Jeff Is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, whose work has appeared on Stereogum, Bandcamp, Post-Trash and SPIN. He’s also a hopelessly dedicated New York Rangers fan, and will always have a special place in his heart for Phil Collins. Happiness is an IPA and a Menzingers album.
For every success story in the history of rock music, there are an equal amount of flame outs and misses. To make it, you have to be talented but you also have to be more than a fair amount of lucky. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a long fruitful career making music for decades, but if you’re really lucky, your…
In the early 2000s, Taking Back Sunday were just some dudes living in Long Island, New York. Vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist and vocalist John Nolan, guitarist Eddie Reyes, bassist Shaun Cooper, and drummer Mark O'Connell all were working day jobs, but they were trying to make the music thing work, organizing DIY tours up and down the East Coast when…
By 2001, alt-rock heroes Incubus were on the verge of something big. Their third album, 1999's Make Yourself, was a crossover hit, thanks to singles "Stellar," "Pardon Me" and "Drive," all of which were on constant rotation on alt-rock radio and MTV. To capitalize on the momentum and record a follow-up, the band rented a beachside mansion on Morning View…
When you come to Philadelphia, it’s not hard to see its rich history everywhere you look. From the cobblestone streets under your feet to the brick facade of Independence Hall, its history is embedded within every crack and crevice. Similarly, Philadelphia’s history can also be heard through its music, from the sound of Philadelphia Soul in the '60s and '70s…
In the winter of 2013, guitarist Kerry McCoy and vocalist George Clarke — founding members of black metal innovators Deafheaven — went into the studio to record what would eventually come their breakthrough album Sunbather. Armed with home-recorded demos and high ambitions, they were ready, but they were scared as hell. "I just wanted to make sure that the record…
It's been a minute since we've seen the classic blink-182 lineup of Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker, and Tom DeLonge together — eight years, to be exact. While the band has gone through some hardships and personnel changes during that time, their music has remained ubiquitous and engrained in today's music landscape. With new single "Edging" in tow, blink-182 ushered in…
Power pop may not necessarily be a genre en vogue, but there is something admirable about an artist who devotes their energy to crafting the perfect pop song with nothing but a guitar and a story to tell. Like many things in music, its origins start with the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, and the Kinks. While the likes…
Back in August, nu-metal heroes Linkin Park released their first new song since the passing of lead singer Chester Bennington in 2017. The song, "She Couldn’t," is a lost B-side from their massive debut Hybrid Theory, which turns 20 this October 24. Built upon a minimalist trip-hop beat and a ghostly Mos Def sample, "She Couldn’t" sounds nothing like the album that…
