Made for the masses, and specifically for football fans, Most #WorldCup songs sound like AI slop, but there are some rare gems to be found, and we’ve got them.

Made for the masses, and specifically for football fans, Most #WorldCup songs sound like AI slop, but there are some rare gems to be found, and we’ve got them.

'Days of Ash' and 'Easter Lily' are the sound of U2 being their authentic selves in their best gatherings of songs since 'Achtung Baby'.

What's so striking about Ruth Garbus and her latest record is how musically adventurous, wondrous and revelatory it is in its maturity and self-acceptance. #PMPick

There is a beautifully down-to-earth aspect to Horse Lords' new LP, and they are confident in their signature sound while still finding ways to keep it fresh and unique. 'Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!' is out now.

While it includes some fresh autobiographical details, Niall Horan's 'Dinner Party' is a rehash of boy band tropes.

Director Boots Riley and critics interpret 'I Love Boosters' as an anti-capitalist, if not revolutionary, tale. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Pop Past (2018): Kill the clichés. Rebel artfully. Writer-director-musician BOOTS RILEY talks with PopMatters about empowering the power of Art.

Folk rock troubadour Leah Song from Rising Appalachia discusses her passion for combining music and activism, which led to a slot at the Hudson River Music Festival. – @gms111.bsky.social INTERVIEW: tinyurl.com/LeahSong26

15 YEARS AGO: Beyoncé Released the Disappointing '4' '4' isn't as surprising or forward-thinking as 'Dangerously in Love' or 'B'Day', but it's, for the most part, a fun listen at worst.

Jack White is not saving rock music in 2026. He is maintaining it and anchoring music in place instead of letting it drift through networks.

POP PAST (2019): The Velvet Underground’s ‘Grey Album’ and the Delineation of a Decade Blending garage rock convention and avant-garde abstraction, the Velvet Underground’s “Grey Album” denotes a transitional moment in the band’s brief but influential discography. READ: tinyurl.com/VUGrey

Beneath all the cacophony and chaos in 'Scimitarium II, Scimitar' are always in control, harnessing these expressions rather than being consumed by them.

On 'Novella', composer Tyler Sabbag conjures a wonderful, sun-kissed orchestral jazz vibe that’s just in time for summer. #PMPick

Like a walk through an old cemetery at twilight, Pictish Trail's 'Life Slime' is a dark but often lovely experience.

Olivia Rodrigo has always crafted her songs to leave her figuratively smiling and winking at her audience. She takes this skill to new heights on her latest LP. 'You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love' is a #PMPick out now.

Pop Past (2023): In 'The Velvet Underground' documentary, Todd Haynes shows the music catapulting across time and space to Andy Warhol’s Factory, where the alchemy worked its magic.

Among his many discoveries about the Velvet Underground, Richie Unterberger’s description of unheard tapes will have fans salivating. ‘Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground’ is out now via @omnibuspress.bsky.social

15 YEARS AGO: Ty Segall mastered the hard right turn with 'Goodbye Bread' 'Goodbye Bread' is the hazy sound of the next morning, when the faces around you show their true emotions and a newfound clarity.

20 YEARS AGO: Sonic Youth released 'Rather Ripped', their last album of the Geffen years. The story of Sonic Youth on Geffen is that of bohemian sound pioneers, influenced by contemporary artists, releasing their own version of rock music to the masses.

Under the Mukqs moniker, Max Allison keeps topping himself. 'Juckport' is another wild sonic ride from the forward-thinking @hausumountain.bsky.social. #PMPick

Americana artist Jenny Reynolds' story songs on 'Willow & Stone' keep things simple. Her lyrics wryly address our existential challenges with a nod to love as the redeemer. Out on Friday.

Progressive rock needs to constantly evolve, in keeping with the genre's title, to distinguish it from other blues variants. Yes continue to evolve. @yesofficial.bsky.social's 'Aurora' is a #PMPick.

Vince Staples comments on the injustices and genocidal tendencies baked into the US's DNA, striking a balance between satire, rant, and attunement to the tragic. 'Cry Baby' is a #PMPick out now via @lomavista.bsky.social

SLIFT tell us that the planet is on fire and the men with claws are dancing, but don’t sacrifice a decibel of their noise. ‘Fantasia’ is a small triumph of artistic discipline. #PMPick out today via @subpop.bsky.social

The Beatles’ disaster of a pop musical, quirky, farce, road trip fantasy film that became 'Magical Mystery Tour' begins with triumph.

