Noise
I'm obsessed to share with you the noise that I love best.
Moondrop Displacement Entry
W. David Marx writes in his blog Culture about 10,000 Maniacs and the earnest progressivism of the early alternative music culture. Certainly 10,000 Maniacs were a bit over-the-top, but they fit seamlessly in the general aesthetic of “alternative” culture. Progressivism was cool in the 1980s. Merchant worked at
The Jesus Juke That Wasn’t
My brother-in-Christ was talking about the best ways to secure your household goods from potential burglars the other day. I reminded him of these words from Jesus: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store
Everything Old Is New Again
I was delighted to find out yesterday that one of my favorite EPs from 30 years ago, long out of print, was available on Bandcamp. I loved Peter from Eric’s Trip, but even when it was current, it was hard to obtain. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that
Studio - West Coast
A much-hyped reissued album was ahead of its time while still feeling rooted in its own era.
Headlights Pointed At The Dawn
For this Friday Night Video, we’re going back a way, to the mid-nineties. Smashing Pumpkins had released Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness a fittingly grandiose title for an ambitious and widely varied double-album. At the time, I heard the first single, the “rat in cage” song, and I
Recontextualization
When I heard that Starflyer 59 was releasing a new album hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed 2024 record Lust For Gold, I was a bit surprised. Once I dove further into the concept for the record, though, I began to understand why the band was able to
The Spotify Problem
Brandon Lucas Green writes about Spotify from an indie musician’s perspective and his piece contains some useful insights. Green points out that the service is a much better value proposition for musicians who are already popular and on major labels. Artists living in a late-stage capitalist society (ie. basically
Post Dreams
Not too long ago, I posted about a shoegaze cover of a music charts staple from decades ago and, well, I was sorely tempted to do it again. I came across a YouTube channel for a service called Musora which bills itself as “the ultimate music lessons experience.” Musora offers
Like A Virgin
Madonna’s most well-known album, Like A Virgin just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Like A Virgin was the first record I owned, given to me by my parents for my 9th birthday. The subject might have been a bit mature for me at that age, but it hardly mattered because
On Dark Horses
A conversation with a colleague led me to a surprising musical discovery.
