"Golden" by HUNTR/X
The pop craftsmanship here is off the charts and provides the scaffolding for an astounding vocal performance that is equal parts power and vulnerability.
Your stereo is an emotion engine. This is fuel. A single hand-curated audiophile song recommendation delivered to members' inboxes every week.
"God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash
One of the last recordings by Johnny Cash. You can hear every mile of hard-living in his voice. The power is gone, but what’s left still amazes.
"American Idiot" by Green Day - Double Vinyl LP with Poster
Win a copy of American Idiot on double vinyl: an era-defining protest record that still hits like a molotov cocktail.
"Free" by VAST
“Free” feels massive from the first bars. Thick sub bass, a punchy rhythm section backing reverb-drenched vocals, and fuzzed out guitars all build to a surprising end.
The Case For (Sonically) Cosy Listening Spaces
Embrace the cozy. Embrace the lived-in. A room filled with layers, colors, and textures is often a better-sounding room.
"Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkel
An astounding stereographic image that puts you right in the middle of a drum circle. This one feels like home.
Skin & Steel MXTP
Drummers bending time and space to make sound feel physical. Played loud, it’s a study in space, touch, and brute force.
"Garden Grove" by Sublime
Riding shotgun in my friend's crappy car in 1996, listening to Sublime cracked something open for me: emotionally, musically, even spatially.
"Moon Mirror" by Nada Surf - Vinyl LP
Moon Mirror has all the tropes that go into a Nada Surf album: exquisite guitar chimes polished until they gleam, melodies that kick in and stick...
"My Sharona" by The Knack
Lead guitarist Burton Averre’s full-length "My Sharona" solo doesn’t just cut through the mix. It burns a hole in the track.
"Lean on Me" by Bill Withers
There’s no flash here. Just weight. “Lean on Me” moves slow. A steady piano, a dry snare, claps that surround, and a jaw-dropping vocal performance.
"Fever Dream" by Iron & Wine
This song doesn’t rise or fall. It just appears, quietly, closely, and stays there. A minimal, intimate production completely sure of itself.