Rock and Ruin: The Downfall of Courtney Love’s ‘America’s Sweetheart’
Concocted in a three-year maelstrom of excess, the highly anticipated solo LP America’s Sweetheart was overshadowed by Courtney Love’s erratic behavior.
punk rock
Jimmy Eat World’s Emo Classic ‘Clarity’ at 25
Jimmy Eat World’s career has looked increasingly like that of bands they admire. They keep a devoted fan base happy with incendiary, hit-packed live sets.
Back-to-Basics ‘Saviors’ Is Green Day’s Strongest LP in Years
Saviors is the best Green Day album in at least 15 years. It’s refreshing to hear them on Saviors, where they sound focused and energized again.
Sleater-Kinney Make a Big Statement with ‘Little Rope’
With careful arrangements, sharp production, and stunning lyrics, Little Rope marks another peak in Sleater-Kinney’s stellar career.
Public Image Ltd’s Debut Album Put the “Post” in Post-Punk
The Sex Pistols blew away the old rock of the ’50s and ’60s, but then John Lydon formed Public Image Ltd and created new musical possibilities with post-punk.
Blink-182’s ‘Untitled’ Showed Foresight We Could Only See in Hindsight
It’s easy to see how untitled‘s themes acted as a harbinger of the years to come for Blink-182. There’s longing and yearning; a distance that can’t be crossed.
Peter Jesperson’s ‘Euphoric Recall’ Remembers His Wild Years with the Replacements
In Euphoric Recall, the Replacements’ manager Peter Jesperson is often as drunk as the band is, little more in control of their careening path than they are.
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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.
Kultur Shock Excite with Punk and Sevdah Stylings on ‘Acoustic Live’
Even unplugged, Kultur Shock are an unstoppable group, and Acoustic Live offers an unencumbered sense of how sharp they are almost 30 years into this project.
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The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2023
As always, rock was a guitar-led extravaganza in 2023 with artists drawing from an ever-widening musical well. These are the 30 best rock albums of the year.
Dancing Post-Pinochet to Los Prisioneros’ ‘Corazones’
Los Prisioneros evolved from a politicized youthful New Wave sound to a synthpop-infused dynamic that would propel the trio to post-Pinochet stardom.
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.