In mid-1960s Germany, five American GIs created a sound that sparked riots, tear gas, and onstage assaults. This is the wild story of The Monks and “Black Monk Time.” We’ll chronicle their beginnings as The Torquays, look at how they got their sound, and dig into the history of their […]
You THINK you know how Radiohead got their name. They named themselves On A Friday, the label hated the name, they pulled True Stories from Talking Heads and landed on “Radio Head,” and the rest was history. Yes, but that’s incomplete. Today we’re exploring the true story behind Talking Heads […]
“Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins begins with its haunting bells and Billy Corgan’s vulnerable delivery. Today we trace the song’s roots to Billy’s fractured Chicago childhood—marked by early divorce, instability, and years shuttled between relatives—which left deep resentment toward his parents. In 1992, during an eight-month depression that included suicidal […]
The Smiths are undoubtedly funny, despite playing such dreary music. So claiming a song is their funniest can be tricky. “Vicar In A Tutu” is absolutely in the running, with a full cast of characters and a bit of added trolling from Morrissey himself, directed straight toward the Church. This […]
In 2001, Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura released their debut album, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi. The run was limited; just 1,000 on vinyl. Since then, prices for the record have stretched into the mid triple digits. Reissues have been whispered about for years, and now it’s finally happening! Today we’re […]
In 1996, Soundgarden opened Down on the Upside with “Pretty Noose,” a Grammy-nominated lead single about attractive-looking bad ideas. Behind the scenes, the band was quietly fracturing at the height of its powers. In this episode of Poetic Wax, we dig into the full history of the song: how Matt […]
👉 Sponsored by Meze Audio 105 Silva Headphones: https://mezeaudio.com/products/105-silva?_ef_transaction_id=&oid=49&affid=130 The King of Limbs is without question Radiohead’s most divisive album. In early 2011, Radiohead dropped The King Of Limbs with almost no warning; a short, looping, rhythm-driven album that left many longtime fans confused and disappointed. They either love it […]
👉 Check out Alliance Authentic here: https://marketplace.allianceauthentic.com/ “Blue Orchid” arrived at the exact moment The White Stripes needed it most. After Elephant brought massive success and painful betrayals in Detroit, Jack White turned his own leaking house into a makeshift studio for Get Behind Me Satan. Sessions cursed with broken […]
Modern shoegaze band Nothing’s “A Short History of Decay” traces Domenic Palermo’s unflinching look at aging, trauma, and physical decline. Six years after “The Great Dismal,” the band returns with new music and it’s their clearest and most vulnerable record yet. It’s built around Essential Tremors left raw in the […]
I always say I’m not going to Record Store Day, but end up going anyway. When I first looked at the Record Store Day 2026 list, my honest reaction was disappointment. This seems to be the trend. Then, when RSD comes around, I end up going (late, but I still […]
