Sign in

The Riff

@theriffmedia.bsky.social
25 followers 19 following 46 posts

Medium's premier music publication

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by The Riff
JTHEpisodes @jthepisodes.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Quincy Jones' Back on the Block is an overlooked inflection point in the cultural emergence of #hiphop. I break it down in @theriffmedia.bsky.social @rollingstone.com @pitchfork.com @avclub.com medium.com/the-riff/qui...
medium.com
Quincy Jones’ Hip-Hop Conduit
‘Back on the Block’ bridged generations and welcomed rap to the canon
031
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
⏰Announcement: #BrunoMars Album Discussion- Join us! We’ve got a great host and a killer record, all set to go. All we need now is you! Meeting is at 6 PM Eastern today (3/29). Here’s how to join the fun: medium.com/the-riff/its...
medium.com
It’s Time For Album Club!
March 29th from 6–8pm Zoom link below
000
Reposted by The Riff
KMSNJUI/BirminghamJB @kmsnjui.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
I thought I had uploaded the Aguas Raras review to Blue Sky, but it seems I hadn't...🥲 I might have missed the timing, but the content should be pretty great...! @theriffmedia.bsky.social + Helpful for studying @rockaxis.bsky.social #santiago #chile #rock medium.com/the-riff/ren...
011
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
🚨 Captain Beyond Album Discussion — Join Our Meetup tomorrow! We’ve got a great host and a killer record, all set to go. All we need now is you! Meeting is at 4 PM eastern. Here’s how to join the fun: medium.com/the-riff/ann...
medium.com
Announcement: Captain Beyond Album Discussion — Join Our Meetup!
We’ve got a great host and a killer record, all set to go. All we need now is you! Here’s how to join the fun.
031
Reposted by The Riff
Jessica Lee McMillan @jessicaleemcmillan.com · 17/08/2025
Join us to discuss The English Beat’s third album: ○ August 24th 1pm PST/4pm EST via Zoom ○ Hosted by @theriffmedia.bsky.social ○ Zoom link & details at the end of article Powerpoint is ready:) Newcomers welcome! We are a great, international group of friendly but discerning nerds. #TheBeat
152
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
👀
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
This is gonna be awesome, but it's be even better with you there. Join us!
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
"As majestic strings give way to a lush mid-tempo bounce, the track doesn’t so much command the dance floor as lure partygoers off the wall like a stylishly attired pied piper." @jthepisodes.bsky.social medium.com/the-riff/sou...
medium.com
Soulspin 2000: Lucy Pearl — Lucy Pearl
Neo-soul’s grooviest grown folks party turns 25
022
Reposted by The Riff
Kevin Alexander @kevinalexander.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
This is an incredible story from @robjanicke.bsky.social Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.
021
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
"Kurt hasn’t been with us for a while, and I had already bid on his Cardigan sweater from the Nirvana MTV Unplugged performance and wound up as the second highest bidder. " #Music #Writing medium.com/the-riff/the...
medium.com
The Man Who Bought The Jeans
A pair of Levi’s jeans, owned and worn by the late Kurt Cobain, sold for a record-breaking $412,750.00. Who is the man behind the sale?
010
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
"At its core, Reasonable Doubt is both an origin story and a use case for the ethos that defines its through line. Jay-Z’s worldview is best summed up in the opening verse of the album’s centerpiece, “Can I Live”: “I’d rather die enormous than live dormant.” @jthepisodes.bsky.social #music #hiphop
medium.com
Backspin: Jay-Z — Reasonable Doubt (1996)
Rather die enormous than live dormant. (93.5/100)
012
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
"It’s not colour or shading, it’s the centrepiece that gives the song a feeling of perpetual movement that matches the frantic nature of the vocal. "
medium.com
You Need to Listen to this Song Right Now #74
Heavy Rotation — God Part 2, U2 (Rattle and Hum, 1988)
001
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
“American Doll” sees Rebecca sending a pointed message to all who wish women would play their roles like the titular doll brand churns out. Instead of something bright and sarcastic, Black opts for the oppressive crunch of thick synths and metallic beats." #music #albumreview
medium.com
Album Review | ‘Salvation’ by Rebecca Black
Black soars to new heights on her latest electrifying, EDM-laced EP.
