Susannah Samuels

Illinoise  Sufjan Stevens is an indie musician best known for his low-key song “Mystery of Love,” which was featured in the film Call Me by Your Name — a gay romance set in Italy, based on a novel by André Aciman. This is why it was so strange to hear that Stevens’s album Illinois had become the … Continue Reading

CBGB, as most insufferable oldheads will tell you, was the epitome of all musical culture in New York City, and therefore on the entire planet, especially punks. But since its demise in 2006, three years before I was born, the insufferable oldheads have seemingly switched their attitudes from, … Continue Reading

Joni Mitchell and Neil Young Are Back on Spotify  In January 2022, Neil Young left the crappy streaming service Spotify for two reasons. First, because of its despicable music-destroying streaming quality, and second, because the platform hosted Joe Rogan's podcast, which Young believed had spread … Continue Reading

On October 21, 2003, Elliott Smith, who was known for writing depressing songs, allegedly killed himself. This would seem completely plausible, especially considering the fact that Smith was a heroin addict. Except, the case is still open 20 years later, and has yet to be solved.  The first real … Continue Reading

Concert Review In the past month, I admittedly did not see as much live music as I usually do. Attempts were made, but schedules didn’t really line up. January and February are mostly dead months for concert bookings anyhow. Which is why when I found this show at Pineapple, only a couple days … Continue Reading

CONCERT REVIEW Dinosaur Jr., Music Hall of Williamsburg December 7th was the second-to-last show of Dinosaur Jr.’s eight-night “residency” at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. Amid all the Starbucks and pricey jeans stores, the grungy venue with its marquee claiming “DINOSAUR … Continue Reading

Wilco, Cousin If you’d have asked me about Wilco a couple of months ago, I would have told you that I liked the band just fine. They even made it onto the “light” section of my curated playlist in County Highway’s Issue #2. After listening to the band’s new album, I would probably say the same … Continue Reading

Sparklehorse, Bird Machine Indie rock band Sparklehorse released Bird Machine, their newest and final album, on September 8th. It’s the first album the band has put out since the lead singer Mark Linkous died by suicide in 2010. The album itself was recorded in 2009 and was set to drop that year, … Continue Reading

I first discovered Built to Spill about a year and a half ago, when I was flipping through a stack of records at a local store. I saw their record There's Nothing Wrong With Love, with its ominous cloud and off-white background, and flipped past it. The reason I remember this moment so clearly is … Continue Reading