Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking
Amanda Palmer made some waves with her talk at TED 2013. The big controversy: she explained that the key to getting people to pay for something the can get for free is simple – all you have to do is ask them. The big idea of her presentation is that superstardom has been a relatively new way of life [...]
Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin Documentary
Pitchfork Classics talks to the Flaming Lips about their 1999 masterpiece, The Soft Bulletin.
A Romney Administration Would Have No Democracy On PBS
Mitt Romney wants to end funding for PBS and NPR. Besides all of the educational programs which help close the gap in literary skills and elementary mathematics for low-income kids, countless specials such as The United States of Poetry, which aired this spoken word rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Democracy,” would risk never being made. This [...]
Kitty Wells, Queen of Country Music, Dies at 92
Kitty Wells was a 33 year old wife and mother when she finally made it big with her 1952 country hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honkey Tonk Angels.” The song, with lyrics written by J.D. Miller, was a response to Hank Thompson’s #1 hit “Wild Side of Life,” in which Thompson blames a woman [...]
Achtung Baby Cover Album Released to Benefit Concern Worldwide
A covers version of the U2′s 1991 album, Achtung Baby, famous for launching Bono’s sunglass buying addiction, has been released today (itunes). The album features artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Depeche Mode, Jack White, The Killers and others who have been in hiding for much of the past decade. With the support of iTunes, the Independent [...]
ZEF is as Die Antwoord Does
Die Antwoord (Afrikaan for “the Answer”), South Africa’s rave-rap outfit, want “Zef” to be the first word that comes to mind at the mention of their country, not “apartheid.” What’s Zef, you say? According to singer Yo-Landi Zef is, “associated with people who soup their cars up and rock gold and shit. Zef is, you’re [...]
Let’s Get Stimulated
Here it is, the rap battle of the century. Who knew it would be between two renowned (and deceased) economists, John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek? Econstories.tv director John Papola and economist Russell Roberts pit these titans of economic thought against each other in two dope rap videos. Nerdcore represent. Papola and Roberts teamed up [...]
Form, Function & Friction: A Vinyl Man in a Digital World
Arguing about music is, more often than not, like arguing about religion, there’s bound to be hurt feelings and raised voices but rarely is an agreement reached. So when the discussion arises about what’s a better for music, analog or digital, aren’t we just rehashing Tastes Great vs Less Filling? Be you record collector, DJ, [...]
