Brothers in Yarn – ‘Volume 1’ (EP stream) (premiere) + Interview
Shawn Fogel (Golden Bloom) releases literary-inspired EP as Brothers in Yarn.
pop music
Is ‘Madonna: Tears of a Clown’ a Laughing Matter?
In Madonna's bizarre one-off concert in Australia, she proved that she's still willing to push the envelope with a bold artistic statement. But what exactly was she saying?
Pet Shop Boys: SUPER
Thirty years since "West End Girls" launched their career, Pet Shop Boys are back with a thrilling new album produced by Stuart Price, SUPER.
Always Cry 4 Love, Never Cry 4 Pain: Prince’s 30-year ‘Parade’
On Parade, Prince allows an openness to ideas and collaboration to a degree he’d never experienced before, and it brings out the best in him.
The Great I Am: Magic, Fascism, and Race in David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’
Blackstar addresses the tension between David Bowie’s avowed attraction to ideologies of blood and soil, and his equally committed obsession with African American musical forms and tropes.
Prince: HITNRUN Phase Two
Phase Two boasts enough classic Prince moments to sufficiently wash the worst memories of its vapid predecessor out of fans’ memory banks permanently.
Matt Nathanson: Show Me Your Fangs
Career-defining songs from a songwriter with an already-impressive track record. Prepare to hear plenty about this for some time to come.
a-ha: Cast in Steel
Cast in Steel is a triumphant return. It's wonderful to hear one of the most underrated bands of the last three decades back with such a powerful musical statement.
Richard Goldstein on the Front Lines With Janis Joplin, Andy Warhol, Abby Hoffman and More
Richard Goldstein's journey is a closely observed, fervently lived “I was there” account of the music, the politics, the sex, the drugs, and the poetry in rock lyrics.
‘Litpop – Writing and Popular Music’ Suffocates From a Lack of the Lively Air of Opinion
This anthology is meant to study two of the most lively artistic fields on the planet, and yet it's bogged down by articles of no great substance and no great joy.
Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart’ Reinforces Her Relevance
Despite the detractors who insist that she gives it up, Madonna is determined to dominate the cultural conversation once again.
Pronounced Dead: The Art of Cultural Assassination
Two critical catfights are claiming to have buried art-forms which have shaped our civilisation for decades and centuries apiece. Are they entitled to do that?