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Low Cut Connie Share Their 'Private Lives'

Low Cut Connie's Private Lives captures the spirit of the times. Adam Weiner is the James Dean of our time. We are the Sal Mineos and Natalie Woods in his orbit.

Music

John Lennon 101: The Solo Discography

John Lennon would have been 80 years old today. After the Beatles, Lennon created a treasured solo catalogue, and we take you through the history and the music album by album.

Music

The Doors Check Into the 'Morrison Hotel'

Fifty years after its original release, the Doors' Morrison Hotel is reissued as a two-CD /one-vinyl set that includes 19 bonus cuts.

Music

John Lennon: Revolutionary Man As Political Artist

John Lennon helped transform the art and image of the pop star. His very public political activism and socially and politically aware lyrics have earned him a prominent place in the creative and political history of rock.

Rachel Johnson

Music

Eddie Van Halen Inspired a Generation of Guitar Dreamers

Thank you for your life, Eddie Van Halen. Long live the music, the joy, and all the little dreamers you inspired.

Music

Bob Mould Goes Back to the 1980s for the Sound of 'Blue Hearts'

This year looks a lot like 1984 to Bob Mould and he is most definitely, not happy. Not happy at all. His guitar sounds like it's on fire.

Music

The Replacements' 'Pleased to Meet Me' Gets a Deluxe Edition

One of the best rock bands of the 1980s, the Replacements show what alternative rock was all about on Pleased to Meet Me.

Music

The Sentimental Journey of John Lennon's "Imagine"

In the decades since John Lennon's death, "Imagine" ironically has become associated not with revolution or anti-establishment protest, but with the warm fuzziness of a comfortable dream that seems beyond our grasp.

Music

John Lennon and Location: Someone's Time in New York City

John Lennon's new adopted country and hometown became the inspiration for one of his most sprawling, savage albums, Some Time in New York City.

Gabi Tartakovsky

Music

Post-rock's Coastlands Meditate on Loss, Growth, Change on 'Death' (album stream)

Guitarist Jason Sissoyev speaks about Coastlands' emotionally-charged new LP, a meditation that is heavy in more ways that one. "It pummels you, then there's this release and then it keeps going," he says.

Music

John Lennon's Minimalist Journey to Independence

How an audacious, daring record from disgruntled ex-Beatle John Lennon became a major musical landmark.

Jacob Adams

Music

Becky Warren Shares "Good Luck" and Discusses Music and Depression

Becky Warren finds slivers of humor while addressing depression for the third time in as many solo concept albums, but now the daring artist is turning the focus on herself in a fight against a frightful foe.

Music

The Flaming Lips Reimagine Tom Petty's Life in Oklahoma on 'American Head'

The Flaming Lips' American Head is a trip, a journey to the past that one doesn't want to return to but never wants to forget.

Music

'What a Fantastic Death Abyss': David Bowie's 'Outside' at 25

David Bowie's Outside signaled the end of him as a slick pop star and his reintroduction as a ragged-edged arty agitator.

Music

Godcaster Make the Psych/Funk/Hard Rock Debut of the Year

Godcaster's Long Haired Locusts is a swirling, sloppy mess of guitars, drums, flutes, synths, and apparently whatever else the band had on hand in their Philly basement. It's a highly entertaining and listenable album.

Music

Brian Bromberg Pays Tribute to Hendrix With "Jimi" (premiere + interview)

Bass giant Brian Bromberg revisits his 2012 tribute to Jimi Hendrix 50 years after his passing, and reflects on the impact Hendrix's music has had on generations.

Jedd Beaudoin

Music

My Morning Jacket's 'The Waterfall II' Can Hypnotize

Whereas My Morning Jacket's The Waterfall contemplated conflict, The Waterfall II identifies healing and personal transformation as the next stage of being.

Music

Foghat's 'Fool for the City' Provided a Slow Ride to Stardom 45 Years Ago

For a moment, Fool for the City found Foghat putting their glitter-embossed Converse Chucks on hallowed stadium ground.

Music

Kirby Sybert's Soulful Live Take on "My Maker" (premiere)

Captured live at Philadelphia's Johnny Brenda's, Kirby Sybert breathes new life into "My Maker" from his LP, Happy People Make Happy Things.

Music

Doves Deliver a Familiar Yet Fresh Brand of Melancholy on 'The Universal Want'

Mournfulness can provide comfort at a time like this, especially when presented with the kind of sincerity, wisdom, and songwriting skill that Doves haven't lost in their time away.

