Jams and Tea

For this week's reviews we're setting our sights on two of the biggest double albums of recent memory, Cindy Lee's titanic and masterful Diamond Jubilee (Ryley's album of the year so far), and of course, Taylor Swift's divisive, maligned, but meticulous The Tortured Poets Department, which may be her most insular record yet. There's a lot to unpack with both, especially the...

A conversation about the pop culture event of the year so far.

For this week's video, we're breaking down 15 of our all-time favorite one-hit wonder songs; songs which were the sole hit to chart in the upper echelons of the Billboard Hot 100 for their artist, but which have left a lasting impression on pop culture, from their era of release to the present day. Some are more remembered than others, and you may find a few hot takes in our picks today, b...

We're back after a short hiatus to review two critically acclaimed and much-discussed recent releases: the second instalment in Beyoncé's Renaissance trilogy, COWBOY CARTER, and Vampire Weekend's full-band return for the first time in over a decade with ONLY GOD WAS ABOVE US. Join us to hear what we think of these records, and let us know your own takes in the comments on YouTube ! 0:0...

Today we catch up on a couple of major album releases from back in January with reviews of the new album from Green Day, SAVIORS, and the new album from Glass Beach, PLASTIC DEATH. We also discuss our predictions for the upcoming Oscars, a much-discussed new song from Ice Spice, and some more regrettable music from Tom MacDonald (with Ben Shapiro) and Lil Dicky. Let us know what you've been li...

There is a lot of great art to look forward to this year, and so today Morgan counts down his most anticipated games of 2024 before Jake and Ryley get into the records they're most excited to review - some confirmed, some still only rumored. Let us know what you're looking forward to this year! 0:00 Intro 1:00 Most Anticipated Games of 2024 - 1:36 HOLLOW KNIGHT SILKSONG WHEN - 4:29 Dragon&...

After the conclusion of list season and a break, we're back to our regular programming with an update of some of January's biggest music news and releases. Join us as we discuss what Pitchfork being absolved into GQ means for music journalism, the importance of the music review, new singles from Ariana Grande, Lil Nas X, and Kim Gordon, and new albums from Kali Uchis, Kid Cudi, and Hoplite...

List season kicks off with a countdown of 20 of the most overlooked albums we've fallen in love with throughout this year. Watch along to get some recommendations for great records you might not have heard, some from under the radar artists deserving of more shine, and some from established acts who are less in the conversation now but still putting out their best work. Let us know what you th...

Today we have our last pair of full album reviews for the year, and they're both brilliant: Peter Gabriel's long-awaited and ambitiously rolled-out return with the conceptual, massive, and multi-mixed i/o, and atmospheric black metal act Panopticon's return with the hellish and soaring THE RIME OF MEMORY. Let us know what you thought of either of these albums in the comments on YouTube...

We're back with a fresh report on some of the latest music releases including big albums from André 3000 and Danny Brown, a brilliant collaborative single from Björk & Rosalía, and new songs from Beyoncé and Dua Lipa. We also pay tribute to the late Geordie Walker with a discussion of Killing Joke's impressive longevity, and shout out some unexpected covers from spiritual jazz-inflecte...

For Record Club this week, Jake, Morgan, and Ryley are joined by regular guest Connor to discuss pop-punk stalwarts Blink-182's classic and beloved self-titled album, why it represented a pivotal shift for the band, and ultimately the endpoint of their creative evolution. We debate the merits of I Miss You at length and discuss how the band's desire to be taken seriously prompted many of t...

We are back for Thanksgiving weekend giving thanks to one of hip-hop's most renowned and astonishing wordsmiths, the incomparable Aesop Rock, whose depth extends far beyond the reductive laurels of 'rap's densest wordsmith' to showcase a storytelling skill and an effervescent, irresistible personality that makes him one of the most lovable rappers working today. He has a long and s...

With the advent of the latest Taylor's Version release encompassing her biggest-selling record and commercial zenith 1989, Jake and Ryley are joined by resident Swiftie Rhiannon to break down one of the pop juggernauts of the 2010s, and the album that made Taylor Swift utterly inescapable. But how does it hold up? Why was it so successful? What makes it so different from her other records, and...

