Get 50% Off the Last Great Indie Music Print Magazine – Just $2.49 an Issue

May 05, 2025 Mark Redfern

Under the Radar is the indie music print magazine that refuses to die. While many of our peers have shut down or gone digital-only, we’re still here—still in print, still 100% independent, and still without billionaire backing. Right now, print subscriptions are 50% off: in the U.S. just $9.99 for four issues, or $2.49 each (compared to our $7.99 newsstand price). Canadian and international four-issue subscriptions are also 50% off.

Lael Neale on “Altogether Stranger” and Seeing Both Sides

May 02, 2025 Web Exclusive

Releasing her third album on Sub Pop in five years, Lael Neale reflects that each of the records she has put out on the label has been a reaction to living in or living away from Los Angeles.

Samia on “Bloodless”

Apr 28, 2025 Web Exclusive

Acclaimed indie artist Samia Finnerty (who releases music simply under her first name) found an unusual creative guiding light in the quiet spaces between presence and absence. Her latest album, the spellbinding Bloodless, explores how what’s missing can take on an outsized presence in our minds.

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

Manic Street Preachers @ O2 Apollo, Manchester, UK, May 3, 2025

May 06, 2025 By Dom Gourlay

Manic Street Preachers brought their sold out “Critical Thinking” tour to Manchester last weekend with support from Honeyglaze

Get 50% Off the Last Great Indie Music Print Magazine – Just $2.49 an Issue

May 05, 2025 By Mark Redfern

Under the Radar is the indie music print magazine that refuses to die. While many of our peers have shut down or gone digital-only, we’re still here—still in print, still 100% independent, and still without billionaire backing. Right now, print subscriptions are 50% off: in the U.S. just $9.99 for four issues, or $2.49 each (compared to our $7.99 newsstand price). Canadian and international four-issue subscriptions are also 50% off.