Stereogum — Sometimes, a perfect opening line will tell you, right away, everything you need to know about an album. Kurt Cobain on In Utero: "Teenage angst has paid off well / Now I'm bored and old." Elliott Smith on XO: "Cut this picture into you and me / Burn... more info

Obscure Sound — Based in North West London, Auld crafts electronic-minded pop in a brooding, alternative vein. Growing up influenced by the likes of Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Tom Waits, and Michael Stipe (and now finding admiration in ’80s pop and some modern hi... more info

Obscure Sound — “Something Here is Wrong” is a highlight off Evan Wright’s debut EP Spaghetti Western, a strong release that showcases the singer/songwriter’s beautiful folk-laden songwriting and lush vocals, which sit somewhere tonally between Sufjan Steven... more info

Topix — Last night's broadcast of the 90th Academy Awards featured a performance of "Mystery of Love" by Indie hero Sufjan Stevens that had many comparing it to Elliott Smith's unlikely fish-out-of-water appearance at the Oscars 20 years ago. Stevens... more info

Stereogum — Say what you will about the bloated pomp of the Oscars, but if they get Sufjan Stevens to perform with St. Vincent, Moses Sumney, Chris Thile on a national telecast, then they're doing something right. There's some precedent for this kind of indie un... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — In addition to her own great music, Julien Baker has a real knack for doing great covers and collaborations. Here are some of our favorites, including collabs with Manchester Orchestra, Frightened Rabbit, Sharon Van Etten, Touche Amore, and Ben Gibba... more info

Stereogum — Sufjan Stevens will get his Elliott Smith moment at this year's Oscars. 20 years ago, Smith, of course, had one of '90s indie rock's most transcendent cultural moments, when he performed "Miss Misery," his surprise Best Original Song nominee from the... more info

Stereogum — Big Star's tremulous 1972 classic "Thirteen" is a sort of rock-era standard; last year, our Gotcha Covered column looked at how artists ranging from Elliott Smith to Garbage to Girlpool have tried out their own versions of the song. Now that the Yeah... more info

Obscure Sound — “Goin’ Down” is a brand new track from Kyle Meadows, touting a serene melodic flow, with an aesthetic reminiscent of Kurt Vile and Elliott Smith. Previously featured with 2016 track “Low Time Call“, Meadows continues to refine his sound, s... more info

L.A. Times - Pop & Hiss — Starcrawler, “Starcrawler” (Rough Trade). The debut album from this young post-punk band arrives with a pedigree, but that’s hardly the only thing that the Arrow DeWilde-fronted group has going for it. The singer, who grew up among... more info