Gangstagrass occupies a lane that sounds unlikely on paper and surprisingly natural in practice. The collective blends bluegrass instrumentation with hip-hop rhythms, pairing banjo rolls and fiddle runs with sharp lyricism and boom-bap backbone.
With our music, I particularly like to be on the extremes of things. So if it's supposed to be pretty in your face, I like to be fairly in your face. And then at the same time, if it's kind of warm and gentle, I like that to be as warm and gentle as possible. I'm interested in those juxtapositions and making those, that's how we want it to come across.
Nothing is impossible. That was Susan Alcorn's assessment of the potential of the pedal steel guitar, the peculiar instrument that she made her own. Alcorn passed away at 71 in January 2025 as possibly the world's pre-eminent pedal steel player, driven by a vision to bring as much out of it as possible and, in doing so, to gracefully apprehend and interpret whatever music caught her interest.
They play punk-rock with streetwise clarity, melodic and high-velocity. Red's gravel-edged voice can pivot from defiant snarl to sultry clarity as the band draws from classic SoCal punk, power-pop, reggae and ska. Songs about addiction, fascism and fractured relationships arrive wrapped in bright harmonies and catchy choruses. It's political, hook-driven and unafraid to be both furious and fun.
"It was a happy coincidence that I ended up working on this project," says Bjarnason, whose classical background and past work with artists like Sigur Rós make him well-positioned to straddle the many genres of 'Lux.' "I come from classical music, but I've worked in pop and electronic music and even jazz, so it's easy for me to move from one world to the next."
FKA twigs continues to chart her own course as one of music's most daring genre shapeshifters. Following the release of her acclaimed 2025 album EUSEXUA, the English singer, songwriter, and multidisciplinary artist is preparing to unveil its deluxe counterpart, Afterglow, on November 14. To build anticipation, she has shared a new single titled "Cheap Hotel," a track that perfectly encapsulates her talent for weaving disparate influences into something seamless, fresh, and emotionally resonant.
Onstage, Manchester four-piece Maruja conduct a series of distinct rituals. Like Moses commanding the Red Sea, sax player Joseph Carroll might gesture for the crowd to part down the middle, then join them to kick off the first song. Singer and guitarist Harry Wilkinson will peel off his shirt and pump through a few pushups at the top of "Break the Tension." Drummer Jacob Hayes and bassist Matt Buonaccorsi may wave their arms in slow motion, like mediums leading a seance.
Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso's Tiny Desk Concert has turned them into global sensations, racking up 36 million views and earning acclaim as the future of music.
XENIA's music reflects a unique sonic identity, merging genres that explore dreamlike states and everyday emotions, showcasing her evolution from underground composer to festival star.
