‘Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: The Beat. UB40. Tears of a Clown’ (excerpt)
This excerpt from Daniel Rachel’s history of 2 Tone Records shows the formation of the Beat and the best version of the band-defining “Tears of a Clown” ever.
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‘Dreams in Double Time’: When Bebop Counter-Punched Racist Violence
In this excerpt from Jonathan Leal’s study of Black American jazz, Dreams in Double Time, bebop gives the music a “new accent” and the outsider citizenry a “new language” for counter-punching rebellion.
‘The Media Swirl’ and the Glitter in Your Eyes
In this excerpt from The Media Swirl, Carol Vernallis peers through the glitter of the stunning party scene in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and exams its sparkling layers of meaning.
Cassette Tapes and the Death of Taste in Modern Egyptian Music (Excerpt)
In this excerpt from Andrew Simon’s Media of the Masses, we learn how “lowly” cassette star and shaʿbi music pioneer Ahmad ʿAdawiya would give rise to the “death of taste” in Egyptian music.
‘The New Female Antihero’ (excerpt)
The New Female Antihero explores how misogyny undermines television’s strong female antiheroes and how that, in turn, stunts our culture’s ability to embrace feminism.
‘No Machos or Pop Stars: When the Leeds Art Experiment Went Punk’ (excerpt)
In this excerpt of British punk history book, ‘No Machos or Pop Stars’, the Mekons, Gang of Four, and Delta 5 put their anti-hierarchical, anti-capitalist, feminist theory to the test.
Queer Country: Lesbian and Gay Mainstream Country Artists? (Book Excerpt)
In this excerpt of ‘Queer Country’, Chely Wright, Mary Gauthier, Brandi Carlile, and Amy Ray share the battles they’ve fought to make country music recognize its lesbian artists.
Manifest Technique: The Cosmic Vision of Afro-Filipino Futurism (Excerpt)
In this excerpt of Mark R. Villegas’ Manifest Technique, we vibe with ISP’s avant-garde turntablism spinning Filipino alienation.
What Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ Did to Brian Eno and Giorgio Moroder (Excerpt)
In this excerpt from Thompson’s I Feel Love, which explores the far-reaching influence of song and singer, the disco groove moves Brian Eno and Giorgio Moroder.
Right/Wrong: How Technology Transforms Our Ethics (excerpt)
So you think you know the difference between right and wrong? Sure about that? Juan Enriquez's Right/Wrong, excerpted here courtesy of MIT Press, might shake you loose from your convictions.
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¡Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now (excerpt)
From satire and portraiture to politicized pop, ¡Printing the Revolution! examines how artists created visually captivating graphics that catalyzed audiences. Enjoy this visually gorgeous excerpt courtesy of The Smithsonian American Art Museum and Princeton University Press.
![The American Robot: A Cultural History [By the Book]](https://www.popmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/img-5437.jpg)
The American Robot: A Cultural History [By the Book]
In The American Robot, Dustin A. Abnet explores how robots have not only conceptually connected but literally embodied some of the most critical questions in modern culture, as seen in this excerpt from chapter 5 "Building the Slaves of Tomorrow", courtesy of University of Chicago Press.