Rapping on Empty Rapping on Empty
Several weeks ago the 32-year-old hip-hop superstar Eminem, America's staunchest and most spectacular amoralist, found himself in an unusual position, suddenly cast as the moral ...
Dec 22, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Jody Rosen
Little Big Man Little Big Man
No musical life has been told more often than Wagner's. Biographies have wafted incense around him, or been incensed by him.
Nov 24, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Paul Griffiths
What Bearden Taught Me What Bearden Taught Me
Also in this issue, an essay on Romare Bearden by Arthur C. Danto .
Nov 18, 2004 / Books & the Arts / The Nation
Flowers for Albert Flowers for Albert
On the morning of November 25, 1970, the body of a young African-American male was recovered from the foot of the Congress Street Pier in Brooklyn.
Nov 4, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Brian Morton
Fortunate Son Fortunate Son
Travistan will keep kids asking questions about music, politics and life.
Oct 29, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Hillary Frey
Eminem Aims at Bush Eminem Aims at Bush
"Mosh" could be one of the most overtly political pop music videos ever produced.
Oct 26, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Sam Graham-Felsen
Guided by Voices Guided by Voices
The new Tom Waits album begins, in very Waitsian fashion, with a racket: a squall of percussive noise that sounds like it was recorded in a freight elevator.
Oct 21, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Jody Rosen
Pay Attention Pay Attention
A star is on the rise for Death Cab for Cutie. The Seattle-based indie band's last record, Transatlanticism (Barsuk), has sold just over 184,000 copies.
Oct 14, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Hillary Frey
Picking Up the Pieces Picking Up the Pieces
Brian Wilson began recording his masterpiece, Smile, in 1966; the project collapsed a year later, unfinished.
Oct 7, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Douglas Wolk
Rhythm Nation Rhythm Nation
Since Fidel Castro's brief fainting spell during a speech in June 2001, Miami, Havana and Washington have been caldrons of feverish speculation on his succession and the politics...
Oct 7, 2004 / Books & the Arts / Ann Louise Bardach