Sunny Day Real Estate’s Emo Classic ‘Diary’ Turns 30
When Sunny Day Real Estate released Diary 30 years ago, they inadvertently cemented the personalized and sympathetic elements of emo.
Andrew Spiess
Andrew Spiess's work has appeared in Lingerpost, Permafrost, Prairie Margins, The Miscreant, Gravel, The Hamilton Stone Review, and Punch Drunk Press. He received a Louise C. Cooper Book Award from Bowling Green State University, where he studied, and a poem of his has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He works and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Follow him on Twitter: @andrewspiesss.
25 Years of Tom Waits’ ‘Mule Variations’
With Mule Variations, Tom Waits tamed his vaudevillian guises and showed that he was aging gracefully, while retaining his integrity towards his artistry.
Chastity Belt Ruminate on Insecurities on ‘Live Laugh Love’
Chastity Belt are dovish and disarming on Live Laugh Love, which explores the self. It’s unadulterated self-expression in its purest form.
20 Years of Madvillain’s Endlessly Creative ‘Madvillainy’
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The 10 Best Punk and Hardcore Albums of 2023
The best punk and hardcore artists fold and knead in other musical styles, diversifying and extending the possibilities of what these genres can sound like.
Riot Grrrl Classic Bikini Kill’s ‘Pussy Whipped’ at 30
Bikini Kill’s biting 1993 opus Pussy Whipped was the centerpiece of the riot grrrl movement, an uninhibited, game-changing punk album by dissident young women.
15 Years of Mogwai’s ‘The Hawk Is Howling’
The Hawk Is Howling is full of signature moments when Mogwai explore complex combinations of moods from bright to dark, soft to heavy, and sensual to horrific.
Explosions in the Sky’s ‘The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place’ at 20
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‘In Times New Roman…’ Is Queens of the Stone Age’s Most Introspective Record
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New Twenty Saints’ Self-Titled LP Is Heartland Rock at Its Core
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30 Years of Slowdive’s ‘Souvlaki’
Slowdive’s seminal 30-year-old album, Souvlaki, transcends the negativity that followed its release and carries strength through emotional relatability.
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The 10 Best Progressive Rock/Metal Albums of 2022
The best progressive rock albums are profoundly ambitious and forward-thinking, music that’s immense, expansive, and mind-blowing, with dramatic elements.