Benjamin Kassel
"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.
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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 2, 20224 min read
I appreciate "Day 'n' Nite" now more than I ever did before
I only came around to hip hop a few years ago, but more recent developments make it resonate with me even more now.
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 16, 20224 min read
"After the Storm" is a dreamy combo of neo soul and P-Funk
Kali Uchis and Tyler, the Creator provide the former feeling, while the latter comes from the space bassist, Bootsy Collins himself.
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
Jan 31, 20224 min read
"Spinning Wheel" is a most unusual jazz fusion track... and I love it
This song is out there, but it's a good kind of out there because of how Blood, Sweat & Tears mediate all its intricacies and oddities.
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 17, 20224 min read
"Gospel for a New Century": organized anxious chaos
I got hooked on Yves Tumor's sound from this track alone and the complex internal war it captures.
Benjamin Kassel
Dec 30, 20214 min read
"Kids" makes us think back to simpler times... with heavy consequences
MGMT's tribute to youth is far from rose-colored, reminding us of just how much we impact the world from the day we're thrown into it.
Benjamin Kassel
Dec 7, 20213 min read
"Waterloo Sunset" examines a complex case of escapism
The Kinks' beautiful psychedelic pop rock track has a narrator who just can't let himself enjoy life to the fullest.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 19, 20213 min read
"Fire" reflects its title through the raw energy of the Jimi Hendrix Experience
Is it pyromania? No, but it's a frantic and psychedelic trip that makes you feel like something's burning inside you.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 7, 20213 min read
"96 Tears": Grounded in its time, or anticipatory of rock's future?
Its sound as as mid-60s as you can get, but its perspective might lend itself to being a forerunner of more contemporary movements.
Benjamin Kassel
Oct 8, 20215 min read
"Grazing in the Grass" has a heck of an origin story and a decade-defining sound
It doesn't get more 60s than how the Friends of Distinction spun an instrumental classic. And how do Zambia and Jim Brown each play a part?
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