Category: Culture
Rockism and Poptimism in A Star Is Born
A Star is Born opens with Bradley Cooper’s Jackson Maine, a drunk and ragged rock star who sells out arenas, discovering Lady Gaga’s Ally as she sings “La Vie en Rose” in a drag bar. After being dragged backstage by ...
Venom is an Entertaining Misfire that Reminds Us of the Absurdity of Comic Books
A few days ago, the first bits of “footage”(if you could call it that) from the Todd Phillips-directed, Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker movie were shared on Twitter. It was the first bit of proof that what feels like a terrible idea ...
Mankind’s Greatest Moment, As Told Through First Man
It was the greatest moment in mankind’s history, better than any one person, better than what we thought we could be; a moment that froze the world in awe and inspiration. It was a moment marred neither by war nor ...
Revisited: The 20/20 Experience
I spend a disproportionate amount of my time listening to albums that the rest of the world stopped talking about years ago. That’s partly because I am convinced music peaked over a decade ago, partly because I can’t be bothered ...
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Brighten Up the Black Cat
The first time I saw Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever live was at DC9. It was a hot, sticky May night in Washington and the band put in an appropriately workmanlike performance. It was a good show, but Rolling Blackouts still ...
Mitski Explores the Many Sounds of Loneliness on Be the Cowboy
You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Be the Cowboy, the latest album from singer/songwriter Mitski, is dark and focused on the failings and downswings of a person’s inner life. This is, after all, the same artist whose catalogue ...