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Sometimes you miss the bus. A certain album drops, it creates a splash, it’s on everyone’s best-of lists of the year and FOMO sets in. You check out the album and try to hop on real quick, but for some reason, the inclination to do so never comes. What’s all the...

WHO: Shellac WHAT: To All Trains WHY: In a world full of phonies, Steve Albini was a real one even to the real ones. To All Trains is a wonderful sendoff both to the main and his band. It rocks, it paces, it pounds, it zigs and zags, and is full of humor in a way no...

Dune Part Two It’s shocking to think that the Dune movies have been a success. Yes – spoiler alert – I like Dune Two. But, the reason it’s so shocking to me is because Dune is just too weird and complex to appeal to a mass audience. It’s not because they’re...

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Seeing a good opener can be a cathartic experience. Sometimes it’s interesting, and you check them out when you go home, but most of the time it’s forgettable. I can count on one hand when an opener has blown me away, and I don’t even need all my fingers. When I...

WHO: (the) Melvins WHAT: Tarantula Heart WHY: The Melvins “joke” that this is the best album they’ve released ever or in a long time. I don’t know if that’s necessarily true, because I remember Bases Loaded being pretty great. The thing with the Melvins is...

Sarah De Valliere The Healing (independent) The Healing is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard in a long time. De Valliere’s vocals and piano are sweet and lush. Her melodies caress the ears. The music is soulful pop, with touches of blues and jazz, as well...

The Ergs!/Boris the Sprinkler/EggheadLive @ Crystal BallroomSomerville, MA One of the funnest tours of 2024 might be over, but it’s never too late to find out about it. Huh, I should work on my intros more. But why didn’t I write about the Egghead/Boris the...

Purple Rain40th Anniversary Edition This is a weird one. The soundtrack is a banger, but the movie is straight up Prince propaganda. That may be obvious to everyone, but it’s also my main hangup with Prince. Prince the man, as he portrays himself, is what’s...