Essentials

Love Will Tear Us Apart: Joy Division’s ‘Closer’ at 40
The life and death of an album that defined and abruptly ended an era.
1001 Albums #1: Frank Sinatra’s ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ (1955)
A series in which I listen and write about every single entry in Universe Publishing's '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Jónsi’s ‘Go’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Father John Misty’s ‘I Love You, Honeybear’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Public Service Broadcasting’s ‘Every Valley’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Real Estate’s ‘Atlas’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Girls’ ‘Father, Son, Holy Ghost’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: The Roots’ ‘Undun’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Michigan’
Sufjan cut no corners on the first (and second to last) installment of his 50 States Project.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Tokyo Police Club’s ‘Champ’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Mumford & Sons’ ‘Sigh No More’
The album that broke indie-folk into the mainstream is a heck of a lot deeper than banjos and catchy choruses.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: MGMT’s ‘Oracular Spectacular’
MGMT's classic 2008 debut is an album unlike anything found in the furthest reaches of space.
Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ Turns 40
If 'Rumours' made Fleetwood Mac superstars, 'Tusk' made them legends.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Jamie xx’s ‘In Colour’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
THE UNDERDOGS: Animal Collective’s ‘Centipede Hz’
A column about underrated albums that didn’t get their due.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Cream’s ‘Disraeli Gears’
The gospel of the '60s psych rock reformation.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: ‘The Head and the Heart’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: ‘Abbey Road’ Side A
Fifty years later, 'Abbey Road' might be the greatest breakup letter ever written.
Girls’ ‘Album’ Turns 10
Music this profound often comes from a dark place.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Destroyer’s ‘Kaputt’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Arcade Fire’s ‘Funeral’
The indie rock royals made their perfect debut 15 years ago.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: alt-J’s ‘An Awesome Wave’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
ALBUM OPERATOR’S CRATE CLASSICS: Edan’s ‘Beaty and the Beat’
On “Crate Classics,” Album Operator dusts off the records of his college radio sets in Boston ('96-'00) and his days DJing NYC in the early '00s.
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: The National’s ‘High Violet’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: ‘Long May You Run’
"Funny how some things that start spontaneously end that way."
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: Japandroids’ ‘Celebration Rock’
MMC Writers reflect on their favorite records of the 2010s.
Hidden Gems: Lil Ugly Mane’s ‘Mista Thug Isolation’
With Hidden Gems, we look back at great albums that haven't gotten the attention they deserve.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Mac Miller’s ‘Swimming’
We lost Mac Miller a year ago this week.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Banks & Steelz’ ‘Anything But Words’
When you think about it, the unlikely, underrated rap-rock collaboration makes perfect sense.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Interpol’s ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’
Interpol's debut is equal parts visceral euphoria and perspicacious workout.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Wu-Tang Clan, “Enter The Wu (36 Chambers)’
'36 Chambers' quintessentially terra-formed the topography of rap.
Sunset Rubdown: A Decade of Absurdity and Escapism
Ten years since their final album, Sunset Rubdown's discography is a welcome reprieve from the modern world.
THE UNDERDOGS: Spoon’s ‘Transference’
A column about underrated albums that didn’t get their due.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Cory Branan’s ‘The No-Hit Wonder’
It's a wonder this alt-country LP wasn't more of a hit!
‘Kind of Blue’ Turns 60
There's a reason Miles Davis' seminal work is widely acknowledged as the greatest jazz album of all time.
ESSENTIALS: Before The Shins, There Was Flake Music
James Mercer is so meta he named his second band after his first band.
The xx’s Debut Turns 10
Some albums are forever linked to a specific place and time.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: The Garden State Soundtrack
The generation-defining soundtrack turns 15 years old this week.
Hidden Gems: Sweet Trip’s ‘velocity:design:comfort.’
With Hidden Gems, we look back at great albums that haven't gotten the attention they deserve.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Pink Floyd’s ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’
A free-form fusion of kaleidoscopic engineering, psychotropic songwriting, and symphonically-expanded consciousness.
Jay Reatard’s ‘Watch Me Fall’ Turns 10
The Memphis punk legend's last album shows the incredible talent that slipped away before we knew him.
‘Fear Of Music’ Turns 40
Talking Heads' third record remains one of the most foreboding records ever made.
THE UNDERDOGS: The Cars’ ‘Candy-O’
A column about underrated albums that didn’t get their due.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: The Strokes’ ‘Is This It’
The turn of the century classic turns 18 years old this week.
‘Paul’s Boutique’ Turns 30
The commercial flop and sample-based masterpiece could have easily never happened.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: ‘Born in the U.S.A.’