This week we're back with a run-down of some of the most interesting and exciting music of recent weeks - first off we talk about the much-discussed "final song" from The Beatles, Now and Then, along with its bizarre music video. We go deep on King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's pivot into progressive electronica with the dazzling THE SILVER CORD, Ryley recaps the masterful new...

We're back with two fresh new album breakdowns today, and the star of the show is the Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, formerly known as Lingua Ignota, whose new album SAVED! is a fascinating and discomforting exploration of the tradition of the Christian hymnal, and a perfect playground for Hayter's continued explorations of the suffering and salvation that faith can bring. We also talk a...

Today Jake and Ryley are back to break down some notable new music releases including new singles from Everything Everything, Chelsea Wolfe, and Danny Brown, plus full albums from Jane Remover and The Menzingers (the latter with Morgan!), an update from Ryley on our long-running struggle with IDLES as they gear up to release a new album, the 10th anniversary of Sky Ferreira's Night Time My Tim...

Today Jake and Ryley are once again powering through some short(er)-form reviews of recent releases that deserve your time, but that we haven't been able to dedicate a full video towards. Join us as we dig into Oneohtrix Point Never's confounding but intriguing AGAIN, Animal Collective's full-on jam band evolution with ISN'T IT NOW, Yeule's shoegaze evolution with SOFTSCARS, an...

Steven Wilson's long-awaited opus THE HARMONY CODEX is finally here, and we're delighted to say it's completely confounded our expectations in the best way possible - join us as we break down what makes the record so unique and satisfying, how it compares to Steven's previous albums, and where it fits in the canon of one of the most celebrated minds in progressive music. Let us kno...

After a week off, we're back to finally tackle the surprise-announced second album of 2023 from indie rock stalwarts and channel favorites The National, who have surged back to our good books with a stellar return-to-form in LAUGH TRACK - but what makes it so much more satisfying than FIRST TWO PAGES OF FRANKENSTEIN, and why do the two albums exist in the first place? Join us as we go deep, wh...

For this week's Record Club, we're breaking down an album very near and dear to us, emo pioneers Sunny Day Real Estate's self-reinventing foray into alt and progressive rock, HOW IT FEELS TO BE SOMETHING ON. Join us as we trace how the band evolved from the days of their beloved genre staple DIARY to the radical departure of this record, how it grapples with growing up and shedding you...

One of the biggest popstars of the decade so far, Olivia Rodrigo, has returned with her dynamic, fun, and emotional sophomore record GUTS, one of the year's most expressive major releases, and we're excited to finally dig into it properly, exploring everything that makes Olivia one of the most celebrated artists of the moment, and why this is such a satisfying step-up from the promise of h...

Today Jake and Ryley are repeating a trick they tried back in June and powering through a list of interesting records that we haven't had the chance to review properly over the last couple of months. Join us as we dig into exceptional new albums from Genesis Owusu, Ratboys, and The Clientele, as well as more divisive but equally worth your time efforts from Hozier, Geese, and The Armed. Let us...

In this week's episode of Jams & Tea NOW, we break down a new album from legacy punk veteran Jeff Rosenstock, HELLMODE, as well as the challenge of the aging punk rocker in the 2020s, and the fallout of his decision to reveal just how much of a cut major venues take out of his merch earnings. We also talk the pretty but understated new record from Slowdive, EVERYTHING IS ALIVE, as well as...

For this week's Record Club we are, somehow for the first time ever, talking about progressive rock legends and channel favourites Rush, as we zero in on the underrated and fraught but surprisingly beautiful 2002 album VAPOR TRAILS (specifically its 2013 remixed version), which saw the band emerging like a phoenix from the ashes of a great tragedy and their toughest hardship yet. Join us as we...

We're back this week with another catchup on the latest in new music and music news with reviews of exciting and heavily-anticipated albums from country music rising star Zach Bryan and heartfelt pop-punk luminaries Spanish Love Songs, both of which prove a little more divisive than expected... plus, Jake talks the new record from trap pop star Ashniiko, the gang discuss the trend of AI-assist...