Benjamin Kassel
"Disco 2000" speaks beyond its titular year
Pulp’s song — framed around a future that’s become the past — makes me grapple with my understanding of time unlike any other.
top of page
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 30, 2022
- 4 min
"Carry On Wayward Son": mega-hit motivation
I've felt down and out lately, but hearing Kansas on the radio got me mentally trending the right way to remedy that.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 29, 2022
- 3 min
"Hail to the King" has always wowed me... and now it also makes me think
The tap-filled anthem is one of my 21st-century rock favorites, but its lyrical theming didn't register with me until very recently.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 28, 2022
- 3 min
"Interstate Love Song": a familiar riff leads to introspection
It's the end of my last break, and a song about being on the road soundtracks the way I feel underneath a calm exterior.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 25, 2022
- 4 min
"Learn to Fly" takes on extra weight in the wake of Taylor Hawkins' death
I'd been sitting on this song for a while, never imagining I'd write about it for this reason... but it painfully fits the moment.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 23, 2022
- 3 min
"Evil Ways": the birth of Latin cool
Okay, how has it taken me this long to talk about Santana on here? That's borderline criminal — and I'm remedying that ASAP.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 19, 2022
- 4 min
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is more than a meme
...but the meme's wide reach means that's how most think of the Blue Öyster Cult's classic tune.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 18, 2022
- 3 min
Tracking my changing relationship with "Hearts Burst Into Fire"
It's a fitting song to soundtrack my return home... but that's a pretty new way for me to approach it.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 15, 2022
- 3 min
"Bulls on Parade" is timeless for the unsavory truths it tells
...as is pretty much every Rage Against The Machine song.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 14, 2022
- 3 min
I needed the calmness of "Black Water" tonight
I'm stressed as [CENSORED]. This Doobie Brothers gem helped mitigate that a bit.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 13, 2022
- 4 min
"It Gets Dark" is a welcome new release in multiple ways
It's an excellent pop track on its own, it came with an album announcement, and its message is welcome as I work through internal matters.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 6, 2022
- 3 min
"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is my top pick from the 2000s garage revival
The White Stripes' 2001 single showcases their unmistakable sound in my favorite ways.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 5, 2022
- 4 min
"Mrs. Robinson": not (just) a film song
Simon & Garfunkel's hit from The Graduate is a reflection of their thoughts on mid-60s America.
Benjamin Kassel
- Mar 4, 2022
- 3 min
"Wild" is yet another success from Spoon
The ever-excellent band combine classic rock influences with their modern indie sound on a recent single.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 28, 2022
- 5 min
Confronting my past through "This Is Gospel"
*deep breath* This is a pretty personal piece, but that's because of what this song means and has meant to me.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 25, 2022
- 3 min
"Message in a Bottle": togetherness... in loneliness?
As weird as that sounds, that's exactly how Sting positions his lyrics in one of the Police's many timeless hits.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 24, 2022
- 5 min
"The Catalyst" describes how I feel given current events in Ukraine
*inhales*
*SCREAMS INTERNALLY*
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 21, 2022
- 3 min
"Undun," the Guess Who's jazzy warning against acid
One of the finest pop compositions of the 60s is very much embedded in its time.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 19, 2022
- 5 min
"Toxicity" exhibits masterful mediation of contrast
My old System of a Down favorite is extreme in its timbral changes, but musically consistent — a recipe for an intense, engaging listen.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 13, 2022
- 4 min
Diving into "21st Century Schizoid Man" in memory of Ian McDonald
As I've done twice before, I pay tribute to a recently deceased musician by looking back at one of their works.
© 2021— by Benjamin Kassel. Proudly created with Wix.
bottom of page