Derrick Rossignol

Bio

Derrick is a freelance writer who's mused about music, basketball, and whatever for Diffuser, Pretty Much Amazing, Dime and other places. He hosts "The Longest Album Review Podcast," in which he reviews the same Nickeback album every week because he likes a good challenge. Reach out at derrickrossignol.com.
The 15 Albums That Made These Two Years the Defining Era for Indie Rock
By Derrick Rossignol
Indie rock is no longer underground. In the past decade, the Decemberists, Cake and Vampire Weekend all had albums reach No. 1, while indie performers like St. Vincent, Alabama Shakes and the National were all noteworthy enough to perform on…
Here's Scientific Proof That Some People Just Can't Wear Earbuds — And How to Solve It
By Derrick Rossignol
The first earbuds were patented in 1891, and they have been a royal pain in the ass ever since. A large minority of people knows this, but they've been mostly silent on the subject. The tides are turning, though, and a new class of products is…
19 Indie Christmas Songs That Deserve to Be Classics
By Derrick Rossignol
Now that we've given thanks and gorged on gluttonous amounts of turkey, it's time to fully embrace Christmas and the music it brings. But as thrilling as it is to hear Mariah Carey's ubiquitous rendition of "All I Want For Christmas Is You" for the…
18 Albums You Need to Hear This November
By Derrick Rossignol
As pumpkin spice season comes to its closing stretch, a month of potentially fantastic upcoming album releases begins. Legendary mainstays and modern indie heroes all have new material coming out this November, and it's even rumored (though highly…
13 Albums That the Most Successful Musicians Listen To
By Derrick Rossignol
A musician is no greater than the sum of their influences. Though the most famous artists seem unapproachably original, everyone has to start somewhere. And every great artist is equal parts a great fan.  If you want to know what really makes an…
11 Top Cities for Music That Aren't New York or L.A.
By Derrick Rossignol
If Hollywood has taught us anything, it's that music happens in one of two cities: New York or Los Angeles. These are the places you go if you really want to make it big — if you want to pay exorbitant amounts to live in a crumbling apartment and…
10 Acts That Prove Korean Music Is So Much More Than K-Pop
By Derrick Rossignol
When South Korean singer Psy brought K-pop into the American consciousness in 2012 with the polarizing and infinitely viewable "Gangnam Style," he also paved the way for other Korean acts to be heard on an international level. Over the two years…
A New Invention Will Finally Prevent Cellphones from Ruining Concerts
By Derrick Rossignol
Anyone who's sick of going to a concert and seeing only cellphones should take heart: A new technology just showed up to save live music, and it's called Yondr.   The San Francisco-based service is sweeping local venues by offering legitimately…
Polyphonic Spree Review: 'Yes It's True' Is the Happiest Album of the Year
By Derrick Rossignol
Slip out of consciousness and into a deep, euphoric sleep. Crack your eyes open and see a wide, verdant field occupied by trees, their leaves fluttering in a gentle wind. A group of bunny rabbits are palling around, chasing each other’s tails and…
NBA Finals 2013: Does Spurs Forward Matt Bonner Have the NBA's Best Taste in Music?
By Derrick Rossignol
Since the San Antonio Spurs currently have a one-game edge over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, can the strong presence of the Spurs' supporting cast remain throughout the rest of the series? Can Miami forward LeBron James have a great game…
3 Reasons Why Dating the Wendy's Girl Would Suck
By Derrick Rossignol
Wendy's most recent ad campaign chronicles the adventures of a red-haired woman infatuated with their fast-food eatery, and she's pretty cute. The crimson-haired burger pusher, whom we’ll refer to as Red, is played by Morgan Smith Goodwin, a 28-year…
The Strokes' 'Comedown Machine': A Wild Journey That's All Their Own
By Derrick Rossignol
One of the challenges of evaluating albums by bands who have a history is taking that context away and seeing the work for what it is. Starting with This Is It in 2001, The Strokes developed a reputation for playing straightforward rock that…
SXSW Bands 2013: Bear Mountain Tells Us Why It's Worth It to Play For Free
By Derrick Rossignol
As the 27th year of the South By Southwest festival kicks off, the Internet is ablaze with hype about anticipated film screenings, interest in the innovative technology on display at SXSW Interactive. and speculation about which bands will make the…
Kicell: 4 Foreign-Language Bands Americans Should Care About
By Derrick Rossignol
Brazilian psych-rock legends Os Mutantes, a 1960s group who has been praised by greats like Kurt Kobain, recently announced they are returning with a new album and U.S. tour. The group performs in Portuguese, but sometimes, the language barrier…