Wilco’s ‘A Ghost Is Born’ Marked an End to Their Greatest Era
A Ghost Is Born was Wilco’s fearless attempt to surpass ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ and move beyond the narrative that could have defined the band.
All Things Reconsidered
Phish Loaded Up on Guest Stars for ‘Hoist’ 30 Years Ago
Phish’s Hoist was their fifth LP and they were in the mood to try new things. Consequently, it felt like their version of a big commercial swing.
A Reflective Hauntology: On the 2024 Reissue of Manic Street Preachers’ ‘Lifeblood’
Manic Street Preachers’ oeuvre indicates that one can only keep preaching manically if one lets oneself be haunted by the past to show the cracks in capitalist realism.
“Bee” Here Now: Guided By Voices and 1994’s ‘Bee Thousand’
Guided By Voices emerged from their Dayton, Ohio basement and launched into indie rock on their own terms with the endlessly weird and inspiring Bee Thousand.
Sunny Day Real Estate’s Emo Classic ‘Diary’ Turns 30
When Sunny Day Real Estate released Diary 30 years ago, they inadvertently cemented the personalized and sympathetic elements of emo.
‘Voulez Vous’: ABBA’s Poptimist Manifesto at 45
On Voulez Vous, ABBA went disco and created a turbo-charged version of their music. The raucous choruses of Voulez Vouz preview a decade of pop.
50 Years On: Roxy Music and Robert Palmer Transcended Fashion
In 1974, Roxy Music and Robert Palmer transcended changes in musical fashions not only in terms of their influence but without sacrificing their artistry.
New York Dolls’ ‘Too Much Too Soon’ Lived Up to Its Title (More or Less)
The New York Dolls didn’t just play rock and roll. They swung, achieving a groove that set them apart from other rockers at the time and since.
Shudder to Think Look Back on 1994’s ‘Pony Express Record’
Shudder to Think’s Pony Express Record is one of the most enduring releases of the 1990s, evergreen for the very reasons it wasn’t a massive hit upon release.
Remembering the Memory Puzzle Film ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’
Rewatching the memory puzzle film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, we are captivated by its sophisticated and complete depictions of memory.
Superchunk’s ‘Foolish’ Is Genre-Defining Indie Heartbreak
Foolish was Superchunk committing to staying indie amid turmoil, and the scene is better for it. Their discography is filled with iconic singles defining American indie rock.
Avant-Metal’s Lords of Terror: Fantômas’ Eponymous Debut at 25
Fantômas stand as one of the most audacious music projects of the 1990s. You almost wonder if the quasi-mainstreamish Faith No More held Mike Patton back.