McCready's story captures the drive and sense of community that forged the powerful backbone of the Seattle music scene of the 1980s, as their world changed forever with the explosion of grunge in the '90s. Farewell to Seasons unflinchingly shows the brutal cost it had for so many artists and musicians as it captures the lived experience of that seminal era.
Now, more than 50 years into their career, British pub-pop legends Squeeze have rested their pints long enough to revisit Trixies (BMG), a rock opera founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook wrote as teenagers before they had a record deal. In 1974. The ambition! The naivete!
The Fiery Furnaces had no expectations for their second album, 2004's Blueberry Boat. The sibling duo recorded it before their debut had even come out, and so had no idea that 2003's Gallowsbird's Bark would receive such wild acclaim: in an 8.4 review, Pitchfork called its shambolic rock'n'roll and frontwoman Eleanor Friedberger's arcane lyricism a a mess of weird, undulating musical bits that are hugely intriguing despite not always making a whole shitload of sense.
On his seventh album, Brian Christinzio confronts childhood abuse with a mix of visceral soundscapes and poignant storytelling, offering an innovative rock opera experience.