Music
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Rumpus Sound Takes: Appalachian Punk and Authenticity’s Chimera
O’Death Outside (Ernest Jenning Record Co.) Don’t let the banjo fool you. For all their eclecticism, Brooklyn-based O’Death’s frame of reference remains firmly indie—strained male tenor singing abstruse lyrics over pop arrangements.
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Lou Reed Does it Again
You’ve probably heard about Lou Reed’s multilayered Poe ventures which have taken on various artistic forms—a concept album, formerly a theater piece, and now a graphic novel. And that’s not all. The latest of his Edgar Allen Poe-themed projects is…
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The Rumpus Interview with Steve Rosenthal on Remastering Mickey Newbury
Kris Kristofferson cited him as a major influence. Elvis Presley often sang a song of his, “An American Trilogy,” to end his shows. To date, Mickey Newbury is the only songwriter to have three No. 1 songs and one No.…
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Announcing the 2011 Music Issue of the Believer !!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2011 Music Issue of the Believer Magazine is upon us. This year’s issue has got some unprecedented audible sensations, which I will relay in the following list: 1. Trey Anastasio of Phish is interviewed for this…
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Drinkin/Jammin
There isn’t enough evidence of this summer season on this blog roll. We’re embarking on a wondrous season and it’s time to acknowledge it. One way to celebrate is through the inextricably-linked, summer-themed pairing of beer and summer jams. You…
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The Rumpus Interview with Mary Lattimore
Most often associated with chamber ensembles and orchestras, the harp first gained pop music cred thanks to the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”
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The Minutiae of Humpback Whale Calls
Musician and philosopher David Rothenberg recently sat down for a public lecture with Laurie Anderson at the venerable Explorer’s Club in New York City. In their conversation they discussed a wide variety of topics including the minutiae of the calls…
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Swinging Modern Sounds #30: What Is and Is Not Masculine
I’m writing about this profile, because I think this profile is a failure.
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Cloud Rolling In
The sum of utopian tech dreams and music sharing could just be the cloud, “the poetic name for online storage and software that promises to make lifetimes worth of songs available to anyone, anywhere, as long as those people and…
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Hell’s New Autobiography
Writer and punk rock legend, Richard Hell, wrote a forthcoming autobiography, I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp. For those of you curious as to what astrological sign is behind the multi-talented artist, don’t worry. Michelle Tea covers that…
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The Rumpus Interview with Martin Atkins
The first time I call Martin Atkins in Chicago, I get his voicemail. The second time, Martin answers, but he’s just arriving home from his office,
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Soulful Videos for a Soulful Sound
UbuWeb’s got some sonically-stimulating films of musician Arthur Russell, directed by Phill Niblock. This one is the first of a series of two films (20-30 minutes long), a soulful visual experience reminiscent of the sound of Russell’s music. There are…