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 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 16, 20224 min read
"B.O.B": misunderstood frantic goodness
Outkast's magnum opus has taken on quite an interesting life since its 2000 release.
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
Feb 23, 20225 min read
"The Catalyst" describes how I feel given current events in Ukraine
*inhales*
*SCREAMS INTERNALLY*
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 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
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.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 11, 20214 min read
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" Our veterans certainly have
In a thousand-yard stare of a song, CCR — contrary to many other artists — reflect on how darkness can always penetrate the light.
Benjamin Kassel
Aug 30, 20213 min read
"Spill the Wine," an early 70s gem that comes from just about everywhere
Eric Burdon and War prove to be the perfect soundtrack for a lazy weekend day near the start of the school year.
Benjamin Kassel
Aug 26, 20216 min read
"Gimme Shelter" from... a lot of things
A selection made in the wake of on-campus protests, as well as in tribute to a masterful drummer.
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