Songs: Ohia’s ‘Magnolia Electric Co.’ Remains a Dark Triumph
Songs: Ohia’s Magnolia Electric Co. remains a dark triumph in the face of adversity. It was the turning point and apex of Jason Molina’s brief life and career.
All Things Reconsidered
The Dark Beauty of Alice In Chains’ ‘Jar of Flies’
Unplanned and unprepared, when Alice in Chains recorded Jar of Flies‘ catchy songs on the fly, they created some of their career’s darkest yet warmest music of their career.
A Dreamer of Pictures: Neil Young’s ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’ at 55
Alternating brooding rock anthems with ragged country-rock, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere set Neil Young on a musical quest that continues 55 years later.
The Killers’ ‘Hot Fuss’ 20 Years On: A Layered Hit That Still Slays
The Killers’ Hot Fuss is made for the hips and heart, not the brains. Their best tunes are eminently digestible, meant to have you vibrating from the first few bars.
Exiting the Comma: On Liminality and Redemption in Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas
In Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas, Travis is adrift, caught in the comma between the liminal ‘Paris’ and the redemptive ‘Texas’, between lost futures and the impermeable present.
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.
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.