Music

Badfinger's Joey Molland Tells the Story of the "Rainy Day Man" (premiere)

Badfinger's Joey Molland shares "Rainy Day Man" ahead of a new album. At 73, Molland remains optimistic about the future. "I'm a positive guy and I don't care how dire a situation looks," he says.

Music

The Billy Walton Band Rock Out on 'Dark Hour' (album stream)

New Jersey guitar master, Billy Walton returns with an eclectic mix of sounds that demonstrates why he's a favorite in both the blues and jam band worlds. Despite Dark Hour's title, there's more than a little light to go around.

Music

The Rolling Stones' 'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out' Came at a Crucial Moment in History 50 Years Ago

With the Charles Manson murders in the rearview mirror and Altamont just around the bend, the Rolling Stones channeled their audience's unexplored id on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, now 50 years old.

Music

Bette Smith Offers Ear-Razing "I'm a Sinner" (premiere +interview)

Soul singer Bette Smith teamed with Matt Patton of Drive-by Truckers for new album, The Good, the Bad and the Bette, that strikes several deeply personal chords. Hear her latest blistering single, "I'm a Sinner".

Music

The Rolling Stones Dance With Decadence on 'Goats Head Soup'

Almost 50 years on, the rock star excess on display on the Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup still resonates.

Music

The Pineapple Thief Explore 'Versions of the Truth'

The conceptual focus of Versions of the Truth and the tight interplay between the musicians mark a new creative high for the Pineapple Thief, easily their best since Magnolia.

Music

Post-Punk's TV FACE Rock Out on "Work Hard, Have Fun" (premiere)

TV FACE are a hard-driving post-punk band from Lancaster, UK that channel the genre's jagged edges and kinetic rhythms alongside intense, punk rock energy on "Work Hard, Have Fun".

Music

The Traditional American Motifs in Bob Dylan's 'Highway 61 Revisited'

Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited is 55 years old this weekend. The middle album of his masterful mid-1960's trilogy saw Dylan saying goodbye to his role as a noble and pure folk spokesman.

Music

'Opening Night' Is an Audacious, Breathless Debut from the Blam Blams

Nashville glam-rockers, the Blam Blams' Opening Night is a glittery concept album overflowing with skill and melody.

Music

The Chefs Serve Up a Wordless, Rockin' Good Time on 'Heated & Treated'

As the Chefs, a former Georgia Satellite and a former Heartbreaker cook up a full platter of the tasty instrumentals on Heated & Treated.

Music

Funk Rock and Synthesizers in Munich: Queen's 'The Game' at 40

For their eighth studio album, The Game, Queen ushered in the 1980s with a streamlined sound and an instrument they formerly took great pains to avoid.

Music

Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' Brought Elegiac Depth and Youthful Romanticism to Heartland Rock

Forty-five years after Born to Run's release, the breakthrough third LP from American music legend Bruce Springsteen has lost none of its passion and promise.

Music

Taylor Swift's "seven" Marks the End of Innocence

Taylor Swift's childhood has frequently acted as the rare domain that can neither be snatched by tabloids nor staked out by fans, but "seven" from her latest LP folklore presents a narrative of innocence dragged out of a child by abuse.

Music

Bully's 'SUGAREGG' Is Loud and Noisy

The good news is that Bully are still loud and noisy on SUGAREGG. That's what makes them such a great live band. Alicia Bognanno explodes with energy.

Music

Katy Perry's Coming-of-Age Album 'Teenage Dream' at 10 Years Old

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream is a pensive coming-of-age statement disguised as sophomoric pop fun. It proves how it takes a great deal of conviction to pursue instincts that are of less "substance".

Reviews

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PopMatters is moving to WordPress. We will publish a few essays daily while we develop the new site. We hope the beta will be up sometime late next week.

Just about every Cure album is worth picking up, and even those ranked lowest boast worthwhile moments. Here are their albums, spanning 29 years, presented from worst to best.

Low Cut Connie's Private Lives captures the spirit of the times. Adam Weiner is the James Dean of our time. We are the Sal Mineos and Natalie Woods in his orbit.

John Lennon would have been 80 years old today. After the Beatles, Lennon created a treasured solo catalogue, and we take you through the history and the music album by album.

Fifty years after its original release, the Doors' Morrison Hotel is reissued as a two-CD /one-vinyl set that includes 19 bonus cuts.

John Lennon helped transform the art and image of the pop star. His very public political activism and socially and politically aware lyrics have earned him a prominent place in the creative and political history of rock.

Thank you for your life, Eddie Van Halen. Long live the music, the joy, and all the little dreamers you inspired.

