Benjamin Kassel
"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.
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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
Feb 22, 20225 min read
"Digital Love" is my favorite electronic track of all time
...and I break it down today to pay tribute to the two robots with human souls who made it.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 14, 20223 min read
"Strawberry Letter 23" fits today's date
Is it cool? (Is it cool?) I don't know, but it's February 14, and it feels right.
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.
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 27, 20224 min read
In "Burning in the Sun," an early Coldplay-esque sound meets bluegrass influences
With the employment of a mandolin, Blue Merle gave a sound I love a twist I never expected, but one I thoroughly enjoy.
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.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 3, 20224 min read
Carpenter Brut's cover of "Maniac" places the listener inside the mania
A "darksynth" retooling of a 1980s movie soundtrack classic gives the lyrics and title a much more fitting treatment.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 1, 20224 min read
I ring in 2022 with "Comfortably Numb," of all songs
Why? It just kind of happened once, and I've kept it up since... but I try to read into it anyway.
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.
Benjamin Kassel
Dec 9, 20213 min read
Thanks to its synth pad, "Let Me Touch Your Fire" narratively leans into its title
A R I Z O N A sonically track their narrator's heart opening up as they unexpectedly feel love.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 6, 20215 min read
With "One Headlight," the Wallflowers resolutely navigate toward better days
Jakob Dylan and company paint the end of youthful innocence as a time for reaffirming oneself and continuing to move forward.
Benjamin Kassel
Oct 1, 20214 min read
"Dancing in the Moonlight" is the sound of harmless joy and escape...
It's light, it's upbeat... and the context in which it was written definitely explains its sound.
Benjamin Kassel
Sep 26, 20214 min read
"She's Not There" combines various influences into a stirring pop rock hit
The title of the Zombies' jumpstart single is an answer, but it, along with the rest of the song, only breeds more questions.
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