Lancer Spirit Online

Thundercat’s ‘The Beyond’ a short, funky trip

Conor Battles, Editor-in-Chief, Arts & Entertainments Editor
August 5, 2015

From the reserved, low-and-slow churn of "Song for the Dead" to the relentlessly upbeat, poppy "Them Changes," Thundercat lets the groove do the talking.

Classic Review 8/5/15: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven’

Evaluating a post-rock landmark

Conor Battles, Editor-in-Chief, Arts & Entertainments Editor
August 5, 2015

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is perhaps the foremost post-rock band in the roughly two decades the subgenre has existed.

‘Honeybear’ an irony-soaked Americana sampler

Father John Misty scores one of the strongest releases of 2015

Conor Battles, Editor-in-Chief, Arts & Entertainments Editor
August 5, 2015

Tillman builds on the bluesy indie rock trappings of his debut as Father John, 2012's Fear Fun, incorporating country, jazz and folk to make what is essentially a hipster's revisionist history of American popular music.

‘Cherry Bomb’ fizzles

Tyler, the Creator's latest suffers from poor mixing, bland songwriting

Conor Battles, Editor-in-Chief, Arts & Entertainments Editor
April 15, 2015

A sizable roster of guest features is a new wrinkle to Tyler’s tried formula, and it does add quite a bit to the album, but it has the unfortunate effect of making his own work pale in comparison.

‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ an eclectic masterpiece

Conor Battles, Editor-in-Chief, Arts & Entertainments Editor
March 27, 2015

'good kid, m.A.A.d. city' was straight West Coast hip-hop; 'To Pimp a Butterfly' is 'Bitches Brew' by way of 'Maggot Brain' by way of 'All Eyez on Me.'

FlyLo’s ‘You’re Dead!’ a trippy voyage

Conor Battles, Editor-in-Chief, Arts & Entertainments Editor
October 27, 2014

'You’re Dead!' explores death of all kinds, delving primarily into what follows over the long, strange trip of the afterlife.