Benjamin Kassel
"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.
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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 23, 20225 min read
"The Catalyst" describes how I feel given current events in Ukraine
*inhales*
*SCREAMS INTERNALLY*
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.
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.
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.
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