A Hard Week On the Planet A Hard Week On the Planet
Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond and the science behind global warming.
Feb 18, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman
Senator Mellencamp? Senator Mellencamp?
The guy who put populist politics on the charts with a song title "Pink Houses" John Mellencamp performed at the White House last week, as part of a program titled: "...
Feb 16, 2010 / Books & the Arts / John Nichols
No Medals for Olympics Opener No Medals for Olympics Opener
Not to be too tough on the organizers of the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics, but how come someone else had to sing the Leonard Cohen song?
Feb 13, 2010 / Books & the Arts / John Nichols
Not Even Bing’s: On Louis Armstrong Not Even Bing’s: On Louis Armstrong
Terry Teachout's new biography of Louis Armstrong is stuck in the discophile groove.
Feb 11, 2010 / Books & the Arts / David Schiff
Last Flight to Abu Dhabi Last Flight to Abu Dhabi
Billy Bragg, a living legend of the British punk and folk music scenes, just released a new song as catchy and relevant as anything he's produced in many years.
Feb 5, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Peter Rothberg
The Dream Reborn The Dream Reborn
Markese Bryant (aka Doo Dat), born and raised in East Oakland, knows firsthand the effects of pollution and poverty in local communities of color. Now he's a leader in the movement...
Jan 19, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Peter Rothberg
Young Punk Rockers Revive Folk Songs for a New Generation Young Punk Rockers Revive Folk Songs for a New Generation
As part of America's progressive folk tradition, The Tillers demonstrate that the left has long been essential to the country's cultural fabric.
Jan 19, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Geoffrey Dobbins
End of the Century End of the Century
Can pop music survive without a mass market, mass acceptance or the drive for mass profits?
Dec 23, 2009 / Books & the Arts / J. Gabriel Boylan
Misterioso Misterioso
Thelonious Monk was a more nuanced figure than the flimsy characterization of a way-out jazz cat could ever convey.
Dec 23, 2009 / Books & the Arts / David Yaffe
Bob Dylan’s Christmas Album: Is this a Joke? Bob Dylan’s Christmas Album: Is this a Joke?
Fans have been puzzled and troubled by Bob Dylan's new Christmas album. To help figure out what Dylan is doing, we turned to Sean Wilentz -- he's the official historian at the offi...
Dec 13, 2009 / Jon Wiener