rock | Unfortified Castle

"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.

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.

"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.

"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.

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.

"American Pie," a memorial to lost innocence as much as lost musicians

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 3, 20224 min read

"American Pie," a memorial to lost innocence as much as lost musicians

As Don McLean captured, "The Day the Music Died" was only the beginning of a period of sweeping cultural change in the United States.

"I Want to Know What Love Is," a power ballad that's more than a cut above

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 28, 20223 min read

"I Want to Know What Love Is," a power ballad that's more than a cut above

Foreigner put lyrics first en route to creating one of the greatest love anthems in all of popular music.

"Black Hole Sun" was my gateway into grunge

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.

"Gospel for a New Century": organized anxious chaos

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.

"Sultans of Swing" is pure pub rock with a story of a jazz experience

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 14, 20223 min read

"Sultans of Swing" is pure pub rock with a story of a jazz experience

Dire Straits don't directly echo the music implied by their story, but they embody it just enough to tell a convincing and memorable tale.

"Call Me" and the timeless sound of 1980

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 6, 20223 min read

"Call Me" and the timeless sound of 1980

Blondie's Moroder-produced movie soundtrack anthem presents the state of pop at a sonic inflection point — a sound people still love today.

"Riders on the Storm," a master class in atmosphere

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 23, 20213 min read

"Riders on the Storm," a master class in atmosphere

The song doesn't even have the word "rain" in it, but its presence is undoubted, as is that of Jim Morrison's most personal character.

"Life on Mars?": or, when Bowie outdid Frankie

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 17, 20215 min read

"Life on Mars?": or, when Bowie outdid Frankie

I celebrate and tell the story of my very favorite track from the Starman on the golden anniversary of its initial release.

"Give a Little Bit" really hits home here in Berkeley during finals prep

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 10, 20213 min read

"Give a Little Bit" really hits home here in Berkeley during finals prep

Amidst the stress of finals prep, small gestures and acts of kindness can go a long way. Today I managed to grind out my English final...

"Hold On" gives me the motivation I need this time of year

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 2, 20213 min read

"Hold On" gives me the motivation I need this time of year

Alabama Shakes strike a beautiful balance between the deeply personal and the globally applicable in the narrative of their debut single.

Shocking Blue's rocking "Venus" has a surprising country backstory

Benjamin Kassel

Nov 29, 20214 min read

Shocking Blue's rocking "Venus" has a surprising country backstory

...and I only learned about it today.

"Fire" reflects its title through the raw energy of the Jimi Hendrix Experience

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.