In 2008, Chinese journalist Yang Jisheng published Tombstone, a now-definitive account of how Mao’s ill-considered plan to industrialize the nation failed to bring about the Continue Reading
Leyya Say "I'm Not Sure" But Look for Hope
Austrian indie-pop duo Leyya have played some of the world’s best festivals, including the Reeperbahn Festival, Primavera, Iceland Airwaves, and SXSW. Their catchy music has Continue Reading
Massimo Pupillo's 'The Black Iron Prison' Runs the Gamut of Modern Composition
Reviewing music built primarily on instrumental ambience and drone is a Rorschach Test. Ambiguous responses may or may not reveal something about the imagery flowing Continue Reading
A Krautrock Maestro and Folk Singer Team up for a Masterpiece
You’d be forgiven if you never foresaw Detlef Weinrich and Emmanuelle Parrenin teaming up. The former is a Dusseldorf DJ known for his machine-like krautrock Continue Reading
Steven Wilson Goes Electronic on 'The Future Bites'
Steven Wilson has long been one of the most distinguished and adventurous, yet heavily scrutinized, artists in modern art/progressive rock. Be it the harsher trajectory Continue Reading
Daptone Records' Gabriel Roth on Sharon Jones and the Power of Music
When Sharon Jones tapped her feet on stage, singing and shaking in a glitter dress, the dust from everyday life turned into sparkle to let Continue Reading
Most Controversial Grammys Wins and How They’ve Aged
The 2021 Grammy Awards, originally slated for Jan. 31, have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the ceremony tentatively rescheduled for March 14. Continue Reading
Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Skin’ Isn’t a ‘Diss Track’ About Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter is setting the record straight. On Sunday (January 24), the Girl Meets World alum took to Instagram to confirm whether or not her Continue Reading
Justin Bieber Reflects on DUI Arrest From Seven Years Ago
Justin Bieber reflected on his DUI arrest seven years ago and how far he has come. On Saturday (January 23), the "Yummy" singer shared a photo Continue Reading
The Underestimated Resilience of Peace and Modern Society
Watching Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion (2011), in light of a year of COVID-19, I was struck by the accuracy of much of the writers’ vision. Continue Reading
Vuillard's 'The War of the Poor' and Historical Storytelling
Éric Vuillard’s The War of the Poor lifts readers from the contemporary battlegrounds of class struggle and deposits us in the frenzy of the 16th Continue Reading
Actress Nina Hoss on the Art of Performance
German actress Nina Hoss’ lengthy collaboration with German director Christian Petzold, from Wolfsburg (2003) to Phoenix (2014), saw the pair become inseparable. The characters she Continue Reading
10cc's Kevin Godley on Crowdsourcing and Going Solo After All These Years
Kevin Godley has been a vital part of some of the most innovative music of the last six decades. As a quarter of the original Continue Reading
MetalMatters: The Best New Heavy Metal Albums of January 2021
Balothizer – Cretan Smash (Louvana) <a href=”https://balothizer.bandcamp.com/album/cretan-smash”>Cretan Smash by Balothizer</a> Full disclosure: I’m cheating a bit. Balothizer’s Cretan Smash was released back in November, but Continue Reading
'City So Real' and the Politics of a Modern Metropolis
One of the first sequences in the documentary series City So Real shows the mayoral candidates in Chicago marching in the 2018 Bud Billiken Parade, Continue Reading
Shame Are an Unstoppable Force on 'Drunk Tank Pink'
“I think the idea of the leather jacket-wearing, womanizing, drug-fuelled rock star should be burned,” Charlie Steen, the frontman for London’s Shame, told The Guardian Continue Reading
JoJo Siwa Addresses How She ‘Labels’ Herself After Coming Out
JoJo Siwa addressed her coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community for the first time. On Saturday (January 23), the 17-year-old YouTuber held an Continue Reading
Someone Impersonated Lili Reinhart in a Published Interview
In a bizarre event, someone pretended to be Lili Reinhart in an interview. On Friday (January 22), the Riverdale actress addressed the situation in an Instagram Continue Reading
Legendary Talk Show Host Larry King Has Died: Celebrities React
Legendary talk show host and reporter Larry King has passed away. On Saturday (January 22), King died at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Hospital. His production company Continue Reading
Unknown Neighbour Shares “Million Miles” Single & Video
Following last year’s ‘We Have To Discover’ and ‘Home’, which Unknown Neighbour (Sascha Zemke) spoke out, the indie-folk artist returns with Million Miles. Serving as the opener Continue Reading