When Nerd Rock Explored Outer Space: They Might Be Giants’ ‘Apollo 18’ at 30
Thirty years on, They Might Be Giants Apollo 18 prevails as an eclectically nerdy collage of accordion ballads, college-rock anthems, and found soundbites.
William Degenaro
I am a teacher and writer based in Detroit, Michigan; a Fulbright Scholar; and a lover of cooking, travel, and pop culture. Follow on twitter: @bill_degenaro
‘Velvet Underground’ Soundtrack Could Use More Idiosyncratic Curation
The soundtrack for Todd Haynes’ new documentary on Velvet Underground contains unimpeachable music but fails to offer a cohesive argument about the iconic band.
Canonizing Donna Summer’s Disco Classic ‘I Feel Love’
This deep look into Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” explores how synthpop and new wave opened up new possibilities for genre and synth experimentation and more.
Is Billy Idol Still Vital?
Billy Idol’s string of pop-punk hits and unmistakable sneer propelled him to 1980s stardom. Idol sounds more mature than ever on the new EP The Roadside.
How Catholicism Shaped Sting’s Creative Vision
In Sting and Religion, Evyatar Marienberg explores links between the rock icon’s Catholic upbringing and the religious themes in his lyrics.
Concert Venues Are Re-Opening, Feeding Fans’ Hunger for Live Music
How one regional concert hall is working to meet community needs, attract and sustain an audience, remain solvent, and evolve – all while carrying on decades-old traditions.
Poet and Critic Cynthia Cruz on the Cost of Upward Mobility in the Arts
Cruz considers the melancholia of working-class artists like Jason Molina and Amy Winehouse who find a way into a middle-class world but lose their sense of self.
Veronica Lewis’ ‘You Ain’t Unlucky’ Is a Rollicking, Retro Good Time
Seventeen-year-old blues pianist Veronica Lewis boogies her way into our hearts on promising debut, You Ain’t Unlucky.
Music Journalist Art Tavana Gets in the Ring with Guns n’ Roses
In his analysis of Guns n’ Roses legacy, Tavana considers the recklessness, decadence, and Kurt Cobain feud that overshadowed the brilliance of Appetite for Destruction.
‘Johnny Thunders & Wayne Kramer’s Gang War!’ Is a Time Capsule and a Car Crash
Punk rockers Johnny Thunders and Wayne Kramer exist on a continuum of wild-eyed, angle-headed anarchists—a continuum filled with poets and artists and guitar-pickers, living and dead, who show us how to resist The Man.
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How Aaron Sorkin and U2 Can Soothe the Pandemic Mind
Like Aaron Sorkin, the veteran rock band U2 has been making ambitious, iconic art for decades—art that can be soaring but occasionally self-important. Sorkin and U2's work draws parallels in comfort and struggle.
Not (Just) a Laughing Matter: Nuanced Representations of Depression in Three Netflix Sitcoms
One Day at a Time, Bojack Horseman, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt each offer insight and understanding into mental illness quite unlike television shows we've seen before.