To No One’s Surprise, Metal Weezer Still Sounds Like Weezer
Rivers Cuomo can preach the gospel of Sabbath with all the sincerity he can summon; there’s still no other way to process Van Weezer than with a tongue planted in a winking cheek somewhere.
rock
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.
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.
The 10 Best R.E.M. Albums
R.E.M.’s career falls into three periods: the underground I.R.S. Records years, the Warner Bros. “wonder years”, and the post-Bill Berry output.
Scholar Peter Stanfield Brings ‘Hate’ to the Who’s Pop Art Period
Peter Stanfield’s ‘A Band With Built-In Hate’ highlights redundancy, aggression, obsolescence, and ambiguity in Townshend’s lyrical stance and the Who’s performing methods.
Why Yoko Ono’s Music Matters
Yoko Ono’s story is of a passionate and powerful songwriter and artist. A creative and sensitive musician who worked doggedly to bring her avant-garde aesthetic to pop music and to use her voice to advocate for the rights of women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ people.
Before ‘The Man Who’ Travis Just Wanted to Rock
Just before CDs were about to get louder and louder still, Travis showed us just how softly they could record on a few of Good Feeling‘s best tracks.
The Prize Fighter Inferno’s ‘The City Introvert’ Is a Marginally Rewarding Return
The Prize Fighter Inferno’s The City Introvert has a safe superficiality, combined with a few moments of out-and-out cringe, making it above-average at best.
Imelda May Sings of Love and Social Justice on ’11 Past the Hour ‘
Imelda May’s 11 Past the Hour seems a deliberate attempt to widen her audience in the US. The music is much more conventional than her earlier records.
The Fleshtones Get Back in the Garage for ‘Face of the Screaming Werewolf’
Face of the Screaming Werewolf is more fuzz-toned fun from the Fleshtones, a group that have managed to ignore any significant musical trends since Altamont.
An Interview with The London Souls’ Tash Neal on His Solo Debut ‘Charge It to the Game’
The London Souls’ Tash Neal talks with PopMatters about his solo career, the funk and soul influences in his fiery rock music, and moving beyond the trauma of his life-altering accident.