Rock Archive

“Alexa… play ‘Free’, by Florence + the Machine… Alexa… again.” - For a week, “Free," a new song from Florence + the Machine, has been in heavy rotation here, sometimes at a volume that the neighbors notice. If you’ve ever had personal

21st Century Breakdown - Consumer Warning: This is not a site that deals with politics; I struggle with that sometimes, but I generally manage to take no positions or even refer to current events,

A Date with John Waters - Those who have heeded my advice and added A John Waters Christmas to their holiday music collection need read no further. The maestro has followed

A Head Butler Investigation: The Eschaton, David Foster Wallace, and the Decemberists - David Foster Wallace’s “Infinite Jest” was published in 1996. I haven’t read one of its 1,096 pages. The Decemberists released “Calamity Song” in 2011. I just heard it. I got to

A John Waters Christmas - Do you know John Waters? Of course you do --- he's the film director from Baltimore. The one with the sinister moustache. The one who makes those

Adele - “Television,” a wise man said, “is not to watch, it’s to appear on.”  My sentiments, exactly. I sit in front of a screen all day. At night, why would I want

Aftermath - The "world's greatest rock band" has been a parody of itself for so long that even those of us who were around when they earned the title have trouble explaining the

Al Kooper: Blood, Sweat & Tears - You don’t have to be old to take this quiz. An acquaintance with Classic Rock will suffice. Here’s the question: Which is your least favorite band of the 1970s --- Chicago,

Alabama Shakes - I think it all the time: Where is the successor to Otis Redding? Janis Joplin? Mavis Staples? Why can’t any young band --- and I do mean any band that’s

Alabama Shakes (Take 2) - You’d like to know which of the new hot books you should read, or if the top-grossing new movie is worth it, or what the cool kids are listening to? Sorry.

Alternate Roots: Somewhere in America - Another school shooting is like another Trump outrage --- you get numb. But last night I started to watch a video taken inside a Florida classroom as the killer shot

American Idiot -   American Idiot Green Day Work out? Have an iPod? Like that inspired "Rocky" feeling when the right music kicks in and you pick up

An Intimate Interview: Beneath the Surface of Bruce Springsteen - After a year on Broadway, the Bruce Springsteen evenings have come to an end. It’s an amazing show --- I saw it in January and reviewed it here -- and

Arcade Fire - At the end of a Carnegie Hall tribute to Bruce Springsteen, the Boss strolled onstage. He started to sing “Rosalita.” It's a long song and the

Asaf Avidan - The music of Asaf Avidan caused the child to make the rare visit to my office that was not about money. As ever, her assessment was blunt: “She is awful.” This is

Astral Weeks (Take Two) -     I was at a conference.

Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl - All decisions trail strands of complications, but my decision to start HeadButler.com had a simple fact at its core --- even those who professed to love the music

At Last - Our 7.75-year-old has learned how to download from iTunes. She’s willing to spend her tiny allowance on music, which means that, every week, two new samples of Disneyrock enter our

Back to Bedlam -   Back to Bedlam James Blunt James Blunt recently

Back to Bedlam (Take Two) -   Back to Bedlam (Take Two) James