I Ain’t Mad at Cha
On Tupac’s letter to Madonna from prison, and their complex romantic relationship mediated by race, sexualization, and fame.
Music
"I don't care much about music. What I like is sounds." — Dizzy Gillespie
Sowing the Seeds of Apology
Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears makes amends in his new ‘astrological memoir.’
The Measured Listener
For the Legacies of Eugenics series, Daniel Shanahan shows how algorithmically mediated music recommendations have a dark backstory.
This Explains Everything
The Grateful Dead, professional wrestling, and the vertigo of the pop culture microhistory.
Singing with Drones
A discussion with Palestinian musician Ahmed Muin Abu Amsha about harmony amid warfare.
The Rhythm Specialist
Gayle Wald’s new biography details the life and contributions of children’s music pioneer Ella Jenkins.
Strange Old Alien
The Monochrome Set in their fifth decade of music.
Digging Through the Debris
Theodor Adorno’s early music criticism, newly translated to English, showcases his expressionist, concrete style of examination, which grew increasingly moralizing after the war.
I Might Just Strangle You, Baby
Richard Edwards’s new solo album emerges from a personal hell of isolation and physical travails.
Bill Callahan’s Vita Nuova
On his latest album, the singer-songwriter explores themes of fatherhood, time, and forgiveness.
Après Bowie, le déluge
On the 10th anniversary of David Bowie’s death, three books consider the rock star from new angles.
I Was a Punk for the FBI
Brian James Schill speaks with the founders of ‘Punk’ magazine on its 50th anniversary about whether they were surveilled by the feds.
