James A. Cosby

Jim is an attorney and an author and lives in Philadelphia. Jim's first book, DEVIL'S MUSIC, HOLY ROLLERS, AND HILLBILLIES: HOW AMERICA GAVE BIRTH TO ROCK AND ROLL (McFarland, 2016) (Kirkus: "illuminating and intriguing"; Minnesota Public Radio Rock Book Club Selection), is on sale everywhere, as well as featured at legendary Sun Studio (one of five such books), The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Delta Blues Museum. Jim has also published legal scholarship on children's rights and the Constitution, as well as writing on music-related topics as a regular contributor to PopMatters since 2013, and elsewhere. Jim's follow-up book (working title): A New History: Rock Music, Authority, and Western Culture, 1964-1980, will be published sometime around the end of the year with McFarland Books.
Metallica Is Back: They Never Were the Bad Guys

Metallica Is Back: They Never Were the Bad Guys

Metallica's already huge legacy is solidifying, and history is treating them quite well.
Rock Pioneer Lloyd Price Has a Couple of Stories to Tell

Rock Pioneer Lloyd Price Has a Couple of Stories to Tell

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and rock pioneer Lloyd Price’s life has been much more interesting than yours or mine, from writing hits with Fats Domino to playing an influential role in the Rumble in the Jungle. Yet Price still has many more yarns to spin even now.
Made in America Festival 2015

Made in America Festival 2015

Even though it is on Labor Day and it is called “Made in America", this fest has nothing to do with manufacturing jobs. Instead, this is Jay Z’s vision of a new – or renewed – sense of patriotism.
Long Live the Beastie Boys: Their Five Most Underappreciated Songs

Long Live the Beastie Boys: Their Five Most Underappreciated Songs

PopMatters looks at five Beastie Boys songs that are not only underappreciated, but some of their best.
Five Ways ‘Animal House’ Changed the World

Five Ways ‘Animal House’ Changed the World

Wherever the bar was set for '70s college parties, Animal House took that bar, broke it into kindling, and made a bonfire.
America, Slavery, and McQueen and Tarantino’s Two Very Different Films

America, Slavery, and McQueen and Tarantino’s Two Very Different Films

12 Years a Slave is every bit as intense as one might imagine, though not completely depressing, whereas Django Unchained aestheticizes its extreme violence.
Dave Chappelle: 21 December 2013 – Philadelphia, PA

Dave Chappelle: 21 December 2013 – Philadelphia, PA

Dave Chappelle jokes that Philly, as the birthplace of America, is "the perfect place to end my career".

Political Incorrectness Gone Good: An Appreciation of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’

Primal Thrash Therapy? Lessons from the Life of Metallica’s James Hetfield

Martin Scorsese’s Best Marriage of Film and Music Is Showcased in ‘Goodfellas’

Jay-Z’s Philadelphia Experiment: The Budweiser Made in America Festival, 2013

Rick Rubin’s ‘Less Than Zero’ Soundtrack Perfectly Emulates the Excessive ’80s