Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
Singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page of the British rock band Led Zeppelin perform at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985. (Rusty Kennedy/AP) Ask any die-hard Led Zeppelin fan about “Stairway to Heaven,” and eventually Bron-Yr-Aur will come up. It’s the name of the remote cottage in Wales where the…
By Gregory Ciotti, marketing at Help Scout Music is regarded as one of the triumphs of human creativity. But does music itself help one to create? It’s a question worth asking, since music has increasingly become a part of the modern-day workplace. Music has a strange temporal permanence; as art decorates space, so does music…
Mike Coppola / Getty Images ID: 8851184 An independent filmmaker has filed a federal lawsuit against Beyoncé and several studios for allegedly lifting images from his short film to use in the viral trailer for Lemonade. Matthew Fulks, a filmmaker who also works as the creative director of a TV station in Louisville, Kentucky, claims…
A surprise late-night show announced at Webster Hall turned into a 4,000-strong horde of anxious and unruly Yeezus disciples. And for some, their night took them to an unlikely place. What started as a hint about a secret Kanye West concert turned into a free-for-all in downtown Manhattan on Sunday night. Teens made out on…
Bringing it Together These imperfect, internal rhymes are a hallmark of rap and hip-hop. Listen to this verse from The Fugees, performed by Lauryn Hill, which is littered with imperfect rhymes. Lauryn Hill is one of a long list of artists and genres that influenced Lin-Manuel Miranda, the mastermind behind “Hamilton.” Let’s compare the rhyme…
“Thots & Thoughts” is a column in which musings on dating, sex, race, religion, and politics all come together—from a bird’s-eye view. In terms of artistic license, Drake has every right to continue making music about emotional immaturity. He has every right to a whiny outlook on his failed relationships (fictional and otherwise). Likewise, his…
Arthur Kapitainis is probably the most respected music critic in Canada. Just not by the Canadian Opera Company. When COC read his review for Mametto II online in the National Post they sent over a complaint to demand its removal (recte: two corrections). Unbelievably, the weak-kneed newspaper obliged. (see Comments below for COC account of…
A new investigative piece by British tabloid The Sun reveals that the workers manufacturing Beyonce’s new athletic line Ivy Park work up to 60 hours a week and earn $6.17 per day. The Sun—which is currently releasing a series of articles about British fashion mogul Sir Philip Green (who previously owned British Home Stores and…
Noted critical race thinker bell hooks is no stranger to letting people know that she doesn’t exactly see it for Beyoncé. Two years ago, while speaking on a panel at The New School titled “Are You Still A Slave: Liberating the Black Female Body,” hooks accused Beyoncé of being a cultural “terrorist” when it came…
LFDHDaryl Hall is the taller, more visible half of Hall & Oates, one of the best-selling musical duos of all time who, despite being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, never quite got the sort of critical love that many other inductees have generated. Hall and John Oates met while attending Temple…