News
The Lamb Out Now via Hardly Art
Sep 28, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Lala Lala is the project of Chicago-based Lillie West. Her new album, The Lamb, came out today via Hardly Art and it's our Album of the Week. In his review for Under the Radar, our writer Timothy Michalik declared The Lamb "perhaps one of this year's finest indie rock records to come out of Chicago, if not the country." More
Plus Cat Power, Wild Nothing, Still Corners, Mitski, Madeline Kenney, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Weeks' Other Notable New Tracks
Aug 17, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
We took a break from Songs of the Week last week due to a little vacation by our publishers. So this week we are compiling the best songs of the last two weeks. Hence we couldn't contain the list to our usual Top 10, although we didn't do too badly, only expanding to a Top 11 and a few more honorable mentions than usual. More
Plus Metric, Joey Dosik, Underworld & Iggy Pop, Still Corners, and a Wrap-up of the Week's Other Notable New Tracks
Jul 27, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
There was a trend this week for artists to share two songs at once, rather than just one. We saw it with Blood Orange, Trevor Powers, Elvis Costello, Jungle, Cornershop, and Fucked Up (and Pussy Riot released three songs this week). In cases where the artist made our main best songs list we tried to pick just one song, although that proved challenging with our #1. More
Plus Father John Misty, Jim James, Wooden Shjips, Amber Arcades, and a Wrap-up of the Last Two Weeks’ Other Notable New Tracks
Apr 27, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
We skipped Songs of the Week last week because we were kind of on vacation, so this week's post encompasses songs from the last two weeks. And that's just as well, because this week was light on new tracks, whereas last week was fairly strong (only three of our Top 10 are songs from this week). More
European Heartbreak Due Out September 28 via Heavenly
Apr 23, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Amber Arcades, the project of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, has announced her sophomore album, European Heartbreak, and shared a video for its first single (and opening track), "Simple Song." More
Semicircle Due Out January 19, 2018 via Memphis Industries, Album Features Amber Arcades
Oct 11, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
British sample-wizards The Go! Team have announced a new album, Semicircle, and shared its first single, "Semicircle Song." Semicircle is due out January 18 via Memphis Industries. The album features two key members of the original live band lineup that toured the band's acclaimed debut album, 2004's Thunder, Lightning, Strike. More
Cannonball EP Due Out June 2 via Heavenly
May 15, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
Amber Arcades, the project of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, released her fantastic debut album, Fading Lines, last June via Heavenly. It made our Top 100 Albums of 2016 list. On June 2 she is releasing a new 5-song EP, Cannonball, also via Heavenly. More
Cannonball EP Due Out June 2 via Heavenly
Apr 26, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
Amber Arcades, the project of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, released her fantastic debut album, Fading Lines, last June via Heavenly. More
Fading Lines Out Now via Heavenly, New EP on the Way
Feb 06, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
Amber Arcades, the project of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, released her fantastic debut album, Fading Lines, last June via Heavenly. It made our Top 100 Albums of 2016 list. Now she has shared a propulsive brand new song, "It Changes." More
Select Protest Signs Still Available to Bid On, Help Us Donate to the American Cancer Society - Everything Everything, Fear of Men, Amber Arcades, and More
Nov 02, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Under the Radar's one-week Protest Auction for the American Cancer Society ended last week and was a complete success. But as happens every time we do a protest sign auction, a handful of signs didn't sell for whatever reason. More
Select Protest Signs Still Available, Help Us Donate to the American Cancer Society - Everything Everything, Fear of Men, Amber Arcades, and More
Oct 28, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Under the Radar's one-week Protest Auction for the American Cancer Society ended on Tuesday and was a complete success. But as happens every time we do a protest sign auction, a handful of signs didn't sell for whatever reason. So we have relisted them. You have until next Wednesday, November 2, at 3 PM eastern to bid on the signs by Perfect Pussy, Wild Beasts, Everything Everything, Fear of Men, Amber Arcades, Cullen Omori, and Younghusband. Also still up for grabs is a signed vinyl copy of How to Dress Well's latest album, Care. More
Fading Lines Out Now via Heavenly
Oct 24, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Amber Arcades, the project of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, released her debut album, Fading Lines, on back in June via Heavenly. Now she has shared a cover of Nick Drake's "Which Will," from his 1972 classic Pink Moon. More
Fading Lines Out Now via Heavenly
Aug 09, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Amber Arcades, the project of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, released her debut album, Fading Lines, on back in June via Heavenly. Now she has shared a video for album highlight "Turning Light." Jeroen van der Poel directed the clip, which features de Graaf dancing in slow motion. More
Issue 57 Also Includes Interview with Lush, Primal Scream, John Carpenter, Frightened Rabbit, Underworld, Yeasayer, Frankie Cosmos, Julien Baker, Cat's Eyes, School of Seven Bells, Parquet Courts, Fear of Men, Minor Victories, Kevin Morby, and More
May 06, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Under the Radar is excited to announce the full details of our May/June 2016 issue (out May, June, and into July), which has shipped out to subscribers and stores and will be on all newsstands soon. It will also soon be available digitally via Under the Radar's app, and the magazine apps Zinio, Readly, and Readbug. The issue features M83 on the cover. More
Fading Lines Due Out June 3 via Heavenly
May 03, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Amber Arcades, the project of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, is releasing her debut album, Fading Lines, on June 3 via Heavenly. Now she has shared a video for the album's title track (previously she had shared the audio). It features a parachutist going in reverse, falling upwards. More
Fading Lines Out June 3rd on Heavenly Recordings
Apr 13, 2016
By Joshua M. Miller
Amber Arcades - the moniker of Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf - have announced their debut album Fading Lines will be released June 3rd and shared the title track. More
Interviews
De Graaf on 2017's Best Albums, the "Me Too" Movement and Sexual Harassment, Bad Dates, Trump, and Music Critics
Jan 17, 2018
By Mark Redfern
For Under the Radar's 15th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to the last year. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2017 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions. More
De Graaf on 2016's Best Albums, Trump and the Election, First Kisses, Self-Driving Cars, and Scary Movies
Jan 24, 2017
By Mark Redfern
For Under the Radar's 14th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2016. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2016 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions. Here are some answers from Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf, who records as Amber Arcades. More
Jul 06, 2016
By Aug Stone
"I was reading Carl Jung's Synchronicity while writing a lot of the songs," Annelotte de Graaf aka Amber Arcades explains. "It's a cool book. In theory, the power of positive thinking is a very nice idea—shaping your own life—but I also can't help being a little cynical towards it. More
Reviews
European Heartbreak
Heavenly
Oct 08, 2018
By Matt the Raven
Amber Arcades seemed to be on a trajectory to indie rock fame, building a reputation with a satisfying mix of dream pop and motor driven guitar pop over a couple of EPs and 2016's LP Fading Lines. Less of a band and more of a solo project of Dutch singer/songwriter Annelotte de Graaf, Amber Arcades has now veered off target.
Jun 28, 2017
By Matt the Raven
It's usually a bad sign when the best song on your new EP is a cover tune. And it's even worse if that song is the opening track. But Amber Arcades' version of Nick Drake's "Which Will" fits so well within their archetypical dream twee sound that there is no drop off with the four tracks that follow. More
May 27, 2016
By David Edwards
Amber Arcades—the thrilling and delectable project of Dutch artist Annelotte de Graaf-—revel in the ability to combine textures, sounds, and colors together to create dream-like sounds and sequences; but forever being driven along by a pop heartbeat. More