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Daily stories about music and vinyl: albums, artists, labels. Read on the web or in the CrateCore app.
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July 27, 2026
STORY · Alternative
The Smashing Pumpkins’ $250K Wall of Guitars
A quarter-million-dollar budget and a frontman on the verge of a breakdown—The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream was born from a paradox of excess and despair. W…
5 min read
Cover of “Siamese Dream” by The Smashing Pumpkins. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
STORY · Rock
Stevie Nicks, Bella Donna: A Fleetwood Mac Mythology Splinters
Stevie Nicks released Bella Donna on July 27, 1981, while still inside Fleetwood Mac. It was a platinum-selling statement that reframed her songwriting as a separate, self-sufficient mythology.
4 min read
Cover of “Bella Donna” by Stevie Nicks. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
4 min read
STORY · Rock
Pink Floyd's More: A Week in Pye Studios for Film
In February 1969, Pink Floyd spent eight days at Pye Studios creating their first full soundtrack. The album for Barbet Schroeder's film More marked a turning point in their songwriting.
4 min read
Cover of “More” by Pink Floyd. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
4 min read
STORY · Metal
The Road That Took Everything: AC/DC's Highway to Hell
In the spring of 1979, AC/DC entered a London studio with Mutt Lange. They emerged with Highway to Hell, the final album Bon Scott recorded before his death.
5 min read
Cover of “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
July 26, 2026
STORY · Alternative
Robert Wyatt’s Rock Bottom: The Fall That Built a Cosmos
The fourth-floor window gave way during a party, and Robert Wyatt fell. It was June 1, 1973, and the former Soft Machine drummer and vocalist plunged into a new…
5 min read
Cover of “Rock Bottom” by Robert Wyatt. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
STORY · Electronic
Murcof's Martes: Micro-Rhythms and Mountain Myths
The double black vinyl sits heavy in the hand, its sleeve dominated by a stark, monochromatic photograph of jagged peaks. These are the Rumurosa Mountains, a cr…
5 min read
AI-generated illustration
5 min read
STORY · Rock
The Quiet Master Clapton Turned Into a Roar
J.J. Cale, who died in 2013, wrote 'After Midnight' and 'Cocaine' but spent his life avoiding the spotlight that Eric Clapton's covers brought him.
4 min read
Louis Ramirez, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4 min read
STORY · Metal
The Number One and the Night Shift
Joey Jordison, Slipknot's rhythmic engine, died five years ago at 46. His legacy is locked into the plastic discs of an era he helped define from behind a rotating hydraulic kit.
5 min read
Rezter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5 min read
STORY · Pop
Stormzy: The Oil Refinery Rapper Who Changed Charts
Stormzy was a quality control inspector at a Southampton oil refinery before he became the artist who made grime the mainstream of British music. His rise rewrote what British rap could achieve.
5 min read
Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5 min read
STORY · Alternative
ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres: 33 Minutes of Texas Blues-Rock
Released on July 26, 1973, ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres condensed a decade of blues, boogie, and hard rock. Its lean 33-minute runtime redefined Southern rock.
5 min read
Cover of “Tres Hombres” by ZZ Top. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
July 25, 2026
STORY · Soul
The Bass That Danced: Verdine White's 75-Year Groove
The Fender bass hangs low, almost to his knees, a gleaming slab of wood and chrome. The stage at a packed arena is his runway, and as the horn section blares th…
6 min read
dbking from Washington DC, United States of America, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
6 min read
STORY · Metal
AC/DC's American Voltage: When Atco Flipped the Switch
Five Australians who had never sold a record in the U.S. cut a Bible-thumping hard rock landmark. On July 25, 1977, Atco Records wired their raw voltage into the American grid with Let There Be Rock.
5 min read
Cover of “Let There Be Rock” by AC/DC. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
July 22, 2026
STORY · Rock
Don Henley: From Texas Drums to Eagles' Timeless Hits
Don Henley, born in Gilmer, Texas, traded football for music. He became the drummer, vocalist, and songwriter behind the Eagles' timeless hits and a celebrated solo career.
4 min read
AI-generated illustration
4 min read
July 25, 2026
STORY · Alternative
Yes: The Rickenbacker Stereo That Outshone the Charts
Yes released their self-titled debut on Atlantic Records on July 25, 1969, and watched it fail to chart. The sound already burst with the prog-rock DNA that critics would praise.
5 min read
Cover of “Yes” by Yes. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
July 24, 2026
STORY · Soundtracks
14 Colored LPs Hold 13 Hours of BBC’s 1981 Tolkien Epic
Ian Holm played Frodo Baggins in 1981, then returned to Middle-earth two decades later as Bilbo in Peter Jackson’s films. That circular journey mirrors the stra…
4 min read
AI-generated illustration
4 min read
STORY · Pop
Jennifer Lopez: The Fly Girl Who Flipped the Billboard 200
Jennifer Lopez went from In Living Color's Fly Girl troupe to a historic Billboard 200 run. She became the first woman with a simultaneous number-one album and film in the United States.
