When Rob Halford Screamed Queer-Coded Lyrics
From coded BDSM references to vivid homoerotic imagery, Rob Halford’s lyrics formed a complex, emotionally charged expression of queerness under societal pressure.
Music Features
African Metal That Will Blow Your Mind (and Ears)
From the politically charged lyrics of Znous to the atmospheric post-metal soundscapes of Chaos Doctrine, African metal bands are blowing minds in the global metal scene.
10 Should-Be-Classic Songs About Longing
In popular music—ranging from the blues and jazz to country, hip-hop, and beyond—longing has occupied a substantial portion of thematic space.
20 of the Best New Wave Albums by Rock/Pop Artists
As the 1980s dawned and punk began to morph into new wave, many established artists altered their style to reach new audiences. We look at 20 of them.
How Nirvana Destroyed Rock’s Toxic Masculinity
Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain despised rock music’s posturing machismo, mocked its fundamental assumptions, and then utterly destroyed the genre.
Natalia Lafourcade Gains New Perspective with a Powerful Alter Ego
By adopting a new persona, Natalia Lafourcade delves deeper into her folkloric sonic landscape, uncovering new perspectives along the way.
The 10 Best ’80s and ’90s Love Songs For Wounded Idealists
These ten love songs, marked by devotion, candor, emotional intensity, and touches of pain, invite perceptive listeners to unearth the simmering drama.
BottleRock Napa Valley Is Blissful with Musical Fireworks
“Music is a great healer, it’s straight to the divine, it’s beautiful,” Anders Osborne says summing up what makes the annual BottleRock weekend so special.
Kid Rock’s Trumpian Roots and Branches
In southern rock, Kid Rock, and bro-country, do we see the building blocks for a future state-sponsored rock culture?
The 15 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015
No year in the best hip-hop was as eclectic as 2015, representing various gender identities, sexualities, geographies, worldviews, and genre infusions.
The 12 Best Brian Wilson Songs
From massive hits to experimental pop compositions, Brian Wilson’s music is always thoughtful, idiosyncratic, and as thrilling today as it was in the 1960s.
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The 15 Best Americana Albums of 2015
The best Americana albums of 2015 spoke to our collective nature, furthering the examination of the human condition while adding their own new touches.