Darkside Are Torn Between Convention and the Avant-garde on ‘Spiral’
While Darkside’s Spiral includes moments of virtuosic integration there are other moments where the album seems to lack a unifying aesthetic.
experimental rock
‘Irresistible Bliss’ at 25: Personal Friction Couldn’t Dampen the Musical Chemistry of Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing’s success with Irresistible Bliss shows how the early ’90s grunge music explosion led to the more expansive alternative rock boom of the mid-’90s.
The 10 Best Fugazi Songs
Fugazi’s ethics and DIY attitude’s symbolism remain crucially important to their legacy and what we can learn from them in the 21st century.
‘Attic Tapes’ Illuminates the late Tim Taylor as the Epicenter of Brainiac’s Genius
Attic Tapes might be Record of the Year material for those who followed Brainiac back in the day. And it might also be a gem solely for completists.
Black Midi Avoid the Sophomore Slump on ‘Cavalcade’
Black Midi’s Cavalcade is a great LP, and though not a fully brilliant or complete masterwork, it will leave many others imitating these guys sucking wake.
‘Amnesiac’ Remains Radiohead’s Freest Record 20 Years Later
Twenty years ago, Radiohead stepped back on Amnesiac, deconstructing their trajectory and tinkering around the edges of their sonic universe.
Black Midi’s ‘Cavalcade’ Is Spellbinding and Circuitous
Black Midi’s Cavalcade displays superlative skills, fierce chemistry, and avant-garde vision, offering spellbinding performances while also falling prey to sonic tautologies and circuitousness.
Trees Speak Conjure Up a Mysterious, Hypnotic Sound on ‘PostHuman’
Arizona’s Trees Speak offer up elements of sci-fi, prog rock, krautrock, and Italian film scores on PostHuman, and that’s a good thing.
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.
Marianne Faithfull Displays Her Particular Genius with ‘She Walks in Beauty’
Marianne Faithfull’s She Walks in Beauty captures the sad, reflective mood of the world. It’s an apt period to a very long and moving sentence.
On Peter Gabriel’s “I Have the Touch” in a Time of Forbidden Touch
Peter Gabriel’s “I Have the Touch” perfectly captures the agonizing isolation that so many of us have been experiencing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.