21st Century Men: The Kinks’ Muswell Hillbillies at 50
The Kinks’ landmark album Muswell Hillbillies turns 50 and endures as a prophetic masterpiece that anticipates our messy political moment.
All Things Reconsidered
Joni Mitchell’s Jazzy ‘Hejira’ Captured the Pitfalls of Life Untethered 45 Years Ago
On her last truly great album Hejira, Joni Mitchell designed a travelogue, awash with lush textures, and explored the implications of her lifelong itineracy.
Kate Bush Created a Winter Wonderland on ’50 Words For Snow’ 10 Years Ago
Kate Bush’s 50 Words For Snow is a jazzy wonderland of mystical creatures and fleeting romance with nuanced themes of impermanence and ephemeral love.
Less Than Jake’s Ska-Punk Classic ‘Losing Streak’ Still Has a Kick 25 Years Later
Losing Streak is the best recording of Less Than Jake’s full-on ska-punk days. It has the feel of a time capsule from that brief mid-’90s period.
Belle and Sebastian’s Studious ‘If You’re Feeling Sinister’ Turns 25
Belle and Sebastian’s 1996 showpiece If You’re Feeling Sinister balanced poignance and exuberance with its character-driven stories and became an indie-pop classic.
How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Fly: U2’s ‘Achtung Baby’ at 30
In 1991, U2 risked tearing down the structure they built in the 1980s with the release of Achtung Baby and made a phoenix-like return to rock god status.
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25 Years Ago Madonna Sought Respectability and Validation with Film Biography ‘Evita’
In a career defined by musical makeovers, Evita represented Madonna’s most extreme and conservative musical guise in the Andrew Lloyd Webber kitschfest.
Japan’s Timeless ‘Tin Drum’ Turns 40
Japan’s Tin Drum serves as a lasting document of a band ahead of their time and one that rises far above the pretensions of their contemporaries.
25 Years of Aphex Twin’s ‘Richard D. James’ Album
Twenty-five years ago, Aphex Twin’s Richard D. James solidified his patented cerebral IDM style and made him a figurehead for electronic music.
T. Rex Launched Glam Rock with ‘Electric Warrior’ 50 Years Ago
Fifty years ago, T. Rex released their most successful album, Electric Warrior, helping kick off the glam rock movement. Marc Bolan leaped from playing rock to being a rock star.
Matthew Sweet Channeled Divorce Into the Power Pop Hall of Fame With ‘Girlfriend’
Thirty years old and still virtually unsurpassed, Matthew Sweet’s breakup album Girlfriend rescued his career and breathed new life into the ailing power-pop genre.