The 10 Best Snippets from the Solo Sonic Psychology of John Winston Ono Lennon.

This year looks a lot like 1984 to Bob Mould and he is most definitely, not happy. Not happy at all. His guitar sounds like it's on fire.

One of the best rock bands of the 1980s, the Replacements show what alternative rock was all about on Pleased to Meet Me.

In the decades since John Lennon's death, "Imagine" ironically has become associated not with revolution or anti-establishment protest, but with the warm fuzziness of a comfortable dream that seems beyond our grasp.

John Lennon's new adopted country and hometown became the inspiration for one of his most sprawling, savage albums, Some Time in New York City.

Guitarist Jason Sissoyev speaks about Coastlands' emotionally-charged new LP, a meditation that is heavy in more ways that one. "It pummels you, then there's this release and then it keeps going," he says.

How an audacious, daring record from disgruntled ex-Beatle John Lennon became a major musical landmark.

Becky Warren finds slivers of humor while addressing depression for the third time in as many solo concept albums, but now the daring artist is turning the focus on herself in a fight against a frightful foe.

The Flaming Lips' American Head is a trip, a journey to the past that one doesn't want to return to but never wants to forget.

David Bowie's Outside signaled the end of him as a slick pop star and his reintroduction as a ragged-edged arty agitator.

Godcaster's Long Haired Locusts is a swirling, sloppy mess of guitars, drums, flutes, synths, and apparently whatever else the band had on hand in their Philly basement. It's a highly entertaining and listenable album.

Bass giant Brian Bromberg revisits his 2012 tribute to Jimi Hendrix 50 years after his passing, and reflects on the impact Hendrix's music has had on generations.

Whereas My Morning Jacket's The Waterfall contemplated conflict, The Waterfall II identifies healing and personal transformation as the next stage of being.

For a moment, Fool for the City found Foghat putting their glitter-embossed Converse Chucks on hallowed stadium ground.

Captured live at Philadelphia's Johnny Brenda's, Kirby Sybert breathes new life into "My Maker" from his LP, Happy People Make Happy Things.

Mournfulness can provide comfort at a time like this, especially when presented with the kind of sincerity, wisdom, and songwriting skill that Doves haven't lost in their time away.

Badfinger's Joey Molland shares "Rainy Day Man" ahead of a new album. At 73, Molland remains optimistic about the future. "I'm a positive guy and I don't care how dire a situation looks," he says.

New Jersey guitar master, Billy Walton returns with an eclectic mix of sounds that demonstrates why he's a favorite in both the blues and jam band worlds. Despite Dark Hour's title, there's more than a little light to go around.

With the Charles Manson murders in the rearview mirror and Altamont just around the bend, the Rolling Stones channeled their audience's unexplored id on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, now 50 years old.

Soul singer Bette Smith teamed with Matt Patton of Drive-by Truckers for new album, The Good, the Bad and the Bette, that strikes several deeply personal chords. Hear her latest blistering single, "I'm a Sinner".

Almost 50 years on, the rock star excess on display on the Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup still resonates.

The conceptual focus of Versions of the Truth and the tight interplay between the musicians mark a new creative high for the Pineapple Thief, easily their best since Magnolia.

TV FACE are a hard-driving post-punk band from Lancaster, UK that channel the genre's jagged edges and kinetic rhythms alongside intense, punk rock energy on "Work Hard, Have Fun".

Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited is 55 years old this weekend. The middle album of his masterful mid-1960's trilogy saw Dylan saying goodbye to his role as a noble and pure folk spokesman.

Nashville glam-rockers, the Blam Blams' Opening Night is a glittery concept album overflowing with skill and melody.

As the Chefs, a former Georgia Satellite and a former Heartbreaker cook up a full platter of the tasty instrumentals on Heated & Treated.

For their eighth studio album, The Game, Queen ushered in the 1980s with a streamlined sound and an instrument they formerly took great pains to avoid.

Forty-five years after Born to Run's release, the breakthrough third LP from American music legend Bruce Springsteen has lost none of its passion and promise.

Taylor Swift's childhood has frequently acted as the rare domain that can neither be snatched by tabloids nor staked out by fans, but "seven" from her latest LP folklore presents a narrative of innocence dragged out of a child by abuse.

The good news is that Bully are still loud and noisy on SUGAREGG. That's what makes them such a great live band. Alicia Bognanno explodes with energy.

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream is a pensive coming-of-age statement disguised as sophomoric pop fun. It proves how it takes a great deal of conviction to pursue instincts that are of less "substance".