The Menacing, Grimy Weirdness of Melvins’ ‘Houdini’ at 30
Once Houdini dropped, all the agonizing over whether Melvins would debase themselves and compromise their sound petered out before we were halfway into “Hooch”.
All Things Reconsidered
Girls Against Boys on Their Criticized ’90s Album, ‘Freak*on*Ica’
Girls Against Boys are the crucial and criminally under-appreciated link between ’90s alternative rock and the 2000s post-punk boom. Freak*on*Ica plays well in these times.
All Things Reconsidered/Between the Grooves/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Music/Music Features
Between the Grooves of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’
In 1984, funk rock legend Prince combined music and film into a major extravaganza called Purple Rain, and it went to the top of the charts for 24 weeks in a row.
Is Lo Fidelity Allstars Style Big Beat Back After 25 Years?
The current resurgence of Britpop could trigger nostalgia for late 1990s big beat like Lo Fidelity Allstars, while trip-hop remains a vital influence.
Call for Papers: All Things Reconsidered – FILM Autumn 2023
We are seeking essays for our Autumn 2023 All Things Reconsidered film series. These essays analyze and contextualize classic movies in history.
Everything’s a Dollar in This Box: Tom Waits’ ‘Swordfishtrombones’ at 40
Tom Waits’ 1983 album Swordfishtrombones signified a seismic shift in the singer-songwriter’s sound. His music would never be the same again.
‘Judgment Night’ Soundtrack Merged Rock and Hip-Hop 30 Years Ago
The Judgment Night soundtrack blazed the path that led the evolution of rock and roll into nu-metal of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Jim Morrison’s Spoken-Word Effect
Jim Morrison, a startlingly seductive figure, was at once impish and grandiose, the sly trickster enemy of all the straight moralists and self-righteous prigs, a confident voice ready to be summoned to your side of the argument.
Keepin’ the Faith: Billy Joel’s ‘An Innocent Man’ at 40
Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man laid the foundation for him to become a vessel for nostalgia that would far outlast the album’s 1950s references.
All Things Reconsidered/Between the Grooves/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Music/Music Features/Pop Past
Between the Grooves of Liz Phair’s ‘Exile in Guyville’
Liz Phair’s indie rock landmark Exile in Guyville is truly sui generis, a one-of-a-kind moment in history where everything aligned at just the right time and place.
The ‘Sophisticated’ Kiss Album: Ace Frehley’s Solo Debut Turns 45
Kiss’ four solo albums marked the beginning of the end of the band’s soaring popularity. But Ace Frehley’s electric 1978 solo debut has only grown in stature.
Jets to Brazil’s ‘Orange Rhyming Dictionary’ Is Crucial in Indie and Emo Canon
Jets to Brazil’s Orange Rhyming Dictionary received generally good-to-great reviews and is now considered a pivotal record in the evolution of emo and indie rock.