Norwegian quartet Pom Poko create art-punk which combines prog intricacy, rich production, and jazz improvisation to create unexpectedly poppy, emotionally resonant songs which amply reward repeat listens.

British singer-songwriter Katy J Pearson channels Americana and sunny 70s rock to create her own charming brand of indie pop. We discuss her debut record, "Return," in episode #140 of "For the Record." For all the past episodes, visit ForTheRecordPodcast.

Disheveled Cuss is the new, more accessible side project of Tera Melos’ inventive and talented guitarist Nick Reinhart, and delivers a satisfying twist on your favorite 90s tropes. We discuss their self-titled debut record in-depth in episode #139.

With an electrifying voice and an eclectic mash-up of genres, Bartees Strange leads us into the dark COVID winter with what may be the best record of 2020. We discuss his debut LP, "Live Forever," in-depth in episode #138 of "For the Record."

Beabadoobee has a very 2020 story, and her pop-oriented take on 90s indie rock made her just the right artist to talk about this week. We discuss her debut LP, "Fake it Flowers," in-depth in episode #137 of "For the Record." For all the past episodes, vis

Future Islands' sixth album, "As Long As You Are," is an earnest, emotionally-complex voyage into synth-pop that's worth a listen. We discuss it in-depth in episode #136 of "For the Record." For all the past episodes, visit ForTheRecordPodcast.com.

Arcade Fire keyboardist Will Butler's second studio album is the perfect soundtrack to 2020: Honest about despair, able to find joy in resilience, and all along, grappling with what our responsibilities are to this moment in history.

Boston-based trio Krill quit making music in 2015, as all three members pursued opportunities outside of music, but have now returned (and added a fourth member) as Knot. We discuss their self-titled debut in episode #134 of "For the Record."

Australian singer-songwriter Alex the Astronaut has released her debut record of genuine, charming, upbeat folk-pop that is just the sort of music we need to be singing along with right now. We discuss "The Theory of Absolutely Nothing" on episode #133.

Dublin's Fontaines D.C. avoid the sophomore slump with an album of energetic, unsettling post-punk. We discuss "A Hero's Death" on episode #132 of "For the Record." For all the past episodes, visit ForTheRecordPodcast.com.