5 min read
Everwest, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5 min read
STORY · Hip-Hop
Pharrell's In My Mind at 20
A silver-certified disc in Britain, a bronze-medal debut on the Billboard 200, and a guest list that reads like a mid-2000s roll call of hip-hop royalty. The ph…
5 min read
Web Summit/Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5 min read
STORY · Metal
Symphony X: The Album Michael Romeo Didn't Want to Break Apart
Symphony X founder Michael Romeo fought against releasing singles from 'Underworld'. He built the album to be experienced as a single, unbroken wave.
5 min read
Cover of “Underworld” by Symphony X. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
STORY · Metal
The Day Pantera's Glam Died a Texas Death
In late 1989, Pantera entered Pantego Sound Studio to record 'Cowboys from Hell', a deliberate, violent departure from the glam metal of their early years.
5 min read
Cover of “Cowboys from Hell” by Pantera. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
5 min read
July 23, 2026
STORY · Metal
Slipknot's Antennas to Hell and the End of an Era
Slipknot released Antennas to Hell on July 23, 2012. The greatest hits compilation became an unintended memorial for bassist Paul Gray and the final document of the classic lineup.
4 min read
Cover of “Antennas to Hell” by Slipknot. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
4 min read
STORY · Pop
Michelle Williams: From Destiny's Child to Gospel Chart-Topper
In 2002, while Destiny's Child was on hiatus, Michelle Williams released Heart to Yours. The gospel album became the year's best-selling gospel record and launched a multifaceted solo career.
4 min read
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4 min read
STORY · Metal
Slash at 61: The Guns N' Roses Icon's Enduring Guitar Legacy
From a black top hat to blues-inflected solos, Slash built a six-decade career that redefined hard rock guitar. His Gibson Les Paul became one of the most recognisable sounds in music.
3 min read
Kreepin Deth, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
STORY · Metal
A Cigarette, a Nickname, and 61 Years of Slash
Born Saul Hudson in London’s Hampstead on July 23, 1965, the guitarist known as Slash turned a childhood nickname into a 61-year career. His work reshaped hard rock with Guns N’ Roses and beyond.
5 min read
Kreepin Deth, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5 min read
July 22, 2026
STORY · Metal
Ozzy Osbourne: The Prince of Darkness Who Redefined Heavy Metal
Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness who co-founded Black Sabbath, passed away on July 22, 2025. He left behind a legacy that shaped the sound of heavy music for generations.
3 min read
AI-generated illustration
3 min read
July 21, 2026
STORY · Alternative
Chris Cornell: The Voice That Defined Grunge and Beyond
Chris Cornell wielded a four-octave voice that defined Seattle's grunge movement. From Soundgarden to Audioslave, his legacy still inspires musicians nearly a decade after his death.
3 min read
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3 min read
July 20, 2026
DROP · July 20, 2026 · Rock
Rush A Farewell to Kings
Mobile Fidelity is reissuing Rush's 1977 album A Farewell to Kings as a numbered UltraDisc One-Step box set limited to 5,000 copies.
1 min read
AI-generated illustration
1 min read
July 16, 2026
STORY · Other
Gentle Giant: The Experimental Debut That Defied Borders
In 1970, Gentle Giant recorded their self-titled debut in London. The album blended classical influences with rock instrumentation and defied genre constraints.
3 min read
Cover of “Gentle Giant” by Gentle Giant. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
3 min read
July 17, 2026
STORY · Soundtracks
Vince Guaraldi: The Jazz Pianist Who Scored Childhood Memories
The piano riff was unmistakable—a bouncing, syncopated melody that instantly evoked the playful chaos of Charlie Brown and his gang. That tune, 'Linus and Lucy,…
3 min read
University of Santa Clara, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
STORY · Metal
Ron Asheton: From Classical Violin to Stooges' Proto-Punk Revolution
Ron Asheton, a classically trained child prodigy who co-founded The Stooges, redefined guitar noise and became the architect of proto-punk's rawest sounds.
3 min read
Joe Loong, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3 min read
STORY · Metal
Shades of Deep Purple: The Debut That Defined a Legend
In the summer of 1968, Deep Purple released their debut album Shades of Deep Purple. It failed to chart in the UK but reached number 24 on the Billboard 200 in the US.
3 min read
Cover of “Shades of Deep Purple” by Deep Purple. Source: Cover Art Archive (coverartarchive.org)
3 min read