The Street Photography Nature of Solo Improvisational Music Bill MacKay, Douglas McCombs, and Tashi Dorji’s improvisational music mirrors Garry Winogrand’s street photography.

A new piece by me for @popmatters.com exploring the act of solo improvisational musical performance through the lens of the photography of Garry Winogrand. It features insights and stories from guitarists Bill MacKay, Douglas Andrew McCombs, and Tashi Dorji www.popmatters.com/street-photo...

SLIFT tell us that the planet is on fire and the men with claws are dancing, but don’t sacrifice a decibel of their noise. ‘Fantasia’ is a small triumph of artistic discipline. #PMPick out today via @subpop.bsky.social

The 'World Cup 2026 Album' Puts Afrobeats at the Center Football is the world’s game because everyone can play it. The best moments on the Official FIFA #WorldCup 2026 Album understand that pop is, finally, the same.

Tabitha Meeks is vintage "Girl Power" in a 1960s Nancy Sinatra dress and white vinyl boots. Her "retro pop" is brand-new/second-hand, a merging of the old and the new. INTERVIEW: tinyurl.com/TabithaM26

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With 'Perfect Place', Irish folk-pop duo Lemoncello have achieved a feat of musical alchemy that should, must, bring them a much wider audience. #PMPick [9/10]

Brandon Seabrook's 'Hellbent Daydream' suggests the logic of dreams with a musical precision that is more caffeinated than gauzy. #jazz It sparkles with originality. #PMPick

Spirit Adrift's heavy metal core is set, unchanging, and fundamental, but around this origin point, the doom and thrash satellites can still orbit.

Shinedown's EI8HT is relentless fun—a rip-roaring good time for concert-goers, commuters, and rock fans who treasure substance and hard-won wisdom in their head-bangers. #PMPick

Tabitha Meeks is vintage "Girl Power" in a 1960s Nancy Sinatra dress and white vinyl boots. Her "retro pop" is brand-new/second-hand, a merging of the old and the new. INTERVIEW: tinyurl.com/TabithaM26

We need your help to continue publishing PopMatters. Signing up for a monthly or annual subscription will help us enormously.  You will get: No paywalls. No ads. Exclusive content. SUBSCRIBE: www.popmatters.com/subscribe

The Beatles’ disaster of a pop musical, quirky, farce, road trip fantasy film that became 'Magical Mystery Tour' begins with triumph.

INTERVIEW: Samantha Fish Discusses the Last Honest Noise In 2026, with AI-generated songs arriving by the truckload, Samantha Fish decided it might be the right moment to release a live album that leaves the seams showing. @rounderrecords.bsky.social READ: tinyurl.com/SamFish26

When Mars on Mars were in the studio with Lee "Scratch" Perry in late 2019, they didn't realize they were getting the last chance to capture his essence on tape. 'Spatial, No Problem' is out now via @dominorecordco.bsky.social

Camille Camille's 'Enchanted Sea' is a gentle and enchanting album. It's chanson disguised as folk, full of longing, like two lovers separated by sea.

Godthrymm's willingness to expand their palette on 'Projections', particularly through the more ethereal and progressive leanings of "Jewels", suggests new directions.

With 'Solstice', A.A. Williams cements her status as one of her generation's transcendent singers and further develops her persona as the tragic shero. #PMPick

Terry Nelson and C Company’s “Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley” is a shocking narrative written in defense of Lt. William Calley and his role in the My Lai Massacre. The song sold one million copies in less than a month.

Kane Parsons’ uncanny creeper, BACKROOMS, is a Borgesian labyrinth of thrilling yet ultimately disappointing potential. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The compilation celebrates and beautifully frames some of the music that kept people stepping lively in Egypt during the 1970s, 1980s, and even the 1990s. 'Ayam El Disco: Egyptian Disco, Boogie, and Jeel Cassettes of 1978-92' is out via @wewantsounds.bsky.social

With ROSES, Widowspeak further hone their songcraft while again offering entrancing soundscapes. Additionally, they flesh out their Americana proclivities. ROSES is out now via @capturedtracks.bsky.social

Seminal indie band Modest Mouse go independent for 'An Eraser and a Maze', delivering some stimulating statements alongside undercooked ideas. @modestmouseoffical.bsky.social

Mike Richmond doesn't leave us entirely in the dark. The almost hopeful moment arrives with "You Are Not Alone", which reframes solitude as a shared condition.