The Menacing, Grimy Weirdness of Melvins’ ‘Houdini’ at 30
Once Houdini dropped, all the agonizing over whether Melvins would debase themselves and compromise their sound petered out before we were halfway into “Hooch”.
Features
A Woman’s War Is Never Done: Wojciech Has’ ‘How to Be Loved’
A telling scene in Wojciech Has’ How to Be Loved comments on how a woman’s viewpoint must be injected into male-created art without permission.
JazzMatters: The Best New Jazz of Summer 2023
Our jazz columnist chooses the best new jazz albums of the summer while reflecting on the passing of Astrud Gilberto and Tony Bennett.
The Pull of Christian Sparkes’ Mystery ‘The King Tide’
Director Christian Sparkes and actors Clayne Crawford and Alix West Lefler discuss the mystery The King Tide during its World Premiere at TIFF 2023.
Two Men in a Tub: A Sudsy Interview with Humorist Robert Wringham
Robert Wringham’s Rub-A-Dub-Dub slips neck-deep into the wet hot mess of middle-age angst. From the comfort of his bath, so to speak, he talks about it.
5 Signs Brazilian Funk Is Verging on Global Breakthrough
As music markets “glocalise”, the stars could align for Brazilian funk. As of 2023, at least five things show that they might be.
12 Totally Strange and Underseen Animated Films
Well into the ’80s, animated filmmakers attempted to create something even stranger than the X-rated cartoon: the PG-13 cartoon.
A Case for Pretending: Why Identity Is a Sham and Authenticity an Illusion
The tighter we cling to any aspect of self-identity, the more we suffer and the more vital it becomes to release our grip.
Girls Against Boys on Their Criticized ’90s Album, ‘Freak*on*Ica’
Girls Against Boys are the crucial and criminally under-appreciated link between ’90s alternative rock and the 2000s post-punk boom. Freak*on*Ica plays well in these times.
Telling His Story: An Interview with Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin, legendary songwriting partner of Elton John, reveals all in a new book detailing his creative partnership, hatred of touring, and love of cowboys.
The 10 Best Discoveries at Festival de musique émergente 2023
Festival de musique émergente, the annual new music festival in Northern Quebec, brought sunshine, diversity, and fun to concert-starved audiences.
Budd Boetticher’s ‘Ranown Westerns’ Are Complex and Ambiguous
The heroes and villains in Bud Boetticher’s Ranown Westerns are less mighty opposites than mighty complements.