Published inThe Riff·PinnedMember-onlyIdioms and the Broken Record Conundrum.A lot of people use the expression “goes on like a broken record.” Have you ever considered the inherent flaw in that idiom? I have. Gather ‘round, me tell you all about it. Imagine you’ve been employing an expression for longer than you can remember. …Music8 min readMusic8 min read
Published inThe Riff·PinnedMember-onlySlayer’s Reign In Blood vs Metallica’s Master Of PuppetsIn 1986 the two records that would perfectly encapsulate the Thrash Metal paradigm were released. The following analysis sets out to explore which was the superior opus and why. On its face, this seems a dumb article to write. No one is better off for harbouring a belief that one of these records is superior to the other. From my perspective, it always boils down to the rush. All that really matters is how a record makes me feel…Music17 min readMusic17 min read
Published inThe Riff·PinnedMember-onlyHow Scandinavian Rock ’n’ Roll Saved VinylDid you know? It was Scandinavian Rock ’n’ Roll that saved vinyl. From what I can tell, Rock ’n’ Roll has always been a big deal in Scandinavia. And while people often fixate on the commercial success that bands from outside this geographical extremity enjoyed, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland…Music9 min readMusic9 min read
PinnedMember-only5 Reasons I’d Never Make it as a ConservativeTwitter is rife with stories of Democrats who switch teams. The most noteworthy being those who were elected before changing parties. I wondered what it would take for someone to switch lanes in such a dramatic way and ran myself through a set of prerequisites to see if I could…Satire2 min readSatire2 min read
Published inThe Riff·2 days agoMember-only5 Artists You’ll Never Turn Your Friends On To.5 Artists you have no hope of turning your friends on to. A lot of us live in a bubble of sorts. We imagine that there are loads of people out there with the same fanaticism we have for this band or that. And on occasion, we’ve seen these acts perform — we know there are fellow zealots out there. BUT! Have…Music11 min readMusic11 min read
Published inThe Riff·Nov 11Member-onlyBand Tattoos — Yeah or Nah?If you’re tempted to acid drop into the chasm of strong opinion, asking are band tattoos a good idea? is guaranteed to elicit reactions both heated and irrational.Music6 min readMusic6 min read
Published inThe Riff·Nov 7Member-onlyThree Cheers for Sweet NostalgiaMy Chemical Romance sold over three million copies of their Goldilocks album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, so to count myself as a non-typical MCR fan doesn’t mean too much in that context. …Nostalgia5 min readNostalgia5 min read
Published inPlethora Of Pop·Nov 6Member-onlyWhy it Sucks to be an Introvert in a Band T-shirtIntroverts love music. The science suggests that extraverts do also, but the distinction points to the former are inclined towards more complex arrangements. A 2020 MBTI® global sample, showed that 56.8% of the global population prefer introversion. …Music4 min readMusic4 min read
Published inThe Riff·Oct 31Member-onlyJapan — Where People Are Civil But The Music Is Not!The premise: One common belief about Japanese society is that people tend to colour within the lines. Which tracks if you’re a tourist taking in the sights, but have you ever listened to Japanese music? Even the seemingly mainstream J Pop acts are out there. Some of them have 30+…Japan13 min readJapan13 min read
Published inThe Riff·Oct 20Member-onlyHow AI Is Set To Corrupt Our Musical ExperienceEvery technical advancement has threatened the status quo. Multi-track recording meant that bands didn’t need to perform the songs live in the studio. Two-inch tape made edits easier; you can literally cut the tape and splice sections together. Portable 4-track recorders reduced the reliance on recording studios; bands could make…Music7 min readMusic7 min read
