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”.
Once Houdini dropped, all the agonizing over whether Melvins would debase themselves and compromise their sound petered out before we were halfway into “Hooch”.
It’s too bad these new songs weren’t parlayed into the bulging bag of goodies that was the 20th-anniversary re-release of the Breeders’ Last Splash.
More than just having fun updating her work, Demi Lovato refashions herself and her music to reflect the person she is today, which is bold and defiant.
The title Relentless encourages expectations of a youthful, hard-rock Pretenders album, but it’s dominated by lost-love ballads and slow-burn confessionals.
The simple joys of writing songs and sharing them remain the driving forces for indie pop veterans Teenage Fanclub. Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley discuss.
Olivia Rodrigo sings of fame, pain, heartbreak, and growing up on Guts. There’s rage, yearning, and reckless behavior here that transcends generations.
Bettie Serveert’s Palomine is memorable after three decades. Flexing musically and tonally while maintaining a coherent sound, it merits a reissue.
The Monochrome Set are a cult band par excellence, but if you don’t know them, Radio Sessions is a great album to get an introduction.
Michael Hann’s oral history The Gospel of the Hold Steady traces the band’s image, music, and challenges in a brilliant chronicle of the promise of rock ‘n’ roll.
Shoegaze’s trademark sound, rippling sheets of guitar noise, is endlessly pliable, easily molded into sonic textures smooth and abrasive alike.
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.
Despite the personal turmoil for Josh Homme, In Times New Roman… is remarkably consistent with Queens of the Stone Age’s last few records.