010
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
"Instead, she invites us to join her in the messy, wonderful, painful process of being human. Whether she’s singing about the heartache of youth or the quiet acceptance of adulthood, Lorde’s music gives us space to feel everything we might otherwise try to ignore." #Lorde #Music
medium.com
This Is What Feeling Everything All at Once Sounds Like
I no longer apologize for crying to songs at midnight. Lorde taught me that the feelings are the art.
051
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
"I couldn’t place a label on it or even an easy reference point, and this scared and exhilarated me." Want to share your thoughts about this record? Join us on Sunday! It's free, and all are welcome. Meeting links are in the article. #music #ViolentFemmes
medium.com
An Album of the Month Event You Should Check Out
We’ve got a great host and a killer record, all set to go. All we need now is you! Here’s how to join us.
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
📅 SAVE THE DATE: On Sunday, we'll be talking about "Hallowed Ground" by The Violent Femmes. Have some thoughts on the LP? Wanna just listen in? Join us! All are welcome. Meeting details are in the article. #music #ViolentFemmes
medium.com
The Riff’s Album of the Month Club: March 23, 2025
Come explore and discuss a hidden gem from 1984 by a one-of-a-kind Milwaukee trio. The Zoom link is at the bottom of the post.
000
Reposted by The Riff
JTHEpisodes @jthepisodes.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
Because the moment calls for more than a #TikTok dance: 10 #HipHop #Protest Anthems to Spark a Righteous Fire in @theriffmedia.bsky.social on #Medium #music #rap #resistance #justice tinyurl.com/3hdjv46p
tinyurl.com
Lyrics of Fury: 10 Hip-Hop Protest Anthems to Spark a Righteous Fire
Because the moment calls for more than a TikTok dance
022
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
“By the song’s end, even the greenest newcomer would be hard-pressed not to understand the roles of rapper and DJ and how they work together to make musical magic.” @jthepisodes.bsky.social #music medium.com/the-riff/bac...
medium.com
Backspin: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (1988)
Hip-hop 101. (83/100)
011
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
"Construção is a stunning achievement of musical arrangements and haunting melodies carried by Buarque’s brilliant wordplay and syllabic rhythms...that transcend the language barrier." Cool people talking about a cool record? You bet. Change your plans & join us! Details in link. 4 PM EST/9 PM GMT
medium.com
The Brazilian Sisyphus
The Riff’s February 2025 Album of the Month, February 16th
020
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
"Perhaps Larrieux’s sound was a touch too ethereal for a genre characterized by earthiness. Maybe she conveyed more uptown cocktail lounge than downtown coffee house. Certainly, her musical DNA is more Sade Adu than Chaka Khan." @jthepisodes.bsky.social #music #writing #Medium
medium.com
Soulspin 2000: Amel Larrieux — Infinite Possibilities
Still dawning at 25
021
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
"I like the little injection of soul the Wurlitzer keys bring to his country diddy. Dylan’s voice holds tightly to the beauty of his surroundings to keep the lonesome blues from consuming him completely..." #Music #Writing #Medium medium.com/the-riff/alb...
medium.com
Album Review | ‘I Saw the Arkansas’ by Dylan Earl
Dylan Earl weaves a story of heartbreak and homesickness on his third release.
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
"Despite its rather gristly subject matter, the song, featuring Levon Helm and Rick Danko from The Band and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, is a fan favorite. Neil fans, you see, like it dark. Oh, yeah. And it rocks." #music #writing
medium.com
How Time Spent with Charles Manson Inspired Neil Young’s Darkest Song
“Revolution Blues” Brings Cult-Inspired Dune Buggies to Kill Hollywood Stars
021
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
ICYMI:
022
Reposted by The Riff
JTHEpisodes @jthepisodes.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
For the 25th anniversary of #DAngelo's #Voodoo, I look back at the album where neo soul found its voice in @theriffmedia.bsky.social on #Medium #music #soul @rollingstone.com @pitchfork.com @albumism.com medium.com/the-riff/sou...
