A whole lot of adjustments made for a reasonably nice 12 months.
My January promotion to Govt Editor meant main on-line website editorial. Apart from some enter by our Performing Editor-in-Chief, SPIN Founder Bob Guccione Jr., I managed the editorial employees, the tales, and the general website technique. So it was a giant 12 months for me.
Extra from Spin:
- The Worst Songs We Heard in 2019
- 50 Greatest Albums of 2017
- The 25 Greatest Music Movies of 2014
Probably the most thrilling occasions of our 12 months: After 12 years, on the finish of August, SPIN was again on newsstands, relaunching with cowl artist Lainey Wilson. The print staff was led by Bob, with Senior Editor Matt Thompson (who additionally penned a few of the most spectacular in-depth works of our 2024) as his second in command. By the point you learn this, the December year-end challenge will nonetheless be out there in any respect main newsstands—however in case you subscribe you will get it proper to your door! (Subscribe!)
Whereas we revealed such unimaginable editorial and labored with so many unbelievable new writers all year long, it’s unattainable to incorporate all the things. As a result of I wrote so few items this 12 months, I’ve included most of these right here, in addition to another highlights to indicate the breadth of topics and tales—and hopefully encourage you to go to the positioning for extra.
An excessive amount of of a very good factor is a wonderful downside, nevertheless it made approaching this roundup a tricky activity. Thanks to all the unimaginable expertise we had the privilege to work with this 12 months.
January
My fourth, annual Rock Corridor letter was for Indigo Ladies, which, like all earlier letters (The Go-Go’s, Sinéad O’Connor, Tori Amos) seems like such an apparent overlook. I’ll by no means cease insisting that nice artists get acknowledged whereas they’re alive. (Oh, and for extra Indigo Ladies, take a look at my March 2021 deep dive with Emily and Amy, which was additionally featured on Goodreads.)
Mid-month I launched a brand new sequence, Singles, as a method of highlighting new track releases and the tales behind them. From AFROJACK to The Struts’ Luke Spiller, G-Eazy, Poppy, Davina Michelle, Ruel (to call a couple of) — these are a few of the most enjoyable, intimate, and kooky interviews of the 12 months.
After which, on the finish of the month, an thought I’d had for years was lastly prepared: a sequence on native document shops. Known as (appropriately) The Report Retailer, this must be certainly one of our most heart-warming sequence of profiles and can without end be a profession favourite for me. From what it means to start out a small enterprise to insider insights on vinyl-collecting—the main focus was on actual speak with actual individuals who purchase, accumulate, and promote data. We acquired a whole bunch upon a whole bunch of submissions from everywhere in the world and met so many phenomenal new writers by means of this sequence.
I wrote the primary piece, that includes Foremost Avenue Jukebox in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
February
Since I began our weekly 5 Albums I Can’t Reside With out franchise I’ve interviewed actually a whole bunch of musicians. It’s unattainable to level to a favourite.
Nonetheless, February’s telephone interview with Ace Frehley was an expertise I nonetheless speak about, little to do along with his 5 albums, however for thus many different causes. In sum: 1. He makes his personal interview telephone calls, 2. We found that we stay in the identical space, 3. He advised me tales of being kidnapped by aliens, 4. In addition to another non-alien associated tales that can stay off the document, 5. And after I requested him about his iconic 1996 SPIN cowl (the place all 4 members of KISS had their very own) he stated: “I believed I seemed silly in that image as a result of I seemed too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Perhaps it was as a result of I simply did a few traces of coke. I don’t know.”
March
I spoke with Taylor Momsen and Ben Phillips to commemorate 10 years of The Fairly Reckless’s Going to Hell, this story is so deep and layered (and at instances fairly heartbreaking) they usually have been so trustworthy and open…it was such an honor to put in writing this one.
Others to take a look at from March: Faye Webster (Steve Hochman), Taj Mahal (Lily Moayeri), Jean Dawson (Kyle Eustice), Sheherazaad and Fletcher (each by Vrinda Jagota).
