It’s no secret among the socially unlucky that Queens of the Stone Age have roots in a certain microsubgenre known as “desert rock.” The term has never really worked for me; maybe especially when it comes to this, the most…
From the Record Crate: The Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (2002)
Somehow, and maybe through error, I’ve arrived at a certain impression of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and how it’s regarded. Basically, it goes: while Yoshimi is the mainstream breakthrough and accessible starter for The Flaming Lips, it’s actually The…
Album Review: Grateful Dead – “Cornell 5/8/77”
I am not a Deadhead. It wouldn’t matter if I were a Deadhead, but I’m not a Deadhead. I’m more likely to follow Beach House around on tour than Phish. However, I do know most of the beloved Dead classics.…
From the Record Crate: Neil Young – “Harvest” (1972)
Lately, “Neil Young in the 1970s” is almost interchangeable with the idea of “a consistent decade-long run of classic albums.” Although some will argue for their favorite–often citing After the Gold Rush, Rust Never Sleeps, or On the Beach as…
From the Record Crate: David Bowie – “Low” (1977)
Between addiction and sobriety, between indulgence and discipline, David Bowie traveledl to Berlin as a way of imposing change upon himself. It is fitting that the album, then, contains a famous stylistic split. The pop songs of the first half…
From the Record Crate: Beach House – “Beach House” (2006)
The ten year anniversary of Beach House’s debut record is initially surprising but also, upon reflection, right on time. With six albums behind them, each with its own self-contained world, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are a world and road-tested…
