Poetic Wax: Music History Hidden in the Grooves

In 1985, New Order released 'Low Life.' It's time to dive into the wild story behind "The Perfect Kiss" and discover how a naked manager, Rob Gretton, sparked a synth-pop classic with a desktop rant,…

EVERYONE is talking about Severance Season 2. Today we look at the WILD history behind the Apple TV series finale's "The Windmills of Your Mind" and its journey from 1968 to 2025. This one includes i…

"‘God is empty, just like me’—this single line fueled the iconic track "ZERO" off The Smashing Pumpkins' monumental 1995 album 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.' How did Billy Corgan channel h…

One of the first songs Morrissey wrote for The Smiths was "Suffer Little Children" and it was also one of his darkest. This is the story behind the song, its relation to the Moors Murders, the contro…

Released the same day in 1967 as The Beatles’ infamous Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Baroques’ lone release is rumored to have outsold the much more wildly popular release in the local W…

"Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots is a story of deception, of heartache, and of addiction. This is the history of the song off the band's 1994 album Purple, and how it reflected the inner…

In March of 2000, Broadcast (helmed by Trish Keenan and James Cargill) released their debut album "The Noise Made By People." Blending a dreamy psychedelia with both futuristic and vintage inspired p…

Before they became the patron saints of noise rock, before the major labels and festival headlining slots, Sonic Youth were a band lurking in the dark corners of the New York underground. And in 1985…

In the mid 1970s, David Bowie released "Station to Station" as he transformed into the Thin White Duke. His mental and physical state was in major decline due to addiction. Becoming obsessed with the…

Twice censored, this is the story of Sonic Youth's pivotal release "Sister" from 1987, how and why the album's unique cover art got those black boxes, and the story of the photographer that sparked t…

After the success of "Creep," Radiohead was at a crossroads. They struggled to cope with the potential of being a 'one-hit-wonder.' While their label EMI sought another big hit, they went a different…

Are The Kinks a MOD band? When you look at The Kinks' early work from the mid 1960s, they seem to fit the part. Sharp suits, R&B influences. But it's not as simple as that. Today, we break it down, d…

As David Bowie transitioned out of his glam phase, he set his sights on Philadelphia and Philly Soul. What came from this was the upbeat "Young Americans" and the album of the same name. This is the …

Released in March 1965 as a US and Canada only compilation, is "Kinks-Size" The Kinks' forgotten album, or was it just a label cash grab? This is the story of that album, why it was released, and how…

In January 2005, Bright Eyes released two albums, among them the widely acclaimed "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning." This is the complete history of that album, a look at where frontman Conor Oberst was…

"Fake Plastic Trees" is one of Radiohead's most heartbreaking songs. But what does it mean? And how did Thom Yorke come up with those lyrics? This is the REAL history and meaning behind the classic s…

In February 1985, The Smiths released Meat is Murder, an album that connects the dots between various forms of violence that perpetuate our society. This is the story of that album and why it still m…

Did Marianne Faithfull really inspire Mick Jagger to pen "Wild Horses" off The Rolling Stones' 1971 album 'Sticky Fingers?' In this video, we look at the lore and the legend of one of the hottest It …

In early 1995, Slowdive released an album so misunderstood that it effectively ended their career. But today, Pygmalion is hailed by some as a masterpiece. How did something so ahead of its time fail…

It's a miracle Iggy Pop finished 'Soldier' with the amount of chaos an infighting that took place during the recording sessions late in 1979. Within the album is a fever dream cast of stars from Davi…