Benjamin Kassel
"Love It If We Made It": a single point of light in the darkness of modernity
The chorus of the 1975’s nihilist 2018 lead single provides the only thought of relief… but how relieving is it?
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Benjamin Kassel
Apr 1, 20223 min read
"Disco 2000" speaks beyond its titular year
Pulp’s song — framed around a future that’s become the past — makes me grapple with my understanding of time unlike any other.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 27, 20223 min read
"Interstate Love Song": a familiar riff leads to introspection
It's the end of my last break, and a song about being on the road soundtracks the way I feel underneath a calm exterior.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 24, 20224 min read
"Learn to Fly" takes on extra weight in the wake of Taylor Hawkins' death
I'd been sitting on this song for a while, never imagining I'd write about it for this reason... but it painfully fits the moment.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 20, 20224 min read
"Enjoy the Silence": fitting music for an ironic title
Depeche Mode's most successful song is an inner monologue, formed in a moment when the outside world is quiet.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 14, 20223 min read
"Bulls on Parade" is timeless for the unsavory truths it tells
...as is pretty much every Rage Against The Machine song.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 10, 20223 min read
"She Wants to Move": Hard for me to define, easy for me to love
Simply put, it's N.E.R.D — that says more than any genre label.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 3, 20223 min read
"Wild" is yet another success from Spoon
The ever-excellent band combine classic rock influences with their modern indie sound on a recent single.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 23, 20225 min read
"The Catalyst" describes how I feel given current events in Ukraine
*inhales*
*SCREAMS INTERNALLY*
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 17, 20223 min read
"I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow" (All of My Life)... the title speaks for itself
It's a somewhat confusing song by a band with a somewhat confusing name: The The. How fitting.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 15, 20224 min read
On "Dirt," Keane are true to themselves as they decry an all-too-familiar conflict
Their title track from last summer's EP has an unavoidable gravitas as it speaks to the fallout the innocent suffer from war.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 11, 20225 min read
"Intrasport" shouldn't work as well as it does, but I can't stop dancing to it
In complete King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard style, its weirdness only makes it better.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 9, 20223 min read
With its throwback sound, "Walkin' on the Sun" is far deeper than I realized
It's also just a plain good song from a band that, yes, isn't just a meme.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 6, 20224 min read
"Take Me Out" and the art of the slowdown
It's hard to pull off an energetic downward tempo shift, but that's exactly what Franz Ferdinand did, and I love it.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 4, 20224 min read
Close to a decade on, "Caliban's Dream" continues to embody the Olympic spirit
As Beijing 2022 begins, I return to Underworld's musical setting for the 2012 cauldron lighting.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 1, 20223 min read
I felt down, but "KEEP IT UP" helped me be a bit more positive
Rex Orange County's new release is a simple indie pop slice that speaks to the drive one gets from valuing themself and their endeavors.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 27, 20224 min read
In "Burning in the Sun," an early Coldplay-esque sound meets bluegrass influences
With the employment of a mandolin, Blue Merle gave a sound I love a twist I never expected, but one I thoroughly enjoy.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 26, 20223 min read
"Black Hole Sun" was my gateway into grunge
Soundgarden's mainstream breakthrough served as a personal eye- (and ear-) opener, allowing me to appreciate a sound that defined the 90s.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 21, 20224 min read
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a Britpop hit unlike any other
Between its sampling dispute, its distinctive vocal elements, and its point of view, the Verve's enduring anthem leaves a unique impression.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 20, 20224 min read
Early 2000s pop punk meets late 2010s future bass in "Good Things Fall Apart"
In hindsight, these styles are perfect for each other — unlike the former relationship the song describes. Bravo, ILLENIUM and Jon Bellion.
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