Andrew Spiess

May 28, 2024 | popmatters.com | Andrew Spiess

In 1985, following Washington DC’s Revolution Summer, a movement conceived by Dischord Records and bands like Rites of Spring and Embrace, people in the DC punk scene began speaking the words “emotional hardcore” and “emocore”. That was emo’s first wave, and it didn’t sit well with artists inside or outside the scene. Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat, Embrace, and Fugazi famously disparaged the idea of it on stage in the mid-1980s. Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth made fun of it on camera.

Apr 16, 2024 | popmatters.com | Andrew Spiess

Mule VariationsAnti- RecordsAt no point during Tom Waits‘ decades-long career has he adhered to current trends. In the 1970s, he didn’t have to worry about it because singer-songwriters were already trendy. Waits wrote and released six albums in the 1970s alone, specifically between 1973 and 1978. Back then, he was in his mid-to-late 20s and had as much energy and ambition as a gruff night owl like him could muster through extensive writing, recording, and touring.

Mar 26, 2024 | popmatters.com | Andrew Spiess

Live, Laugh, LoveSuicide SqueezeIt’s rare to see a group that floats thoughts of dying in their music without coating their songs in melodrama. It’s equally rare to witness said musical artists simultaneously apply humor to their songs without contrivance. Usually, something feels forced, but this isn’t the case with indie pop rockers Chastity Belt, who has embodied a silly yet sad disposition since their first LP, 2013’s No Regerts. Their new album, Live Laugh Love, follows suit.

Mar 20, 2024 | popmatters.com | Andrew Spiess

MadvillainyStones Throw RecordsTo find the catalyst of the ceaselessly beloved Madvillain project, a duo consisting of the elusive and ever-prolific Madlib and the late, great MF DOOM, you must look towards Peanut Butter Wolf. This is the stage name of the founder of Stones Throw Records, the Los Angeles-based label that, along with Rhymesayers and Definitive Jux, was arguably the best platform for underground hip-hop artists to release music at the time.

Dec 7, 2023 | popmatters.com | Andrew Spiess

This year, the San Fransisco Bay Area has revealed itself as a hardcore punk engine, churning out some of the best hardcore within the last decade. Many new bands keep punk music fresh and engaging, producing short albums, some not even 20 minutes long but full of heart, kinetic energy, and exceptional songwriting. Still, as you’ll see, great punk and hardcore punk bands have been sprouting from unexpected places.