10 Best Songs of the Week: Tunde Adebimpe, Fontaines D.C., Goon, illuminati hotties, and More

Apr 18, 2025 Mark Redfern (with Andy Von Pip)

Welcome to the 12th Songs of the Week of 2025. This week Andy Von Pip, Caleb Campbell, Marina Mallin, Matt the Raven, and Scotty Dransfield helped me decide what should make the list. We considered over 25 songs and narrowed it down to a Top 10.

Digital Cover Story: Djo on “The Crux”

Apr 07, 2025 Web Exclusive

When the rollout for Joe Keery’s debut album Twenty Twenty began in 2019, one thing became very clear: This was not Joe Keery the actor, whose arc from bully to babysitter on Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things garnered adoring fans the world over. Nor was this Joe Keery the guitarist from Chicago psych-rock band Post Animal, whose debut album had just been released on Polyvinyl the year before. No, this was Djo, Keery but not Keery, mustachioed and disguised in sunglasses and a goofy wig.

Florist on “Jellywish”

Apr 11, 2025 Web Exclusive

Florist’s music creates a safe sanctuary with its rare kind of tenderness, intimacy, and deeply human quality. Since emerging with their 2016 debut, The Birds Outside Sang, the project led by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emily Sprague has gently guided listeners through grief, growth, and the natural world.

Montreal’s DVTR on “Live Aux Foufs”

Apr 16, 2025 Web Exclusive

Montreal duo DVTR release a live album this month (April 2025) entitled “Live Aux Foufs”, so Under the Radar caught up with the two main protagonists Demi Lune and Jean Divorce

Seven Music Documentary Films and Series From the Second Half of 2024 to Watch (and Three To Skip)

Jan 08, 2025

Halfway through 2024, we published a list of “Seven Music Documentary Films and Series From 2024 to Watch (and Three to Skip).” Another glut of music documentaries and series have been released since then including the superstar projects Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words (Prime Video), Luther: Never Too Much (CNN), Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken (Paramount+), Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (Hulu), Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour (Netflix), Elton John: Never Too Late (Disney+) and Yoshiki: Under the Sky (On Demand). If there is one takeaway from the overabundance of the biographical documentaries, it is that it’s best if the subject is not involved. The micromanaging of their story leaves viewers with a manicured and surface-level experience of the artist.

Although, the artist’s complete removal from the process can make a documentary spin into tabloid territory. There’s a lot of scandal on tap. Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter (Max) is the traumatic story of mental illness and sexual assault. While the latter is horrifying, the litigation is still underway. Why are the survivors on film talking about their experiences? Speaking of survivors, IMPACT x Nightline: Diddy’s Downfall (Hulu) is equally horrific and a far more disgusting explanation of the recent uncovering of Sean Combs’ abusive, and illegal actions during his entire time in the spotlight. Secret Life of Diddy: A Special Edition of 20/20 (Hulu) covers the exact same ground with many of the same talking heads journalists and individuals. On the positive side of hip hop, Tale of the Tape (Tubi) explores the world of mixtapes, the skill involved in making them, their impact on the culture and the legends of that scene. While the homemade quality of this short but deep unpacking is charming, it only speaks to people in that space and doesn’t go far in educating the uninitiated.

A brave director with a strong grasp on storytelling can create a compelling product that draws you in, whether or not you are interested in the artist or topic. But it feels like there is a positive correlation between the number of music documentaries released and how many of them aren’t worth pressing play on. Here are seven from the second half of 2024 that are worth watching and three not so much.—By Lily Moayeri

The Libertines @ The Enmore Theatre, Sydney, Australia, April 13, 2025

Apr 16, 2025 By Celine Teo-Blockey

The Libertines brought their “All’s Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade” tour to The Enmore Theatre in Sydney with support from Reverend And The Makers

Get 30% Off Subscriptions to the Last Great Indie Rock Print Magazine

Feb 21, 2025 By Mark Redfern

Subscribe to the last great American indie rock print magazine! We’re aiming to sign up 600 new or renewed subscribers in the next three months, and to help make that happen, we’re offering 30% off all print subscriptions.