Recent Features

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Friday, December 4 2009

Reconsidering the Revival of Cassette Tape Culture

By Calum Marsh

At best, the cassette revival is merely a vacuous fad of no genuine value; but at worst, it's a confused, regressive cultural misstep more dangerous than most would care to admit.

MCA’s Heavy News

By Kirby Fields

This is more about the surprise I felt when an hour after my heart ached for my own mother it ached again in a similar way for someone whom I have never actually met. So I’ve spent probably months listening to the Beastie Boys. So what? This gives me the right? The short answer is “Yes. Yes, it does."

Thursday, December 3 2009

Making a Case for the Most Underappreciated Band in Pop Music

By Anthony Lombardi

Big Star may have long dwindled on the threshold of musical ubiquity and dangling obscurity, but it strangely seems like the only befitting legacy for artists so caught between their innate standing as pop music outsiders and their reverential, ever-striving will for superstardom.

Bruce Greenwood

By PopMatters Staff

The prolific actor Bruce Greenwood shows up as yet another character for 20 Questions -- this time as a rather erudite cake designer with a mean edge on a ’53 Telecaster.

Wednesday, December 2 2009

Reinventing Don Imus: Anatomy of an Excuse

By Michael E. Ross

Imus traffics in the tropes of hip-hop and black culture in general on an occasional, selective basis -- a cafeteria approach to cultural exploration as obvious as it is insincere.

Lone Wolf and Cub Part 1: History and Influences

By Shawn O'Rourke

This unparalleled tale of honor and vengeance illustrates the full scope of human drama. In this introductory feature, appearing monthly, a brief overview of the series is sketched.

Tuesday, December 1 2009

“We’re Trying to Make Our Own Kind of Mythology”: An Interview with Wild Beasts

By Chris Baynes

Bruce Springsteen? Drowning rats? Steve Reich and the joyous art of hedonism? These are the least interesting topics that Wild Beasts talk about following a year of well-deserved acclaim for their sophomore album.

Monday, November 30 2009

Selling Out to Survive

By Ze Pequeno

Placing songs in advertising remains a touchy subject. PopMatters spoke with a few artists whose music has appeared in advertising to find out what motivates them to do what some people claim is “selling out.”

The World Is All There Is: An Interview with Fool’s Gold

By Chris Catania

Rising Afropop titans Fool's Gold are bringing a unique cultural heritage to rock music: singing in Hebrew, changing their lineup with virtually every performance, and having one hell of a time shattering conventions ...

Wednesday, November 25 2009

The Story of a Soul Survivor: ‘Private Dancer’ at 25

By Christian John Wikane

On the eve of Tina Turner's 70th birthday, PopMatters salutes the 25th anniversary of Private Dancer. Join us as we celebrate the making of a modern classic while David Bowie, Nona Hendryx, Janelle Monáe, Bryan Adams, and more than 20 artists and producers pay tribute to the girl form Nutbush who conquered the world stage.

Re-Meet the Beatles: PopMatters Salutes the Still Fab Four

By PopMatters Staff

A comprehensive look at the history and impact of the Beatles. 20 Beatles Buried Treasures 25 Classic Beatles Songs The Records: 1963-1964, 1964-1965, 1966-1967, 1968-1969, and 1970 and Beyond ALL ESSAYS.

The Gospel According to Butch: Part 3—The Artist

By Evan Sawdey

Here songwriting is the focal point and Walker talks about his time working with Avril Lavigne, gives props to "The Macarena", and how he shouldn't try to make songs that are "post-gleeful".

Tuesday, November 24 2009

Sandra Brown

By PopMatters Staff

Bestselling author Sandra Brown chats about her weep-inducing, wavering confidence and advises that one should be wary of hiring a discount hit man.

Monday, November 23 2009

Hitting ‘The Road’ with Director John Hillcoat

By Matt Mazur

Director John Hillcoat talks to PopMatters about the hazards of being intimidated by legends, the funny side of cannibalism and Viggo Mortensen's sweet tooth as his adaptation of the seminal apocalyptic novel The Road hits theaters.

Friday, November 20 2009

Director Spotlight: Pedro Almodóvar

By PopMatters Staff

Today: Viva Pedro: The Almodovar Interview -- What could possibly be better than getting face time with one of the most legendary filmmakers of all-time? Almodóvar talks to PopMatters about his new film, Broken Embraces and much more.

Masters of Horror Manga: Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino

By Oliver Ho

Perhaps more so than any other artists, Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino defined the genre of horror comics in Japan, an influence that extends to the West, and also to the world of J-horror films.

Thursday, November 19 2009

Reuben Butchart [New York]

By Christian John Wikane

The former pianist for Antony & the Johnsons "awakens" with his most elaborate solo work yet.... and it features a plastic bag! Here's the story behind Reuben Butchart's boundless creativity.

Wednesday, November 18 2009

The Gospel According to Butch: Part 2—The Performer

By Evan Sawdey

The ever-prolific producer/songwriter Butch Walker notes how live shows lack a genuine mystique these days, his secret for surviving a tour, and why he'll probably never see Third Eye Blind in concert again ...

Tuesday, November 17 2009

Alison Brie and Donald Glover of ‘Community’

By PopMatters Staff

Alison Brie, who plays Trudy on Mad Men and Donald Glover, who wrote for 30 Rock before joining the Community cast, indulge in a friendly, teasing, tête à tête of sorts, as they consider PopMatters 20 Questions.

Friday, November 13 2009

We Few, We Happy Few, We Bandaged Brothers: Jeff Lemire’s The Nobody and the Quest for Self

By Kevin M. Brettauer

A touching, heartfelt meditation on identity and isolation in a small town, Jeff Lemire is able to redress an H.G. Wells classic and make it as timely and disturbing as ever.

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