Ryan Adams' Love Is Hell Turned 10 and No One Noticed
With hardly a whisper from the collective music community in the past two weeks, the 10th anniversary of a defining record for one of this generation's most prolific musicians came and went. Ryan...
View ArticleA Handy Guide to How Long a Set Your Band Should Play
Despite putting on a fantastic show at the Marquee Theatre last Wednesday, the New York kids collectively known as Interpol put on a set that clocked in at just under 60 minutes. It wasn't exactly the...
View ArticleIn Defense of Liking Music for No Good Reason
By Luke Winkie Why did you like Yeezus? Did you find it anarchic? Did you like how it challenged racial norms in a confrontational, blacked-out way? Did you like its minimalism? Or its maximalism? Did...
View ArticleIn Defense of Tribute Bands
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in the world of music no one appreciates a copycat, especially those working for months and years to bring something new and original...
View ArticleHow Social Media is Ruining the Music Festival Experience
I had been waiting more than 20 years to see Pearl Jam live, and the time had finally come: I was going to see Seattle's finest at the final weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. It was...
View ArticleAre Gimmick-Free CDs Poised for Comeback in the Music Industry?
It must have seemed like such a good idea at the time. Sub Pop had released I Love You, Honeybear, the latest from Father John Misty, in the usual formats (digital, vinyl, and compact disc). Those...
View ArticleIf "Blurred Lines" Ripped Off Marvin Gaye, Kelly Clarkson Absolutely Ripped...
On Tuesday, a California federal jury ordered Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke to pay $7.4 million to the estate of Marvin Gaye, finding that the duo ripped off Gaye's classic "Got to Give It Up" for...
View ArticleWhen the Goldfinger Soundtrack Dominated the Album Charts
Editor's note: Ever since the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles' debut single "Love Me Do") we've been on a half-century celebration cycle in which we are scheduled to relive every Beatles...
View ArticleSurprise! How Unannounced Album Drops Lead to Hits
For being thrown together at the last minute, A$AP Rocky’s listening party for his latest album A.L.L.A. sure looked like a good time. The festivities, which were held in New York City on Monday, came...
View ArticleThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Is a Scam
It never fails. I write something, someone doesn’t like it, and they feel the need to seek me out and tell me about it. It’s never really surprising, even if I don’t understand it. I can barely muster...
View ArticleLeave Blink-182 Alone and Stop Listening to Green Day
I’ll never for the life of me understand how Blink-182 are considered a guilty pleasure band while people who are supposedly grownups listen to Green Day. Every time I see a picture of Green Day I’m so...
View ArticleDetroit vs. Phoenix: Which City Owns Alice Cooper?
In the realm of popular music, Detroit has always been a cultural powerhouse, churning out some of the most memorable tunes of the 20th century. Detroit can point to everyone from Bob Seger to Big Sean...
View ArticleNo City Loves Bruce Springsteen The Way Phoenix Does
When you mention the name Bruce Springsteen, the first place that comes to mind is New Jersey. But before Springsteen exploded nationally with the release of 1975’s Born to Run, the young...
View ArticleAfter the Ghost Ship Fire, We Need to Nurture Artistic Communities, Not...
There's a very important reason why artists flock to unpermitted DIY venues like Ghost Ship in Oakland, California.
View ArticleJingle Cats Is The Worst Thing To Happen To Christmas Music
I was once like you. An innocent soul who believed that he lived in a good world, a world without Jingle Cats. That changed when I started working retail.
View ArticleWhy U2's The Joshua Tree Is Overrated
Fans of U2, The Joshua Tree is overrated. To clarify, the quartet's best-selling album not a weak record. It's far from their worst. Despite it's enduring popularity since its release 28 years, it...
View ArticleI'm Getting Real Tired of This Crap, Grammy Awards
The Grammys snubbed the the best album of the year — again.
View ArticleModest Proposal: It's Time to Rethink Nü-Metal
I have a modest proposal that I doubt many of you will cotton to: It’s time to critically re-evaluate nu metal. You remember nu metal, right? Chugging riffs. Grunted vocals. Big pants. Soul patches....
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