The paradox of the Obama presidency, CNN recently pointed out, is that it has exposed a more deeply ingrained and widespread racism in America than […]
Welcome to Fez, Morocco: The Sacred Music Capital of the World
“The city of Fez lies below, very slowly disengaging itself from the morning mist and smoke, while a million cocks crow at once.” — Paul Bowles in Morocco […]
That Time When Paul Kantner Stood Up to the Hells Angels
If you’ve seen the Maysles brothers’ concert documentary Gimme Shelter, you know the story of what happens in the clip below: Jefferson Airplane begins performing “The […]
When Will the Grateful Dead Stop Trolling Us?
Last week, my friend Whitney suggested I write an essay on the (Grateful) Dead’s incessant trolling of America in 2015. We’d been talking about the […]
It’s a New Orleans Thing: An Allen Toussaint Playlist
When I heard earlier today that Allen Toussaint had died at 77 while on tour in Spain, a flood of great New Orleans funk rushed […]
Morrissey: Inside Looking In
Sitting at a table in the lobby of Manchester’s famed Midland Hotel, Morrissey is sipping herbal tea and feeling just miserable. That’s nothing new, of course.
Meat Puppets: There’s No Business Like Show Business
Less than a year after the suicide death of Kurt Cobain, I saw one of his favorite bands, Meat Puppets, perform at a big Christmas […]
Major success in a minor key
This story about Merge Records was published at Business North Carolina magazine in July 2011. I’m reposting it on my blog in celebration the label’s 25th Anniversary. The […]
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: ‘Dreams’ Deferred
I first wrote the following commentary in January 2011 for the now-defunct Option-Magazine.com. At the time, America had a Black president. We were cautiously optimistic. […]
Yeezus! Is ‘Pazz & Jop’ Critically Ill?
Everybody’s a critic. That’s what they used to say. These days, it’s literally true. We have the Interwebs! We all can be critics. We all […]