Videos

25 years ago today (4/30/01), Mogwai released their third album, Rock Action. Taking a lighter, less brooding approach, the band began incorporating synthesizers for the first time, dialing back their trademark loud-quiet extremes. Much of the album was pieced together in fragmented sessions across the UK, lending it a hazy,…

Ten years ago today (4/29/16), King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard released their tenth studio album Nonagan Infinity- one that many consider their favorite from the prolific band. Constructed as an “infinite loop,” the album’s nine tracks flow seamlessly into one another, forming a perpetual motion engine of psychedelic rock.…

20 years ago today (4/28/06), Tool released their fourth album 10,000 Days. Arriving five years after Lateralus, 10,000 Days doubles down on atmosphere, restraint, and emotional weight. At its core is the two-part suite “Wings for Marie (Pt. 1)” and “10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2),” a deeply personal tribute to…

75 years ago today (4/27/51), the late Ace Frehley was born. Few guitarists are as instantly recognizable—both visually and sonically—as Ace Frehley. Ace Frehley joined KISS in the early ’70s, stepping into the role of the “Spaceman”—silver makeup, a futuristic edge, and a stage presence that leaned more toward cool…

40 years ago today (4/24/86), Bruce Hornsby & The Range released their debut album The Way It Is. It sounded quite unlike anything previously out there, as it was piano-driven pop-rock, but not in a 70’s Billy Joel type of way. Hornsby’s playing draws on jazz phrasing, gospel touches, and…

30 years ago today (4/23/96), a then-little-known Austin outfit called Spoon released its debut full-length, Telephono, on Matador. Cut on a shoestring budget, the album didn’t make much commercial noise or immediately elevate the band to headlining status, but it quietly laid the groundwork for what was to come. Over…

Happy 75th birthday to one of the finest blue-eyed soul voices of the last half-century, Paul Carrack (born 4/22/51). If pure vocal ability were the only measure, Carrack would be mentioned alongside heavyweights like Rod Stewart and Elton John. Beyond his unmistakable voice, Carrack is a gifted keyboardist whose career…

Hard to believe it’s been a decade, but 2016 was a brutal year for musical icon deaths. On this day (4/21/16), Prince died suddenly at 57 from a fentanyl overdose, just one week after the final stop on his Piano & A Microphone Tour. There’s nothing quite like peak ’80s…

25 years ago today (4/17/21), Unwound released their final album, Leaves Turn Inside You, via Kill Rock Stars. Long before “post-rock” textures and experimental indie became commonplace in the early aughts, Unwound were folding those elements into a punk framework that was distinctly their own. The trio stretches far beyond…

35 years ago today (4/16/91), the lone album from Temple of the Dog was released. The Seattle collective brought together Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden with Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Jeff Ament—just as Pearl Jam was beginning to take shape. The project was conceived as…