City to Rapper: Drop Dead
This summer’s ongoing war between Chief Keef and Rahm Emanuel is as much about urban history as holograms.
Music
A collection of 237 issues
The Orchestra Checks Its Email
A day in the life of a professional orchestra—coffee, practice, social media, tuxedo—leading up to a performance.
My Top One Lists
Because the blinders were on last year, a 2015 resolution to become more culturally aware: to read more books, watch more movies, and listen to more albums.
Kiss From a Mall Cop
Your party-conversation brief on the most important stories that no one’s talking about anymore—the plight of the Segway, internet child exchanges, Ebola, the current fortunes of Seal, and more.
The Top Albums of 2014
Music writing and music enthusiasm don't mix—let's change that. With the help of an army of YouTube commenters, we gush over our selections for the 31 best albums of the year.
The Kings of Simcoe County
At an Elvis festival in rural Canada, scores of tribute artists (not "impersonators") pay homage to the King. When searching for the meaning of it all, try not to overthink it.
Admirable Restraint
Understatement can help us cope with disaster. But in the case of Paul McCartney, a little doesn’t always go a long way.
The Long Play
A marriage in the digital era begins with an invitation to listen to a record. Rediscovering vinyl, sonic memories, and the joy of sitting down to do one single thing.
Catching Up With the Mp3 Bloggers
A decade ago, and then again five years later, we gathered a set of music bloggers who pioneered online music discovery—often to the chagrin of record labels. Now we reconvene to discuss the current state of listening to and reading about music online.
The Jungle Look
The rear ends of black women appear to be pop culture’s current favorite commodity. But Nicki Minaj’s new video is anything but so simple.