April
April marked 30 years since Kurt Cobain’s passing and with SPIN’s deep historical past with the band (we gave them their first cowl) we devoted our April cowl to Kurt. Veteran SPIN author Jim Greer penned a poignant story. We additionally re-ran Bob’s Prime SPIN editorial from when Kurt died. Each Jim and Bob knew Kurt personally.
The entire editors have been doing tributes and I wished to do one thing just a little bit totally different—a deal with the following era’s view of Nirvana. An previous grad college pal helped facilitate a youngsters’ response artwork venture. I couldn’t have anticipated how shifting the outcomes can be, test it out: Smells Like Teen Artwork: Children’ Response Artwork to Nirvana’s Traditional Single.
Could
Shannon and the Clams’ album The Moon Is within the Mistaken Place is likely one of the most exceptional data of the 12 months with a gut-wrenching story behind it, one I advised in my Could interview with the band’s Shannon Shaw and Cody Blanchard. I named their single “Actual or Magic” one of many 12 months’s greatest.
Learn additionally: Vrinda Jagota’s Gracie Abrams profile.
June
I wrote three cowl tales final 12 months, however this 12 months just one, on the nice and cozy, razor-sharp, ultra-talented budding celebrity Stephen Sanchez.
And, so you’ll be able to have it on-hand for future commencement days, I penned an off-beat “recommendation for brand spanking new graduates” piece primarily based on the ‘93 William S. Burroughs track “Phrases of Recommendation for Younger Folks.” (Not your common grandpa recommendation, that’s for certain.)
July
I’m going to say it: Nick Bell is the most effective movie author on the market. In honor of July’s Nationwide Orgasm Day, he wrote an inventory of The ten Biggest Cinematic Orgasms—however I can promise it’s not what you suppose.
Another conversation-starters: Charles Moss’ deep-dive into 50 years of NYC punk, Stephen Deusner’s Dangerous Soundtracks checklist, Adam Steiner’s final tribute to NIN’s Downward Spiral, Leila Gross sales’ all-too-relatable piece about songs that encourage rushing tickets, Candace Hansen’s unbelievable tackle Gap’s ‘Reside By This’ at 30, the one Devo profile you’ll ever want (by Kyle Eustice), that point I paid a man $35 to put in writing a track about my canine, Tamlin Magee’s revelatory dissection of pizza thrash, and Lily Moayeri’s no-holds-barred interview with Moon Zappa about her new memoir.
Additionally learn: Ernesto Lechner’s profile of Woman Extremely.
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September
Regardless that I launched my A Day within the Life sequence in January 2021, someway it solely will get higher and higher. The interviews are nice, however BTS artist movies are a game-changer.
Although it’s unattainable to decide on a favourite, September’s A Day within the Lifetime of… BLOND:ISH (with an interview by Charles Moss) not solely supplied me with a brand new favourite NYC matcha place, but in addition had me questioning why Joe’s pizza doesn’t do extra spontaneous pizza renegades. (Give me a heads up subsequent time, please!)
Take a look at different 2024 DITL interviews—together with CMAT, Grace Bowers, Bailey Zimmerman, BoyWithUke—right here.
Additionally from September: David Gilmour (Invoice Kopp), JHAYCO (Vrinda Jagota), Judeline (ER Pulgar).
October
This month had a few of the strongest items of the 12 months.
The next items completely characterize the number of distinctive October storytelling: Lily Moayeri’s The Land of the Not Free (republished from the print challenge), Steve Hochman’s lovely interview with Samara Pleasure, Brendan Menapace’s enjoyable profile of the Billy Joel tribute band Turnstiles, and Charles Moss’ intimate chat with Jaden Smith.
December
The Remedy’s long-awaited Songs of a Misplaced World spoke to us—and apparently a lot of you—and appeared an apparent option to grow to be our 2024 Album of the Yr. I known as the album “elegant, gut-wrenching, and indisputably genuine—an absolute masterpiece.” Much more, it “elevates us,” reflecting the great, the dangerous, and the ugly of our humanity.
An ideal technique to finish the 12 months, and begin a brand new one.
To see our working checklist of the highest 100 biggest rock stars of all time, click on right here.
