Why It Matters

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On Diffuser: 32 Years Ago – The Replacements Release the Perfect Mess, ‘Hootenanny’

Okay, 32 isn’t one of your major anniversaries, but any excuse to write about the ‘Mats, right? Hootenanny was their second album (there was an EP in there, too, so technically their third release), and it’s one of my favorites. Read all about the greatest album that alcohol ever created in this piece on Diffuser.
Deep Cuts: Songs About Jobs

Work. As kids we can’t wait to get jobs. The idea of getting off of the kid economy — the birthday cards, allowance, babysitting and lawn mowing money — means freedom. Imagine all of the cool things I’ll be able to buy. Nobody will be able to tell me what to do with my cash.…
On Diffuser: Nine Inch Nails’ ‘With Teeth,’ 10 Years Later

With Teeth was the fourth full-length Nine Inch Nails album and the first from a clean and sober Trent Reznor. Here’s a look back.
On Loudwire: My Interview With Sebastian Bach

I had my reservations about interviewing Sebastian Bach. The singer has a bit of a reputation anyway, and I knew going in that I was going to have to ask him about Skid Row’s recent announcement that they’d hired a new singer. I felt like a condemned man.
215. The Cookies Are Always Just Out Of Reach

To everything there is a season, and for Tales From the Crypt that season wrapped up after 18 episodes. The cutting rooms were shut down, the hundreds of thousands of feet of film packed into boxes that I hauled to a giant warehouse in the Valley. All of my friends moved on to their next…
On My Turntable: Bumblefoot – Little Brother Is Watching

Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal’s latest album is batshit crazy.
On Diffuser: That Artist You Hate? Maybe It’s a Character

Quick question: Do you believe that Bruce Springsteen is Bruce Springsteen? What about Gene Simmons — do you believe that he’s a fire breathing demon? Does it even matter? I mean, it’s all about the music, so who cares whether the Beastie Boys are bad boy rappers or nice Jewish boys from Brooklyn? But we…
From the Stacks: Metallica – No Life ’til Leather

Here’s an example of everything that is right about Record Store Day, and everything that is wrong with Record Store Day.
Throw Beck Thursday: 5 Customer Service Stories You Never Want To Emulate

We all have horrible customer service stories. Get out your One Up hats and try to beat these. My first jobs included burger flipping and retail, two classic teenaged vocations that sadly have become adult vocations, but that’s another topic. Back in what we sometimes refer to as “the day,” when both televisions and microwaves…
On Diffuser: The Roots of Indie – The Reverend Horton Heat Talks Rockabilly

Man, this one was a real blast. I love talking music history, so getting to sit down with a guy like Jim Heath who know so much about music was a real thrill. What you see in the final is only about half of what we discussed — damn you, column length!