Benjamin Kassel
OneRepublic's original cut of "Apologize" remains a sentimental favorite
My 210th Senior Year Soundtrack selection is a staple of 2000s pop... sort of.
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Benjamin Kassel
Mar 20, 20223 min read
"Tainted Love": a cover that defined the 80s sound
Soft Cell weren't the originators of this song, new wave, or synth-pop, but their take on Gloria Jones set the stage for a decade of music.
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 16, 20223 min read
What is the apocalypse in "Dance Apocalyptic"?
That's a question I've had recently as I've gotten to thinking about just one of Janelle Monáe's show-stopping numbers.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 4, 20223 min read
"Paradigm" is my kind of deep house
CamelPhat are leaders of the style now, and I saw it coming with this 2015 production.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 28, 20223 min read
"Reach Out I'll Be There" is... a bit more unusual than I realized
I didn't realize that until I looked a little closer for this post, which also led me to appreciating the song even more.
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 26, 20223 min read
"I'm So Excited" has a lot going on under its surface
The Pointer Sisters' eternally catchy hit is more than meets the ear.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 25, 20225 min read
"Inner Light" speaks to my anxious self in a re-emerging social climate
Elderbrook and Bob Moses' lyrically driven house production has been a personal anthem since I first heard it about half a year ago.
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 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 17, 20223 min read
"I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow" (All of My Life)... the title speaks for itself
It's a somewhat confusing song by a band with a somewhat confusing name: The The. How fitting.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 15, 20224 min read
On "Dirt," Keane are true to themselves as they decry an all-too-familiar conflict
Their title track from last summer's EP has an unavoidable gravitas as it speaks to the fallout the innocent suffer from war.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 11, 20225 min read
"Intrasport" shouldn't work as well as it does, but I can't stop dancing to it
In complete King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard style, its weirdness only makes it better.
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 25, 20223 min read
With "Love on the Brain," Rihanna made doo-wop modern
Few pop songs have genuinely surprised me in a positive way on first listen more than today's selection did.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 22, 20224 min read
An examination of 'art pop' through "Running Up That Hill"
I examine why Kate Bush's work stands out from that of her contemporaries through one of her most successful songs in the mainstream.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 21, 20224 min read
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a Britpop hit unlike any other
Between its sampling dispute, its distinctive vocal elements, and its point of view, the Verve's enduring anthem leaves a unique impression.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 19, 20223 min read
"How Deep Is Your Love": a mature sound and discussion for the disco era
The Bee Gees delved into what happens after an initial romantic attraction in their most widely acclaimed number.
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