First, for Day 23 of National Poetry Month, Valerie Wetlaufer’s “Method” uses third person to describe a victim of mysterious migraines, and for Day 24, Tyehimba Jess calls for the curtain…
Strangeness is not altogether a new concept for Parquet Courts, a NYC-based band that resists labels but falls somewhere between garage rock and post-punk, with an overarching sympathy for “indie”…
To kick things off, Brandon Hicks offers us the hilarious illustrated life story of a “Born Failure.” Then, National Poetry Month continues at The Rumpus. First, Amanda Deutch’s “Island Factory” uses…
The delicate, wounded sound of Kristine Leschper’s voice is the first thing that stands out from her band Mothers’s new release, When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired. Like a…
First, National Poetry Month at The Rumpus continues with Carrie Murphy’s “Beauty Work” and two poems from Amaud Johnson. Next, a harrowing tale of addiction and related heart disease from…
Anything you want your life to mean It can mean Hey no pressure …Ray LaMontagne sings on his gritty, head-nodding new single, “Hey, No Pressure,” a track that fully embraces…
First, National Poetry Month at The Rumpus continues with Paula Bohince’s “The Flint River” and Adam McGovern’s “Perseid meteors, 2015.” Meanwhile, the inimitable Brandon Hicks illustrates the exhaustive contents of his 2005…
First, in the Saturday Essay, Tyrese L. Coleman unearths the history behind her surname and the results of a DNA test. The results say she is 69% African, 33% originating from Benin, 29% European, and less…
We can accuse Kanye West of a lot of things—arrogance, insensitivity, paranoia, ingratitude… the list goes on. But one thing he is not guilty of is dishonesty. The longer he spends…
First, in “Empowerment Inc.,” Brandon Hicks satirizes those who whitewash the legitimate challenges of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. Then, in the Saturday Essay, Haley Swanson reaches for…
The incredible cacophony of the bridge on Wilco’s definitive ballad “Misunderstood” is all the more striking because of its contrast with the rest of the tender, harmonious song. The brilliance…