Wednesday, June 5 2013
“I Could See Where the River Was Flowing”: An Interview with Josh Ritter
After a devastating divorce, Josh Ritter wasn't sure how to proceed: write angry songs? Turn to drink? It was a dark period, but the striking Beast in Its Tracks is a powerful, rather hopeful document that has gained much notice, and Ritter speaks to PopMatters all about it.
Tuesday, June 4 2013
Now Hear This!: Case Studies - ‘This Is Another Life’ (album premiere)
PopMatters is pleased to premiere This Is Another Life, the stunning new album by Case Studies.
“It’s Fun Being An Asshole!”: An Interview with Fran Kranz on Joss Whedon
The actor behind the lovable stoner from The Cabin in the Woods and Dollhouse's conniving programmer dishes about working with Joss Whedon, horror movies, and fan attention.
Farewell, Maestro: Rituparno Ghosh (1963-2013)
Upon the untimely death of the Indian film director Rituparno Ghosh, PopMatters remembers his remarkable career as a director, screenwriter and activist.
Monday, June 3 2013
A Time to Be So Small: An Interview with EmptyMansion’s Sam Fogarino
After dealing with the critical praise and downfall of Interpol, Sam Fogarino hooked up with one of the key players in Secret Machines and, under the name of EmptyMansions, made something quite special, different, and even a bit unexpected ...
A Ton of Feathers: Behind Enemy Lines with the Sonnet
Without doubt, the sonnet offers rich terrain for rhetorical hijinks and abbreviated exposition. You might rightly ask then, why entrust such a tightly-wound machine to muddle-headed poets?
Friday, May 31 2013
No End in Sight: The Exclusive with ‘Watchmen’ Co-Creator John Higgins
Watchmen co-creator John Higgins talks about his opus Razorjack and his road to self-mastery as a comics creator's creator.
A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley
The supreme irony of Robert L. Ripley’s life, which was dedicated to exalting the strange and unusual, is that he may have been the most amazing oddity of all.
Listening Ahead: Upcoming Music Releases for June 2013
Get the early word on anticipated new albums by Camera Obscura, Smith Westerns, and Eleanor Friedberger, as well as a listing of June's releases.
Thursday, May 30 2013
Alabaster Queen: An Interview with Marissa Nadler
She's been called "dream folk", and at one point even "Narco-folk", but Marissa Nadler simply continues doing what she's doing best: crafting the arc-based, personality-driven songs that have become her trademark, and also talks to PopMatters about that eternal debate of Joni Mitchell vs. Riot Grrrl, of course.
Wednesday, May 29 2013
New York City-Sourced Chaos in Graphic Novel ‘Strange Attractors’
Instability underpins this maps-and-Manhattan-centric graphic novel from Charles Soule.
Alone with His ‘Afterthoughts’: An Interview with Nosound’s Giancarlo Erra
Nosound mastermind Giancarlo Erra discusses his music, inspirations, and method of melancholic creation and direction.
Tuesday, May 28 2013
Meeting the Novelist: An Interview with “Flat Water Tuesday’s” Ron Irwin
"Ron Irwin's protagonist is not only a prodigious oarsman, but a lover of two memorably realized women," Nobel Laureate for Literature J.M. Coetzee writes. But the real story goes much, much deeper.
Good vs. Evil: The Inner Struggle of SXSW
There are a number of ways to view SXSW's growth. The most cynical response, voiced by those ranging from veterans nostalgic for a simpler experience to current artists chafing under the brutalist constraints of a 15 minute showcase slot is to simply cry “sellout".
Friday, May 24 2013
Eliot, then Chopin: Investigating ‘The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes’
Before Sandman, huh? Well that must mean there's at least a Sandman before, Before Sandman. So let's start at the beginning…
The Jet Sex: Airline Stewardesses and the Making of an American Icon
As the apotheosis of feminine charm and American careerism, the stewardess subtly bucked traditional gender roles and paved the way for the women's movement.
The Women Behind ‘The Throne’
Just what is it that is drawing these new female viewers to a show and genre that has historically been the realm of a largely male audience? It probably has something to do with fact that the women of Game of Thrones are some of the most powerful and dynamic female characters on television right now.
Thursday, May 23 2013
Sword of Sorcery, A Retrospective
With an acclaimed career in writing TV shows and videogames, Christy Marx was practicing transmedia long before the term became popularized. Her reimagining of DC's classic Amethyst stories only underpin her mastery…
Futurism Becomes Retro-Futurism: An Interview with Steven Wilson
Having established himself at the forefront of global progressive music, Steven Wilson won't rest on the success of Porcupine Tree if sonic borders remain to be breached. But first he has to find a way to signal past the noise, in a world where too many choices often send listeners screaming for the exits.
Wednesday, May 22 2013
Ray Manzarek: The Key to the Doors
Ray Manzarek left his handiwork all over several of the more resilient and extraordinary songs from one of the enduring American bands.
