music | Unwinnable

Three young men sitting on a couch, looking disaffected.

Let Jawbreaker Live

By Levi Rubeck • April 4th, 2019

They were young, money and booze and tour life made things shitty, then it all fell apart, it’s nothing really new or altogether special.

a microphone with a sunburst of orange behind it.

The Slither and the Bop

By Levi Rubeck • February 28th, 2019

While there are many bands I love that I feel don’t get their due, I’m particularly chapped that I can hardly find mention of Just a Fire online

Restorative Hardcore

By Levi Rubeck • November 23rd, 2018

Hardcore has always struggled with this idea of restoration. As a sound it implodes buildings, razes the ground, acts as a cleansing flame.

a young Aretha Franklin, her face beautific, hair covered in a lace shawl.

Aretha Franklin and the Price of Excellence

By Malindy Hetfeld • September 10th, 2018

I was punished for telling my high school music teacher to take Aretha Franklin’s name out of his undeserving mouth.

Mixed CDs, Stolen

By Amanda Hudgins • July 13th, 2018

14 disks in their slimline cases, carefully handwritten descriptions of each song — no more than 2 per artist. 100 songs.

We Hate Everyone: How Type O Negative Changed Music

By Diego Nicolás Argüello • April 13th, 2018

Type O Negative didn’t care for anyone, something they were always implying in every song. Crying babies, torture machinery sounds, more moanings that I’ve ever heard in my entire life.

Cascading through the Mud with Coalesce and Meatwound

By Levi Rubeck • February 28th, 2018

It was orchestrated chaos that kept even the die-hard karate kids in the pit at bay, which is no small feat.

A strange island in a black galaxy, figures surrounding a blue lake there.

Eat the Rich and Dance

By Levi Rubeck • January 9th, 2018

What better way to roll out 2018 than immediately accounting for what one may have missed in 2017.

California Gothic

By Levi Rubeck • November 7th, 2017

Nearly twenty years later, I’m afforded the chance to correct the failings of my youth and catch The Black Heart Procession on tour again

A sweaty man in a black shirt singing into a mic and being carried by a crowd. This is a still from Touche Amore.

Symbiosis of the Troubadour and the Crowd

By Levi Rubeck • October 5th, 2017

But Nick Cave and Touché Amoré have earned their fans through honest expressions, powerful storytelling, a willingness to embrace the stains of humanity in order to shine light on our virtues.

A womans torso, in blue, on a pink background. She is holding a bat with bright orange gloves and midway along the bottom of the image it has "Parental Advisory Explicit Content"

Choir of the Mind, ASMR of the Soul

By Levi Rubeck • September 19th, 2017

Playlists, mixes, links IM’d by friends, auto-plays based on cookies, and radio, each a tributary spiraling out in serpentines towards and through the larger rivers of our shared musical canon.

A carnival like atmosphere with a sketch of a man upside down in a water tub, framed by two people. This is the cover for Ted Leo's the Hanged Man.

Helping Ted Leo Help Himself

By Levi Rubeck • September 5th, 2017

Perhaps I took Ted for granted, assuming he’d always tear through town again either on the festival footpath or in an Allston living room.

One man stands playing a guitar and singing, behind him a woman.

Come Sail Away, Mr. Roboto: future of the left and the Passion of the Medley

By Levi Rubeck • August 29th, 2017

future of the left have constructed this one around a song by their former band not simply out of obligation to their frothing followers, but because it’s fun to play.

a figure in red boots and a hoodie walking down a set of steps to the right. this is a still pixel art image.

A Simmering Hum

By Levi Rubeck • July 25th, 2017

Momodara: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a constrained exploratory game with a singularity of purpose, in narrative presentation and the majority of its score.

Lead singer of the group Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, holds a mic to his mouth in front of a crowd, his jaw jutting forward and his arm in the air. This picture is in black and white.

Chester Bennington: The Voice I Grew Up With

By Khee Hoon Chan • July 25th, 2017

Then the internet happened. She was told that there are tons of better rock and metal acts out there. She discovered new bands. She learned about hardcore punk, post-hardcore, emo, grunge, post-grunge and many other genres. But she always came back to Linkin Park.

Music Matters, Use it Wisely

By David Shimomura • November 14th, 2016

Music can make or break a game.

Keep Your Things in a Place Meant to Hide

By David Wolinsky • November 8th, 2016

Kevin Moyer on posthumously releasing Elliott Smith’s music & why you should care about the death of radio.

Viva Belgrado

By Mitchell Bowman • October 13th, 2016

“For as long as I can remember, it’s been a running joke that every good screamo band has to break up after a single album.”

Unwinnable Monthly: Battle Jacket

By Casey Lynch • September 10th, 2016

The insanity of the U. S. presidential election is heating up; it’s time to push everything superfluous aside and answer the one question that really matters…

Haters Gonna Hate

By Amanda Hudgins • September 1st, 2016

What is a hater anymore? What is an alpha hater? How does Ke$ha factor into it?

Rap Artists for People Who Don’t Like Rap

By Amanda Hudgins • July 28th, 2016

It started as an informational photo set on imgur and turned into questions of culture, mission, voice and race.

List-o-Mania – May 2016

By Team Unwinnable • June 23rd, 2016

Recommendations! Get your red hot book, music and game recommendations right here!

You’re the Worst: The Show that’s Nearly as Good as its Theme Tune

By Declan Taggart • November 18th, 2015

Slothrust are like some old creepy person with a knife, but the knife’s for the cake you didn’t see before and it tastes really good. You’re the Worst doesn’t have any cake but I don’t see a knife anywhere either.

Rookie of the Year

Tag: music