medium.com
Soulspin 2000: D’Angelo — Voodoo
25 years of black magic
182
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
"He croons and belts, strums and tickles, taps and pounds in resistance to industry demands and audience expectations, pushing him toward the performance of soul as he grapples to connect with his soul, our collective soul, through sound." @jthepisodes.bsky.social
medium.com
Soulspin 2000: D’Angelo — Voodoo
25 years of black magic
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
"The iconic photograph of Elvis Presley sitting at the piano flanked by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash has been written about countless times...but I’m also always surprised how many times it goes unmentioned what was being recorded that day." medium.com/the-riff/the...
medium.com
The Recording Session That Led to a Famous Photo
The iconic image wasn’t the only thing produced on that fateful day.
110
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Today's roundtable will cover everyone's top tracks of 2024. Bring your list and join us! medium.com/the-riff/sta...
medium.com
STARTING SOON: The Riff’s Top Songs of 2024 Discussion
Here’s how to join us!
001
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
Our friend @stevewlauden.bsky.social with a moving story about loss, recovery, and resilience.
011
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
"But Wu-Tang Forever is nothing if not bold and sprawling. If Wu-Tang Clan is the closest thing hip-hop has seen to the Avengers, the nearly 2-hour double disc set is their Infinity War. " Join @jthepisodes.bsky.social as he takes a deep dive into an underrated classic. #music #albumreview #hiphop
medium.com
Backspin: Wu-Tang Clan — Wu-Tang Forever (1997)
Reunited. (86.5/100)
010
Reposted by The Riff
Jake Martin @jake444.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Spoiler Alert: #LUNACHICKS. #punksky #coresky #riotgrrrl #queercore #queerpunk @theriffmedia.bsky.social medium.com/the-riff/the...
medium.com
The 10 Best All-Women* Punk Bands of the 90s
Ten bands that changed the world
052
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
"Wholly oppressive, stark, and atmospheric, this album brings more Nine Inch Nails to mind in its deviant nature and brutal soundscapes than the Lana Del Rey comparisons she garnered from her debut...." #music #albumreview medium.com/the-riff/alb...
medium.com
Album Review | ‘Perverts’ by Ethel Cain
Cain’s sophomore release explores the depths of depravity through extended darkwave and oppressive soundscapes.
010
Reposted by The Riff
Jessica Lee McMillan @jessicaleemcmillan.com · 02/01/2025
Really excited to share my interview with Susan SurfTone, a guitar hero. Read about her amazing life: medium.com/the-riff/int...
Susan SurfTone stands in a brightly lit corridor in a black shirt holding a powder aquamarine guitar in her arms horizontally toward the camera and next to her right cheek. She is wearing sunglasses.
021
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
"Streaming economics and the pressures of being a public company stopped Pandora in its tracks. The company was never able to execute a plan that I believe would have been good for the music industry, including indie, other relatively small artists, and music listeners and lovers."
medium.com
If You Hate Spotify, You Would Have Loved Pandora’s Original Plans
Ultimately, capitalism and Wall Street ruin everything
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
"...40 years later, in retirement, you discover that one of those forgotten tracks has become a global phenomenon — ‘The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet.’ And the wildest part? The entire world has been searching for you..." #music #writing medium.com/the-riff/los...
medium.com
Lost & Found: How The Most Mysterious Song of the Internet Brought an 80s Band Back to Life
A lost track, a viral hunt, and an unbelievable band reunion
010
Reposted by The Riff
JTHEpisodes @jthepisodes.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
My 10 Songs for 2024 - A most treacherous year embodied and overcome in song in @theriffmedia.bsky.social on #Medium #music #Top10 #BestOf2024 medium.com/the-riff/10-...
medium.com
The Top 10 Songs of 2024
A most treacherous year embodied and overcome in song — join us and share your picks!