Thirty-five years later, it's still a subversive proclamation about everyday Americans.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Florence + The Machine’s ‘Lungs’
Much like respiration, Florence Welch's debut is as easy to listen to as it is invigorating.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Regina Spektor’s ‘Far’
The singer-songwriter's ambitious and brilliant fifth album came out 10 years ago this week
Joy Division’s ‘Unknown Pleasures’ Turns 40
The claustrophobic post-punk masterpiece still stuns four decades later.
Sigur Rós’ ‘Ágætis Byrjun’ Turns 20
The Icelandic post-rockers' magnum opus remains miles ahead of everything that preceded or followed.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’
The first taste of Bowie's infinite potential.
Dirty Projectors’ ‘Bitte Orca’ Turns 10
When avant garde meets pop accessibility, magical things can happen.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’
One of the most celebrated and endlessly influential albums in rock history.
‘Ill Communication’ Turns 25
Could Beastie Boys' wildly entertaining 4th album in fact be their best?
The Bitter Battle for “Bittersweet Symphony” Ends on a Sweet Note
A rock and roll hatchet has finally been buried.
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: ‘Straight Outta Compton’
They don't call 'em "The World's Most Dangerous Group" for nothing
Grizzly Bear’s ‘Veckatimest’ Turns 10
The late '00s were a strange time for popular music.
‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ Turns 10
An effortless, infectious indie pop classic as witty as it is wise.
‘The Undertones’ Turns 40
The old farts turn 40, but they are still able to give you the teenage kicks!
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: Greta Van Fleet’s ‘Black Smoke Rising’
What do you do when you’re part of a set of twin musicians, with a
Kiefer’s Music Mondays: ‘Zeppelin IV’
Otherwise known as "ZoSo," "Runes," or by its technical name: four indescribable symbols.
‘The Soft Bulletin’ Turns 20
The Flaming Lips album where everything came together.
Moby’s ‘Play’ Turns 20
Looking back at Moby's groundbreaking masterpiece.
Say It Ain’t So: Weezer’s Blue Album Turns 25
How many songs have maintained constant rotation on alternative rock radio for the past 25 years? This album has four of them.
‘The Stone Roses’ at 30
The album that broke (and typified) the Madchester scene.
The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’ at 30
The album that said goodbye to the dark ‘80s and led it into the living rooms of the next decade.
My First Vinyl Record: ‘Album’ by Girls
In honor of Record Store Day, a few of our writers have shared the story of their first vinyl record.
My First Vinyl Record: ‘Abbey Road’
In honor of Record Store Day, a few of our writers have shared the story of their first vinyl record.
Hole’s ‘Live Through This’ at 25
On the 25th anniversary of Hole’s 'Live Through This', Ben Demars share his appreciation of the grunge classic.
‘Breakfast In America’ at 40
Carlo Thomas gives his modern assessment of Supertramp’s overblown dad rock classic.
Everybody’s Talking About Harry Nilsson
And that can't be a bad thing!
MC5’s ‘Kick Out The Jams’ Turns 50
The first punk rock landmark.
Smog’s ‘Knock Knock’ Turns 20
Where it really began for Bill Callahan.
Fever Ray’s Debut Turns 10
A gorgeous and mysterious meditation of experimental pop.
Animal Collective’s ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’ Turns 10
Merriweather Post Pavilion turns 10 years old today. The Sgt. Pepper of neo-psychedelia, the album
Kanye West’s ‘808s & Heartbreak’ Turns 10
The album that made it okay to cry in hip-hop.
ALBUMS WE’RE THANKFUL FOR: Deerhunter’s ‘Halcyon Digest’ Showed Me What an ‘Album’ Can Be
For Thanksgiving, MMC Writers are sharing records they're grateful for.
ALBUMS WE’RE THANKFUL FOR: Beastie Boys’ ‘Check Your Head’ Started Everything for Me
For Thanksgiving, MMC Writers are sharing records they're grateful for.
ALBUMS WE’RE THANKFUL FOR: Greenday’s ‘Dookie’ Gave Me Courage To Be Myself
For Thanksgiving, MMC Writers are sharing records they're grateful for.
ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Village Green Preservation Society’ Is The Kinks’ Magnum Opus
The definitive edition of the Kinks definitive masterpiece.
JAZZ STARTER KIT: Sun Ra’s ‘Atlantis’
An iconic portal for entering the galaxy of Sun Ra.
The Band Painted Their Masterpiece 50 Years Ago
And changed Rock and Roll forever.