlife' are up there with his most life-affirming exaltations. The bottom line is the same as it's always been: You either find this stuff brilliant or you don't. The number of people who do now includes enough true believers to fill many large theaters, as well as celebrity fans like Halsey and Frank Ocean (both of whom have tapped him as a session guitarist, as he's no doubt tired of being asked about in interviews). Alex G's cult audience has never been bigger or more welcoming. Whether you've been riding with him for years or you're thinking of joining up today, Headlights is an album that won't make you regret that choice. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Hamilton Spectator
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Music Review: Cult hero Alex G's ‘Headlights' is an introspective meditation on fame
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fame is a double-edge sword. Though it comes with obvious perks — money, opportunity, praise — it can also prompt a kind of existential reckoning. Now what? Is this all there is? Am I changed because of it and, if so, for better or for worse? This is the kind of wrestling Alex Giannascoli, better known as the influential indie rocker Alex G, performs on 'Headlights,' his 10th album and first on a major label. 'Has your wish come true?' he asks, perhaps of himself, on the aptly titled 'Is It Still You In There?' Although Giannascoli achieved quiet success early in his career — collaborating with Frank Ocean on his critically acclaimed 2016 album 'Blonde ' and joining the R&B superstar on tour — Giannascoli has, until recently, been more frequently labeled a cult indie figure than a household name. But the 32-year-old has risen to prominence in recent years, particularly after his 2022 album, 'God Save the Animals,' which marked a distinct shift from his austere, lo-fi sound to more robust production and instrumentation. He has since collaborated with the pop star Halsey on her latest record and scored filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun's A24 horror hit, 'I Saw the TV Glow.' That trajectory informs Giannascoli's contemplative poignancy on 'Headlights,' releasing Friday. 'Some things I do for love / Some things I do for money / It ain't like I don't want it / It ain't like I'm above it,' he admits on the 'Beam Me Up,' his whirring guitars strumming mesmerizingly against airy background vocals. Many of his lyrics here, like in the past, are poetically inscrutable. But there are also moments of explicit frankness about ambition, self-doubt, transition and success. 'Hoping I can make it through to April / On whatever's left of all this label cash / No I never thought I was the real thing,' he croons on 'Real Thing,' as a pan flute synthesizer whistles underneath him. With 'Headlights,' Giannascoli continues further down his 'God Save the Animals' sonic pivot to higher fidelity — perhaps to be expected on an album coming from a major label like RCA Records — recording in studios in lieu of his home for a more ornate sound. Think dreamy synths and reverb-soaked riffs. Subdued lyrics and a distorted guitar solo almost turn 'Louisiana' into a shoegaze track. 'Louisiana / Wild and Free / The only one who wanted me,' he repeats with distorted vocals. If there is a central message to 'Headlights,' it appears on the song 'Bounce Boy.' 'I'm up in the clouds and I pray,' he sings with pitched-up vocals, one of his signature effects. 'Say goodbye / To the life / That you knew for so long.' For better or for worse, there is no turning back.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kesha Makes Chart-Topping Debut With New Album ‘. (Period)'
Kesha's new studio album . (Period) makes its mark on Billboard's charts, as the set debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums and Top Dance Albums (chart dated July 19). . (Period) is her first independently released album after a career with Kemosabe/RCA Records. The set was issued through the singer's own Kesha Records label and distributed by Warner Music Group's indie distribution arm Alternative Distribution Alliance. All charts dated July 19 will be posted in full to Billboard's website on July 15. More from Billboard Rauw Alejandro Gains Big: 'Carita Linda' Takes No. 1 Spot on Latin Airplay Chart Pusha T on Drake's 'What Did I Miss?': 'Just Not for Me' Travis Scott Gets Inked With a Tiger Tattoo in Eerie 'DUMBO' Video: Watch With . (Period)'s debut at No. 1 on Top Album Sales, it marks the singer-songwriter's first No. 1 on the ranking since 2017's Rainbow, and third leader overall. She also topped the chart with her debut effort, 2010's Animal. Overall, . (Period) marks her fifth top 10 on the ranking. . (Period) also debuts at No. 3 on Indie Store Album Sales, No. 3 on Independent Albums and No. 17 on the overall Billboard 200. On the latter, it's her seventh top 40-charted album. In its first week of release . (Period) earned 23,000 equivalent album units in the United States, in the tracking week ending July 10, according to Luminate. Of that sum, traditional album sales comprise 15,500, with vinyl purchases totaling nearly 11,000 (her best sales week ever on vinyl). The album was issued across seven vinyl variants, including two signed editions. Equivalent album units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. On the Top Album Sales chart, Kesha is one of just two debuts in the top 10. KATSEYE's BEAUTIFUL CHAOS holds at No. 2 (12,000 sold; down 59% in its second week), while the rest of the top six titles are former No. 1s. Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet jumps 19-3 (9,000; up 71% after the release of a new vinyl variant), ENHYPEN's DESIRE : UNLEASH rises 8-4 (8,000; down 19%), Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem climbs 11-5 (7,000; down 12%) and Lorde's Virgin falls 1-6 (6,500; down 84% in its second week). Vulfpeck notches its best sales week ever and first top 10 as Clarity of Cal debuts at No. 7 with 6,500 – nearly all from vinyl purchases. Pressed in just one edition, the set also starts at No. 3 on the Vinyl Albums chart. Rounding out the rest of the top 10 on the Top Album Sales chart: Barbra Streisand's The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two falls 4-8 (just over 4,000; down 77% in its second week), the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack jumps 21-9 (a little more than 4,000; down 6%) and Charli xcx's Brat bounds 45-10 (4,000; up 72% after a new CD variant was released). Billboard's Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The Vinyl Albums and Indie Store Album Sales charts rank the week's top-sellers on vinyl, and at indie and small chain record stores, respectively. The Top Dance Albums, Independent Albums and the Billboard 200 rank the week's most popular dance, independent and overall albums, by equivalent album units earned, respectively. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Hindustan Times
