...But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It

I’m back after an extended hiatus! It’s an acid-tinged rock opera about pinball, psychosomatic blindness, and messianic figures. Need I say more? It’s impossible for me to talk about this album without talking about the Ken Russell/Robert Stigwood production that soon followed. And speaking of movies, I give my thoughts on Mulan (2020), and I do NOT hold back.

Last week was my birthday! Instead of diving into a new album, I walked down memory lane and compile a soundtrack of one song for each year I’ve been alive, with everything from Radiohead to Eminem to Backstreet Boys to Billie Eilish. It’ll be a nice breather before we dive into two landmark concept albums from The Who and Pink Floyd. Also, I make my declaration of intent to travel abroad once the pestilence is over, as well as reflect on the life of the late Chadwick Boseman.

So slide over here and give me a moment to spotlight INXS’s KICK. These aussies added fuel to my 80s music fire with their groovy hooks, classic guitar riffs, and the late Michael Hutchence’s charisma and sex appeal. I also rant about the one dreadful song that prevents KICK from reaching greatness, as well the laughable 2005 CBS reality show held to replace Hutchence.

Sex, drugs and rock n’ roll doesn’t get more literal than Guns N’ Roses, the sleazy cock-rock band with a higher turnover rate than your average McDonald’s. My parents never understood their appeal, so this week I try to figure out what exactly the appeal of Guns N’ Roses is myself… unfortunately, I think I’ve sided with my parents this time around. I also offer my thoughts on Cardi B’s raunchy new single “WAP” and how I’m inclined to like it out of sheer spite. (Warning: contains stro

Tramps like us, baby we were born to run… While The Boss was and still is a permanent fixture on mom and dad’s playlist, I never truly appreciated his genius until a life-changing visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the summer of 2009. Of his many records, 1975’s BORN TO RUN is my favorite, as well as the one I remember most vividly as a youth. I also talk about seeing Bruce live in 2012, as well as the recent film Blinded By the Light.

I'm back from kayaking and drinking wine (not at the same time!!) to awkwardly shout into my iPhone about Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga as I nearly die of heatstroke in my parked car outside of a farmer's market. Consider it a palate cleanser before we dive into Bruce Springsteen's 1975 opus Born to Run.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Today I take a look at everyone's mom's favorite rock band, The Goo Goo Dolls and their 1998 album DIZZY UP THE GIRL that for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with for a time. I talk about their origins as a hardcore punk band (seriously) and their duet with Elmo on Sesame Street (again, seriously), and examine exactly why they aren't cool. I also talk a little about Joy Division and The (Dixie) Chicks because I needed to hear some good music as well.

Today is gonna be the day that we talk about Oasis! The great British rock band of the 90s, as famous for their constant infighting and bad boy antics as they were for their certifiable bangers. This week, I fondly recall the sheer magic of hearing “Wonderwall” in eighth grade and having to keep my obsession with Oasis a secret from the cool kids. I also grapple with my slightly embarrassing teenage crush on Liam Gallagher and offer an American’s perspective on Britpop.

And I believe this may call for a proper introduction and well... my emo phase continues with Panic! At the Disco’s excellent debut record, A FEVER YOU CAN’T SWEAT OUT, which polarized critics at the time but has aged extremely well. Today I state my case for why it’s one of the best emo albums ever made and not just a bunch of guyliner wearing pretty boys singing about cheating girlfriends and prostitutes. Also, what did I do all 4th of July weekend?

Like many of you, I was once an emo kid. Today we're looking at Fall Out Boy’s FROM UNDER THE CORK TREE, the soundtrack to many adolescent sexual awakenings in the mid-2000s... including mine. Does it still hold up 15 years later? I think so. I also talk a bit about depression, an unexpected elimination from cycle one, a criminally overlooked gem from this album, and the extremely controversial film tearing up Netflix these days.