Rock

"Disco 2000" speaks beyond its titular year

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.

"Carry On Wayward Son": mega-hit motivation

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 29, 20224 min read

"Carry On Wayward Son": mega-hit motivation

I've felt down and out lately, but hearing Kansas on the radio got me mentally trending the right way to remedy that.

"Hail to the King" has always wowed me... and now it also makes me think

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 28, 20223 min read

"Hail to the King" has always wowed me... and now it also makes me think

The tap-filled anthem is one of my 21st-century rock favorites, but its lyrical theming didn't register with me until very recently.

"Interstate Love Song": a familiar riff leads to introspection

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.

"Learn to Fly" takes on extra weight in the wake of Taylor Hawkins' death

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 23, 20223 min read

"Evil Ways": the birth of Latin cool

Okay, how has it taken me this long to talk about Santana on here? That's borderline criminal — and I'm remedying that ASAP.

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is more than a meme

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 18, 20224 min read

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is more than a meme

...but the meme's wide reach means that's how most think of the Blue Öyster Cult's classic tune.

Tracking my changing relationship with "Hearts Burst Into Fire"

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 17, 20223 min read

Tracking my changing relationship with "Hearts Burst Into Fire"

It's a fitting song to soundtrack my return home... but that's a pretty new way for me to approach it.

"Bulls on Parade" is timeless for the unsavory truths it tells

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.

I needed the calmness of "Black Water" tonight

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 13, 20223 min read

I needed the calmness of "Black Water" tonight

I'm stressed as [CENSORED]. This Doobie Brothers gem helped mitigate that a bit.

"It Gets Dark" is a welcome new release in multiple ways

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 12, 20224 min read

"It Gets Dark" is a welcome new release in multiple ways

It's an excellent pop track on its own, it came with an album announcement, and its message is welcome as I work through internal matters.

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is my top pick from the 2000s garage revival

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 6, 20223 min read

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is my top pick from the 2000s garage revival

The White Stripes' 2001 single showcases their unmistakable sound in my favorite ways.

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 5, 20224 min read

"Mrs. Robinson": not (just) a film song

Simon & Garfunkel's hit from The Graduate is a reflection of their thoughts on mid-60s America.

"Wild" is yet another success from Spoon

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.

Confronting my past through "This Is Gospel"

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 27, 20225 min read

Confronting my past through "This Is Gospel"

*deep breath* This is a pretty personal piece, but that's because of what this song means and has meant to me.

"Message in a Bottle": togetherness... in loneliness?

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 24, 20223 min read

"Message in a Bottle": togetherness... in loneliness?

As weird as that sounds, that's exactly how Sting positions his lyrics in one of the Police's many timeless hits.

"The Catalyst" describes how I feel given current events in Ukraine

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 23, 20225 min read

"The Catalyst" describes how I feel given current events in Ukraine

*inhales* *SCREAMS INTERNALLY*

"Undun," the Guess Who's jazzy warning against acid

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 20, 20223 min read

"Undun," the Guess Who's jazzy warning against acid

One of the finest pop compositions of the 60s is very much embedded in its time.

"Toxicity" exhibits masterful mediation of contrast

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 18, 20225 min read

"Toxicity" exhibits masterful mediation of contrast

My old System of a Down favorite is extreme in its timbral changes, but musically consistent — a recipe for an intense, engaging listen.

Diving into "21st Century Schizoid Man" in memory of Ian McDonald

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 12, 20224 min read

Diving into "21st Century Schizoid Man" in memory of Ian McDonald

As I've done twice before, I pay tribute to a recently deceased musician by looking back at one of their works.

Unfortified Castle

Music opinions thrown from a glass house.