Oct 9The Only Rap Song to Quote a 16th-Century Dominican FriarSong: “Christians Murdered Indians” by Corporate Avenger In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, I’ve decided to write about one of the most powerful songs I know: “Christians Murdered Indians,” a stunning rap-rock gem from California’s woefully underrated Corporate Avenger, which addresses the savage brutality unleashed by Spanish conquistadors on…Indigenous People3 min readIndigenous People3 min read
Oct 2Standing in Solidarity: Music About the Plight of the Modern WorkerSongs: “Blue Sky Mine” by Midnight Oil, “I Need a Dollar” by Aloe Blacc, “Phantom” by Mr. Lif 2023 has been the year of labor movements. In May, 11,500 screenwriters walked off the job, followed by 160,000 film and television entertainers of the Screen Actors’ Guild. UPS narrowly avoided a…Music8 min readMusic8 min read
Sep 16The Music Festival Debacle: Hosting Large Events Amidst Climate ChangeIt’s not easy to be a concert planner. You have to coordinate venues, artists, permits, first aid tents, parking lots, sanitary facilities, lighting and stage equipment, and lately the effects of an increasingly hostile and shifting weather system. It used to be that the hardest part of the job was…Music5 min readMusic5 min read
Sep 2A Virginian’s Take on Oliver Anthony: Righteous Anger, Woeful MisdirectionSong: “Rich Men North of Richmond,” by Oliver Anthony When I heard that the №1 song in the country was by a Virginian, I was naturally intrigued. I’m pretty much Virginia’s favorite person- I’ve lived and traveled all over, from Arlington to Roanoke to Charlottesville to the Cumberland Gap…Music5 min readMusic5 min read
Jun 17“Ghost of John”: Appalachia’s Most Ghoulish LullabySong: “Ghost of John” by the Hound + the Fox, Forest Mountain Hymnal Children’s folk songs and nursery rhymes are notoriously ghoulish and macabre. The one cited most often is “Ring Around the Rosie,” which is sometimes incorrectly thought…Music3 min readMusic3 min read
Jun 6A Three Thousand-Year-Old Jewish Hymn Echoes Through the AgesSongs: “O Mary Don’t You Weep” by Aretha Franklin, “Crossroads” by Bone Thugs N Harmony, “When You Believe” by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston There’s old music from our parents’ generation, like Led Zeppelin and the Temptations. Then there’s old music from our great-grandparents’ time, like Scott Joplin and Chopin…Jewish4 min readJewish4 min read
May 22The Ancient Vengeful South American Demon in One of 2013’s Hottest Music VideosSong: “La La La” by Naughty Boy ft. Sam Smith A few months ago I was hanging out with my Bolivian friend Ricardo on a chilly January weekend, experimenting with mixed drinks…Music4 min readMusic4 min read
Apr 27Banjos and Bluetooth: How 2000s Southeastern Folk and Bluegrass Revitalized AmericanaSongs: “Cumberland Gap” by Rising Appalachia, “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show, and “Same Old Man” by Scythian Every music movement occupies a specific time and place within the historical spectrum; sometimes it’s hard to figure out who came first, or who influenced who, or why something didn’t get…Folk7 min readFolk7 min read
Apr 22Appalachia’s “Shady Grove”: A Mournful Ballad Through the Centuries?Songs: “Shady Grove” by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, “Shady Grove” by Jean Ritchie, “Matty Groves” by Fairport Convention “Shady Grove” is one of those ubiquitous early American folk ballads that kind of hovers around the edges like the morning haze over the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s there, you’ve heard…Folk Music5 min readFolk Music5 min read
Oct 27, 2022Creation Through Anguish: Musicians with Mental IllnessSongs: “Hey Brother” by Avicii, “Brooklyn Girls” by Charles Hamilton,“Little Secrets” by Passion Pit The list of prominent musicians who have struggled with mental illness is relatively well-known. Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley, respectively of Nirvana and Alice In Chains, had crippling depression. Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame had…Music6 min readMusic6 min read
