Alarmed By the Seduction: Squeeze’s ‘East Side Story’ at 40
For East Side Story, British popsters Squeeze hired a brilliant producer and made an album that’s both eclectic and remarkably consistent 40 years later.
Music Features
30 Years Ago Primus Went ‘Sailing the Seas of Cheese’
Primus’ Sailing the Seas of Cheese established a template for how a band could achieve both a large, passionate fanbase and a modicum of mainstream success.
Slayyyter’s Inferno: In Conversation with the Logged-on and Laser-focused Pop Starlet
Following a chaotic and self-destructive year, laser-focused pop starlet Slayyyter prepares to ascend with her debut album of noisy pop bangers, Troubled Paradise. She tells us her story.
George Michael Abandoned His MTV Past for Musical Maturity on ‘Older’ 25 Years Ago
George Michael’s Older showed an artist who was firmly in the mainstream yet still chafed at being dismissed as merely a “pop star”.
The Unique Mundanity of R.E.M.’s ‘Reveal’ at 20
Reveal is more than just another R.E.M. album because it holds a particular maturity and balance unique to their oeuvre.
Italy’s Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino Discuss Their Thrilling New LP ‘Meridiana’
Mauro Durante and Justin Adams discuss making the new Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino LP, Meridiana, under Covid-19’s challenging conditions and suspended time.
Don’t Let Go: Weezer’s ‘Green Album’ at 20 Years Old
Full of big hooks and crunchy guitar riffs, Weezer’s Green Album essentially established the direction they would take for the next 20 years.
The Foaming Breakers of the Poisonous Surf: Elvis Costello’s ‘Mighty Like a Rose’ at 30
Elvis Costello’s Mighty Like a Rose is among his most unjustly maligned albums, making it ripe for reexamination.
“Part of the Tradition Is Tipping Your Hat”: An Interview with Jazz Saxophonist Miguel Zenón
With two new live recordings, jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenon looks to two sources of inspiration for his border-crossing art and tells PopMatters his story.
15 Years Ago Paul Simon’s ‘Surprise’ Synthesized Traditional and Transformational Songwriting
Surprise shows that the familiar pleasures of Paul Simon’s work are the themes and musical sparks that leave a lasting influence.
20 Years On, Sum 41’s ‘All Killer No Filler’ Is a Classic Pop-Punk Party
Despite an initially lukewarm critical reception, Sum 41’s All Killer No Filler enjoys a place in the pop-punk pantheon as it hits its 20th birthday.