Needles & Plastic: Flying Nun Records, 1981-1988
In this excerpt from Needles and Plastic, we learn about the force of will, the chance of kismet, and the couple of bands that piloted Flying Nun Records from New Zealand to the US.
By the Book
‘Totally Wired: The Rise and Fall of the Music Press’
In this excerpt from Paul Gorman’s history of music magazines, Totally Wired we experience the heady ascent of “rock and pop culture journalism” fueled by the seemingly endless energy of music fans.
In Bob Stanley’s Let’s Do It ‘The Winds Grow Colder’ for Judy Garland and Billie Holiday
In this excerpt from Bob Stanley’s history of pop music, Let’s Do It, the music and stories of iconic singers Judy Garland and Billie Holiday are forever intertwined.
‘Addicted to Noise’: Tom Waits Tests Michael Goldberg’s Sense of Humor
Tom Waits splashes about in his “puddle of consciousness”, testing Michael Goldberg’s sense of humor in this interview excerpted from Goldberg’s new book, Addicted to Noise.
Straight Into Darkness: Tom Petty as Rock Mystic (Excerpt)
Happy 40th anniversary to Tom Petty’s Long After Dark album, an underrated manual for creatives in existential crisis. Enjoy this excerpt from Straight Into Darkness: Tom Petty as Rock Mystic.
Aquaman and the War Against Oceans (Excerpt)
Aquaman can be read as an allegory that responds to the climate change crisis, an era in which the oceans have become sites of warfare and mass death.
‘The New Female Antihero’ (excerpt)
The New Female Antihero explores how misogyny undermines television’s strong female antiheroes and how that, in turn, stunts our culture’s ability to embrace feminism.
‘No Machos or Pop Stars: When the Leeds Art Experiment Went Punk’ (excerpt)
In this excerpt of British punk history book, ‘No Machos or Pop Stars’, the Mekons, Gang of Four, and Delta 5 put their anti-hierarchical, anti-capitalist, feminist theory to the test.
Take a Whiff of ‘Perfume’ and Enter the World of Queer Culture
How did Calvin Klein’s gender-neutral CK One, with its scent like “a vodka tonic with lemon twist”, help inspire gender revolution?Perfume follows the fragrant path into queer culture.
Queer Country: Lesbian and Gay Mainstream Country Artists? (Book Excerpt)
In this excerpt of ‘Queer Country’, Chely Wright, Mary Gauthier, Brandi Carlile, and Amy Ray share the battles they’ve fought to make country music recognize its lesbian artists.
Manifest Technique: The Cosmic Vision of Afro-Filipino Futurism (Excerpt)
In this excerpt of Mark R. Villegas’ Manifest Technique, we vibe with ISP’s avant-garde turntablism spinning Filipino alienation.
What Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ Did to Brian Eno and Giorgio Moroder (Excerpt)
In this excerpt from Thompson’s I Feel Love, which explores the far-reaching influence of song and singer, the disco groove moves Brian Eno and Giorgio Moroder.
