rob harvilla, The Ringer

rob harvilla

The Ringer

Beverly Hills, CA, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • The Ringer
  • Deadspin
  • Jezebel

Past articles by rob:

Rihanna Quiet Quit the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Yes, her set exuded the calm coolness she’s known for. Yes, she revealed she’s pregnant again. And the whole performance was just fine. → Read More

‘60 Songs’: “Basket Case” and the Big Deal About Green Day

Talking ‘Nimrod,’ major labels, and the pop-punk trio that took the genre to new commercial heights → Read More

‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: Liz Phair Didn’t Need Guyville As Much As Guyville Needed Her

On making peace with the past and learning to live with the weight of expectations—and also on a really excellent debut album and its just-as-good follow-ups → Read More

‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: Erykah Badu and Neo-soul

On our latest episode, we dive into "Tyrone" and the makings of a somewhat controversial genre → Read More

‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: But First, Pearl Jam

It’s "Yellow Ledbetter" time, with help from our old friend Steven Hyden → Read More

‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: The Chicks, “Goodbye Earl,” and the Story of Women in Country Music

The latest episode of ‘60 Songs’ explores the trio’s massive hit from their diamond-selling album ‘Fly’ → Read More

Pantera and How Dimebag Darrell Became the Ultimate Guitar God

We’re back for another run of episodes, starting with the Texas heavy rock quartet’s "Walk" and a guest appearance from Sean Fennessey → Read More

‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: The Cranberries, “Zombie”

Our latest episode tackles the biggest hit by Dolores O’Riordan and Co. → Read More

An Ode to Desus and Mero, Forever Kings of New York

They broke up. We don’t want to talk about it. We’re gonna try anyway. → Read More

The Definitive Pixar Universe Dad Rankings

An assessment of parental skill, from Worst Dad to Best Dad, by a Ringer Dad → Read More

Ray Liotta Made ‘Goodfellas’ As Much As It Made Him

The actor, who died Thursday at age 67, was more than just Henry Hill, even if he knew we were always thinking of his most iconic role → Read More

In Praise of the Junk-Drawer ’90s Alt-Rock Movie Soundtrack

The height of the CD era brought a bevy of compilations that often felt like grab bags, but sometimes reached transcendence → Read More

Alanis Morissette, “All Too Well,” and the DNA of the Eff-You Anthem

Taylor Swift’s rerecorded 10-minute kiss-off is scathing, hilarious, and even empathetic all at once—things that Alanis helped lay the blueprint for with her scorched-earth "You Oughta Know" → Read More

The Lorde Album Probably Isn’t What You Want. But It’s What Lorde Thinks You Need.

‘Solar Power’ is filled with good vibes and aspirational lyrics. It’s missing big songs. → Read More

Billie Eilish and the Loneliness of Megastardom

The 19-year-old’s second album, ‘Happier Than Ever,’ finds her in a place unfamiliar to the average listener but all too relatable for the young and ultra-famous → Read More

Was Moby’s ‘Play’ the Spiritual Death of the ’90s?

The spiritual end of the ’90s has long been considered the disastrous Woodstock ’99. What this piece presupposes that it came a few months earlier, via a sampler-armed musician who would play the festival’s emerging artists stage. → Read More

The Spirit of the ’80s Is Alive and Crying on John Mayer’s New Album

‘Sob Rock,’ the singer-songwriter’s eighth full-length, wraps its sadness in ’80s-style soft rock while also offering some of his best music in at least a decade → Read More

Riz Ahmed’s Devastatingly Loud ‘Sound of Metal’ Performance

As a drummer rapidly losing his hearing, Ahmed pushes the movie beyond cliché → Read More

There’s No Escapism in Demi Lovato’s ‘Dancing With the Devil’

Her new album, which shares a title with her gritty new YouTube docuseries, confronts her trauma and near-fatal overdose head on. But even in its lighter moments, it’s still haunted by reality. → Read More

The Weeknd’s Halftime Performance Made Perfect Sense for a Strange Super Bowl

A blowout in a pandemic got the show it deserved, presented by Pepsi → Read More