Mare Cognitum — Solar Paroxysm Being a guy who still only has a passing familiarity with the wide scope of black metal, I do know that the genre has reputation for being made by insulated weirdos with questionable politics. But don’t worry about the man behind Mare Cognitum, Jacob…

I got into SO MANY records this year. I had much more of a drive than usual to search for new music. Maybe it was due to being at home much more and needing to feel connected to the outside world. Maybe it was due to an exceptionally good year…

Is This Still Good? is a series in which I revisit records that I loved as a youngish person, and examine how well they have held up over the years for me. How did I get into this record? I’ll never understand how. My best guess is that 311 got…

Is This Still Good? is a series in which I revisit records that I loved as a youngish person, and examine how well they have held up over the years for me. How did I get into this record? I don’t have much of a story with this one. I…

Is This Still Good? is a series in which I revisit records that I loved as a youngish person, and examine how well they have held up over the years for me. How did I get into this record? In the spring of 2002, my friend Adam Horning traveled to…

*Is This Still Good? is a series in which I revisit records that I loved as a youngish person, and examine how well they have held up over the years for me.* How did I get into this record? The Sunday night before my first day of 7th grade in…

I live in Des Moines, Iowa, where if you want to root for a professional sports team, you get to pick literally anyone. Because my mom married my stepdad in the mid-90’s, at a time when his childhood Dallas Cowboys fandom was reinvigorated thanks to their big success, that’s the…

The last year of this decade was my least favorite, as far as music goes. I’m not quite sure why this was the case, but I think it might have to do with it being the busiest year of my life. It turns out having two children takes up a…

I’m writing about the newest Sleater-Kinney record because it is not in my list of favorite records that came out this year. It just can’t be. But I also have to talk about it and get my feelings out in some way, or I won’t feel like I’ve properly explained…