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Music Review: Cult hero Alex G's 'Headlights' is an introspective meditation on fame
LOS ANGELES — Fame is a double-edge sword. Though it comes with obvious perks — money, opportunity, praise — it can also prompt a kind of existential reckoning. Now what? Is this all there is? Am I changed because of it and, if so, for better or for worse? Music Review: Cult hero Alex G's 'Headlights' is an introspective meditation on fame This is the kind of wrestling Alex Giannascoli, better known as the influential indie rocker Alex G, performs on 'Headlights,' his 10th album and first on a major label. 'Has your wish come true?' he asks, perhaps of himself, on the aptly titled 'Is It Still You In There?' Although Giannascoli achieved quiet success early in his career — collaborating with Frank Ocean on his critically acclaimed 2016 album 'Blonde ' and joining the R&B superstar on tour — Giannascoli has, until recently, been more frequently labeled a cult indie figure than a household name. But the 32-year-old has risen to prominence in recent years, particularly after his 2022 album, 'God Save the Animals,' which marked a distinct shift from his austere, lo-fi sound to more robust production and instrumentation. He has since collaborated with the pop star Halsey on her latest record and scored filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun's A24 horror hit, 'I Saw the TV Glow.' That trajectory informs Giannascoli's contemplative poignancy on 'Headlights,' releasing Friday. 'Some things I do for love / Some things I do for money / It ain't like I don't want it / It ain't like I'm above it,' he admits on the 'Beam Me Up,' his whirring guitars strumming mesmerizingly against airy background vocals. Many of his lyrics here, like in the past, are poetically inscrutable. But there are also moments of explicit frankness about ambition, self-doubt, transition and success. 'Hoping I can make it through to April / On whatever's left of all this label cash / No I never thought I was the real thing,' he croons on 'Real Thing,' as a pan flute synthesizer whistles underneath him. With 'Headlights,' Giannascoli continues further down his 'God Save the Animals' sonic pivot to higher fidelity — perhaps to be expected on an album coming from a major label like RCA Records — recording in studios in lieu of his home for a more ornate sound. Think dreamy synths and reverb-soaked riffs. Subdued lyrics and a distorted guitar solo almost turn 'Louisiana' into a shoegaze track. 'Louisiana / Wild and Free / The only one who wanted me,' he repeats with distorted vocals. If there is a central message to 'Headlights,' it appears on the song 'Bounce Boy.' 'I'm up in the clouds and I pray,' he sings with pitched-up vocals, one of his signature effects. 'Say goodbye / To the life / That you knew for so long.' For better or for worse, there is no turning back. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
San Francisco Chronicle
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Music Review: Cult hero Alex G's 'Headlights' is an introspective meditation on fame
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fame is a double-edge sword. Though it comes with obvious perks — money, opportunity, praise — it can also prompt a kind of existential reckoning. Now what? Is this all there is? Am I changed because of it and, if so, for better or for worse? This is the kind of wrestling Alex Giannascoli, better known as the influential indie rocker Alex G, performs on 'Headlights,' his 10th album and first on a major label. 'Has your wish come true?' he asks, perhaps of himself, on the aptly titled 'Is It Still You In There?' Although Giannascoli achieved quiet success early in his career — collaborating with Frank Ocean on his critically acclaimed 2016 album 'Blonde ' and joining the R&B superstar on tour — Giannascoli has, until recently, been more frequently labeled a cult indie figure than a household name. But the 32-year-old has risen to prominence in recent years, particularly after his 2022 album, 'God Save the Animals,' which marked a distinct shift from his austere, lo-fi sound to more robust production and instrumentation. He has since collaborated with the pop star Halsey on her latest record and scored filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun's A24 horror hit, 'I Saw the TV Glow.' That trajectory informs Giannascoli's contemplative poignancy on 'Headlights,' releasing Friday. 'Some things I do for love / Some things I do for money / It ain't like I don't want it / It ain't like I'm above it,' he admits on the 'Beam Me Up,' his whirring guitars strumming mesmerizingly against airy background vocals. Many of his lyrics here, like in the past, are poetically inscrutable. But there are also moments of explicit frankness about ambition, self-doubt, transition and success. 'Hoping I can make it through to April / On whatever's left of all this label cash / No I never thought I was the real thing,' he croons on 'Real Thing,' as a pan flute synthesizer whistles underneath him. With 'Headlights,' Giannascoli continues further down his 'God Save the Animals' sonic pivot to higher fidelity — perhaps to be expected on an album coming from a major label like RCA Records — recording in studios in lieu of his home for a more ornate sound. Think dreamy synths and reverb-soaked riffs. Subdued lyrics and a distorted guitar solo almost turn 'Louisiana' into a shoegaze track. 'Louisiana / Wild and Free / The only one who wanted me,' he repeats with distorted vocals. If there is a central message to 'Headlights,' it appears on the song 'Bounce Boy.' 'I'm up in the clouds and I pray,' he sings with pitched-up vocals, one of his signature effects. 'Say goodbye / To the life / That you knew for so long.' For better or for worse, there is no turning back.
