Friday, February 10 2012
Nick Cave’s The Death of Bunny Munro: A Rock Star’s Midlife Crisis or Valid Literature?
Regardless how history comes to look Nick Cave's
Thursday, February 9 2012
“Don’t Let Me Fall”: Hip-Hop in the Age of Austerity
Rappers have always wrestled with the question of how to succeed in a society where the odds are stacked against them. The biggest difference now is that their middle class listeners have the same worries.
Tuesday, February 7 2012
Mental Pop & Beyoncé Beats: An Interview with Liam Finn
Crusty walls of distortion co-exist with pop hooks in the second and latest solo album from Liam Finn. Here the songwriter talks about taking a break from life on the road to write FOMO in far-off New Zealand, working with producer Burke Reed and percussionist Glenn Kotche to seriously tinker with his sound and taking inspiration from, of all people, Beyoncé.
Monday, February 6 2012
Why Deathspell Omega’s Trilogy Has Changed the Face of Black Metal
The concept of a “trilogy” is such an overdone thing. Be it film trilogies, album trilogies, book trilogies, video game trilogies… we have all seen trilogies in various forms of entertainment media to the point of it becoming banal. At the end of the Deathspell Omega experience however, do not be alarmed if you wake up to find yourself in Silent Hill.
Friday, February 3 2012
Slipped Discs 2011 - Part 3: From Real Estate to Youth Lagoon
The three-day 2011 edition of Slipped Discs -- where we feature great albums that missed our Best Albums of 2011 -- concludes with the smart hip-hop of the Roots, indie greatness from Real Estate and Youth Lagoon, blasts out of the UK from WU LYF and We Were Promised Jetpacks, and many more.
The Amazingness of Everything: A Conversation with Dan Mangan
At the end of the day, "insincerity is so visible, says the much-loved Canadian troubadour.
Thursday, February 2 2012
After Cease to Exist: The Far-from-Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
After a British government official declared them "Wreckers of Civilization", Throbbing Gristle understood their mission -- to destroy the Control society.
Wednesday, February 1 2012
Slipped Discs 2011 - Part 2: From the Go! Team to the Phoenix Foundation
The three-day 2011 edition of Slipped Discs -- where we feature great albums that missed our Best Albums of 2011 -- continues with the forward-thinking R&B of Frank Ocean, the Americana brilliance of Ha Ha Tonka and Lydia Loveless, the unheralded collaboration of Talib Kweli and Res, and many more.
Tuesday, January 31 2012
Slipped Discs 2011 - Part 1: From 13Ghosts to Friendly Fires
The three-day 2011 edition of Slipped Discs -- where we feature great albums that missed our Best Albums of 2011 -- kicks off with Akron/Family's most experimental work, Kate Bush's sound poetry, the stunning Anna Calvi, the brilliant hip-hop of Drake, and many more.
Get Off of My Cloud!: ‘Collecting’ Music in the Digital Age
I have the greatest record collection imaginable. But it's almost exactly the same as all of Rhapsody’s other customers.
Monday, January 30 2012
Listening Ahead: Upcoming Releases for February
PopMatters previews some of February's most eagerly awaited offerings.
Friday, January 27 2012
Different Flavored Skulls: An Intimate Chat with the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne
In speaking to PopMatters about the creation of the Flaming Lips' latest edible piece of insanity, frontman Wayne Coyne reveals how he turned mistakes into opportunities, gives much love to the major label he's signed to, and remains unshakably upbeat about what's next for one of the greatest bands working today.
Thursday, January 26 2012
Make-Believe Rock Star: An Interview with Anthony Green
“Everything that [people] think and everything that they see and everything that they say [about me] is just make believe. It’s all just made up. Most of it is just a projection of who they wish they could be and that’s a shame because I spend a lot of time trying to tell people that they already are amazing. They see nothing in me but themselves."
Wednesday, January 25 2012
Learnin’ to Ride: An Interview with Caitlin Rose
She's a young country hopeful with an incredible voice and even more incredible songs. Speaking with PopMatters, we discover how some of her new songs were originally written when she was 16, the "anti-folk" influence on her own work, and how she very well could've made it as a stand-up comedian ...
Circling the Sun Machine: Re-thinking David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’
Bowie's odd magnetism has long been interpreted as a function of his ambiguous sexuality, but could it be that he was transgressing more than just gender norms and heralding the rise of the man/machine?
Tuesday, January 24 2012
“You’re Afraid You’ll Hate Everything Within a Month”: An Interview with Lisa Hannigan
After scoring a Mercury Music Prize nomination for her first solo album after working with Damien Rice, Lisa Hannigan returns with an effort more sophisticated and mature than before, and tells PopMatters all about it ...
Friday, January 20 2012
The Hippie That Wasn’t: An Interview with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips have spent the past year doing off-beat collaborations, releasing songs in skulls both Gummi and real, and creating songs that last up to 24 hours. In this extensive interview with PopMatters, frontman Wayne Coyne discusses all of this... as well as his peacocks.
Tuesday, January 17 2012
Traveling at Different Speeds: An Interview with Icebird’s RJD2
After producing countless underground-rap hits, scoring the Mad Men theme, and putting out iconic albums of his own, RJD2 decided to write songs with singer Aaron Livingston before they formed a band. RJ talks about the creation of the one and only Icebird.
Friday, January 13 2012
“Copying People I Like”: A Conversation with Eleanor Friedberger
The Fiery Furnaces' Eleanor Friedberger tells PopMatters all about her breezy, gorgeous new solo effort, and also tells us why she doesn't like giving interviews, which Fiery Furnaces album she least enjoys, and how performing solo was a revealing experience for her.
Friday, January 6 2012
From Touring Carnival to Destination Festival: Lollapalooza at 20
When Lollapalooza disappeared from view in 1997, it seemed that a good idea had run its course. But the end of the road for Lollapalooza as a tour turned out to be just the first part of its story.
