James Stafford
The 31 Most Disturbing (Non-Heavy Metal) Album Covers Ever [NSFW]
While it's almost expected of metal bands to push the envelope when it comes to album artwork, it's a little more shocking when other bands do it.
19 Years Ago: Wilco Venture Off the Beaten Alt-Country Path With ‘Being There’
For their second album, Jeff Tweedy and Wilco moved further from their roots in Uncle Tupelo and released a 19-song collection as eclectic as it was ambitious.
How R.E.M. Moved on Without Bill Berry on ‘Up’
Bill Berry's departure marked a whole new direction for R.E.M. Were their fans ready for it?
20 Years Ago: Blind Melon Singer Shannon Hoon Dies of a Drug Overdose
It's been two decades since the world lost Shannon Hoon. We take a look back on the life and untimely death of Blind Melon's charismatic singer.
35 Years Ago: U2 Debut With ‘Boy’
U2 emerged out of Ireland with their debut in 1980 and the only thing bigger than their sound was their potential.
Cover Stories: Public Image Ltd., ‘Metal Box’
Public Image Ltd. didn't just raise the bar for unconventional album covers with 1979's 'Metal Box,' they ignored the bar entirely.
30 Years Ago: Love and Rockets Evolve From Bauhaus With ‘Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven’
In the wake of iconic goth outfit Bauhaus, three former members revealed a more psychedelic and glam-informed aesthetic with their influential 1985 debut.
16 Years Ago: Placebo Fuse Glam and Punk Into ‘Without You I’m Nothing’
With gender-bending swagger and millennial malaise, British trio Placebo became heirs to the glam rock throne with their breakthrough second album.
Cover Stories: The White Stripes, ‘Elephant’
Jack White is the master of the hidden treasure. What surprises lurk in the cover of the White Stripes' 2003 album 'Elephant'?
12 Years Ago: Death Cab for Cutie Release ‘Transatlanticism’
The unofficial follow-up to the Postal Service's only album found footing in the mainstream thanks in part to Seth Cohen (from 'The O.C.').
10 Years Ago: Fiona Apple Makes a Dramatic Reentrance With ‘Extraordinary Machine’
Fiona Apple's first album in six years seemed destined for "lost album" status, then suddenly existed in two disparately interesting incarnations.
Cover Stories: The Smiths, ‘The Smiths’
Who does the torso on the cover of the Smiths' 1984 debut album belong to? And how does Andy Warhol work into all of this?