Hardcore was regional music that reached and changed the world. The local references, in-jokes, and our-scene-is-best boosterism are part of what makes it so compelling. Like the best American…   Read Story »

When a musician dies, they leave behind an aural legacy -- songs that serve as eternal reminders of what this person did when the microphone was on. This legacy isn't always difficult to pick out.…   Read Story »

Was anyone in music ever so jaded and armored so fully, at such a young age, as Alex Chilton? The genius who launched a thousand great bands in his wake was seemingly burnt out by the music business…   Read Story »

The best part of getting into music while growing up is the constant sense of discovery. This feeling disappears as the years go by. Most adults who spend a lot of time and money on music know the…   Read Story »

In a perfect world, all albums would be self-contained universes. A good album can communicate complex emotions and ideas with the aid of just a little context; a great album can communicate…   Read Story »

As far as being a band in 2012 goes, Grizzly Bear has it pretty good. Critical darlings aren't often financially successful as artists and vice-versa. Yet, the Brooklyn troupe has spent the past…   Read Story »

When dealing with any individual possessing the sheer magnitude of Bob Dylan -- a figure utterly massive in terms of talent, mythology and self-regard -- it becomes difficult to speak to his "lesser"…   Read Story »

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to select the rising bands which have connected them, someone wrote a long time ago. Or, something close to that. Here's what…   Read Story »

I remember driving down Pacific Coast Highway with my dad, listening to Merriweather Post Pavilion, when he suddenly asked why Animal Collective repeat themselves so much. I was driving and looking…   Read Story »

Last year, New York City's Randall's Island hosted 85,000 EDM-loving festival-goers at Electric Zoo. This Labor Day weekend, when the massive party celebrates its third-annual event, the island is…   Read Story »