011
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
ICYMI:
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
“…we’ve entered a black-mirror reality where all that matters is “jiggy vines” (fly clothing), “sugar dimes” (beautiful women), and reveling in lavish spoils of the hustle, be they hard-earned or ill-gotten.” #music medium.com/the-riff/bac...
medium.com
Backspin: Camp Lo — Uptown Saturday Night (1997)
The (re)birth of jiggy. (86/100)
021
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
“Few would have thought after the electronically inclined exploration of sin that was aptly titled Abnormally Attracted to Sin that she would set her sights on reinventing traditional Christmas-related pieces through her lens. “ medium.com/the-riff/alb...
medium.com
Album Review | ‘Midwinter Graces’ by Tori Amos
Amos dips her toes into the realms of holiday music bridging her pop world into the classical realm she would tackle next.
011
Reposted by The Riff
S.W. Lauden @stevewlauden.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Tis the season #musicsky #music
0155
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
“…Yet, limiting the list to 10 was the most difficult it has been in recent memory. That’s an encouraging sign that, despite Kendrick’s urging to “Watch the Party Die,” the hip-hop party is alive and well.” medium.com/the-riff/top...
medium.com
Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of 2024
Watch the party revive
021
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 15/12/2024
"Each time I listened to a peyote music song, the sound was slightly different depending on the region or the tribe performing. The throughlines were the steady percussive presence and heavy emphasis on repetition." medium.com/the-riff/how...
medium.com
How Did Thousands Of Years Of Disparate Peyote Music Traditions Consolidate Into One Concise Sound?
The history of peyote music
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
⏰ Starting in a few minutes!! 🔽
010
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
"Uncle Sam’s Curse, the third long-player from gangsta rap’s perennial peripheral players, Above the Law, holds a singular place in the G-Funk canon. It’s a riveting hoo-ride down an alternate timeline offering a tantalizing snapshot of where G-Funk could have gone..." medium.com/the-riff/bac...
medium.com
Backspin: Above the Law — Uncle Sam’s Curse (1994)
G-Funk’s darkest timeline. (87.5/100)
000
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
"She’s working against conforming to what everyone else is doing. After listening to this track, it’s no wonder this song took off as well as it did. It has a sound that is so unique to itself." #music #albumreview #writing medium.com/the-riff/alb...
medium.com
Album Review | ‘How I Do’ by Res
Res’s genre-expansive debut shows her talent and that of producer Santigold.
061
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
"...By the time we got to her 2020 third album, I Disagree, metalhead Poppy had fully taken control of her sound, embracing noisy and aggressive guitar riffs, cut with dreamlike snippets of synthpop." #Music #albumreview #Poppy medium.com/the-riff/202...
medium.com
2021 Review: “Flux” by Poppy
The fourth album from the YouTuber turned rock star embraces a myriad of 90s and 00s influences.
030
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
"I’d watched so many David Letterman shows that took place right there. All of those musical performances happened on THAT stage. It was overwhelming to think we were now added to that list." #Music #BR-549 #Conan medium.com/the-riff/i-s...
medium.com
I Snuck Into Conan O’Brien’s Rehearsal
A “behind-the-scenes” peek at Late Night television
022
Reposted by The Riff
JTHEpisodes @jthepisodes.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Looking for an eclectic #holiday soundtrack for your #Christmas shopping and #gift wrapping? Check out @theriffmedia.bsky.social's Winter Holiday #Playlist and join us next Sunday, 12/8 for the discussion #music medium.com/the-riff/dis...
medium.com
Discussion: What’s Your Favorite Holiday Song?
We’ve got a fantastic holiday event happening here at The Riff. Here’s how you can join us!
011
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
"Maybe you’re playing Whamageddon. Or maybe you're like me and were knocked out before noon on the 1st. Perhaps you wait all year to meet the final boss of earworms? Either way, we’ve got an exciting event happening this year—happening right now, literally as you read this." #music #Christmas
medium.com
Discussion: What’s Your Favorite Holiday Song?
We’ve got a fantastic holiday event happening here at The Riff. Here’s how you can join us!
010
Reposted by The Riff
Kevin Alexander @kevinalexander.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
Christmas decorations are up. #music #Christmas
2132
The Riff @theriffmedia.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
"She grabs your face, challenging you to continue your judgment of her ways to get the attention she so desperately desires..." #music #recordreview medium.com/the-riff/alb...
medium.com
Album Review | ‘Pretty On The Inside’ by Hole
Courtney and crew debut their unforgiving grunge sound
000