Unfortified Castle

Pulp’s song — framed around a future that’s become the past — makes me grapple with my understanding of time unlike any other.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

...as is pretty much every Rage Against The Machine song.

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

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.

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

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

The ever-excellent band combine classic rock influences with their modern indie sound on a recent single.

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

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

*inhales* *SCREAMS INTERNALLY*

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

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

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