It Holds Up

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists' 'Hearts Of Oak' still sounds as chaotic and pointed 20 years later

Minneapolis-based musician Zaq Baker looks back on 'Fast Times at Barrington High' by early 2k pop punks The Academy Is...

Hugo Reyes looks back on Have Heart's 'The Things We Carry' 15 years later, reflecting on the youthful naïveté and genuine emotion that makes the album feel just as revelatory now as it did on release.

'Coastal Grooves,' the debut album from Blood Orange, is a brazen, suave exercise in unrestrained attitude. Ted Davis looks back on 'Coastal Grooves' 10 years after its release.

Upon its 10 year anniversary, Sarah dives deep into Bon Iver's self-titled second LP, looking into why this album became so successful and why it deserved the Grammy.

Guest writer Jason Sloan looks back at ten years of the album that introduced us all to Jade Lilitri: State Line's debut 'Hoffman Manor.'

The debut LP from British singer-songwriter, Laura Marling, is a harrowing narrative on the sacrifices of love. Released in 2008, Sarah revisits 'Alas I Cannot Swim' and examines how Marling's lyricism and raw instrumentals makes this record timeless.

Guest writer Tim Gagnon looks back on The Thrills' third album, the ultimate slice of The O.C.-core.

On 'Pool,' Aaron Maine’s hyper-aestheticism fundamentally shifted an entire generation's counterculture. In this edition of It Holds Up, Ted Davis revisits Porches landmark sophomore album.

‘Permission To Land,’ the debut LP from the Darkness, is divided into songs that rock extremely hard and songs that rock slightly less. Morgan Troper takes a look back at the group’s consistent and staggeringly great debut.

On 'All The Right Reasons’ Nickelback leaned into the musical tropes of post-grunge radio rock. Ted Davis examines the album's whiskey-soaked songwriting and breaks down why it’s objectively good.

The Beach Boys holiday album was their 7th release, with 5 original songs and 7 traditional carols. It was released in 1964, and it has been called "one of the finest holiday albums of the rock era.” Tina looks back on this classic holiday album.

Ted Davis looks back at Wavves' breakout album "King Of The Beach," a relic of the golden era of Pitchfork Best New Music, in honor of the record's 10th anniversary.

Released in 2015, Foxing's Dealer is marked by zeal and vigor, which is noticeable in the variety of instrumentals they incorporate as well as the effort they put into not relying on cliches or anything trite in their songwriting. In this, Bineet reflects on what makes the album so special.

On October 23, 2012, one of the most highly regarded prospects of the UK pop-punk scene, Basement, released Colourmeinkindness. Despite the band's surprising hiatus, the record cemented Basement's status as a foundational band to that current wave of grungey emo. Now, over 8 years later, Colourmeinkindess still holds up.