Recent discussions among reading communities have debated the impact of politics on reading, as it is often viewed as a form of personal reflection, intellectual engagement, or leisure. However, the act of reading is deeply political. The selection of books, the narratives they contain, and how they are consumed and interpreted can reinforce, challenge, or subvert social and political structures. Books are more than just a means of escape or relaxation; they are powerful vehicles of political influence. Literature, whether intentionally or not, shapes our perception of the world. It mirrors the evils in government, society, and politics in ways
Michael Lang, the guy who helped organize Woodstock in 1969, one of the most memorable events in music history, has passed away. He was 77 years old at the time.
It’s generally known in jazz circles that the greatest way to listen to jazz is live. However, while the majority of people agree, others claim that listening to jazz on vinyl is even better. In actuality, there’s no way to tell which is better because they’re such distinct experiences. However, one thing is certain: it’s difficult to go wrong with either.
Twisted Sister was one of the biggest rock bands of the 1980s, thanks to the commercial success of songs like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” as well as Dee Snider’s distinctive face and the band’s trademark iconography. The name is very catchy, and Harley-Davidson tried to adopt it as the name of a tire at one time, almost forcing guitarist Jay Jay French to pursue a lawsuit against the motorcycle business.
They wore platform shoes, smoked grass, and grew Afros. This wasn’t, however, Haight-Ashbury. I’m referring to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. Here, musicians like Paul Ngozi, Rikki Ililonga, and Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda through tragedy, produced Zamrock, a hybrid of traditional African music, funk rhythms, and psychedelic fuzz guitars inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple’s bluesy sound. The sound and soul found in Zamrock was a result of the citizens new found freedom. On 24 October 1964, Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom and prime minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president. His plan was to modernize. The British upper class
Music lovers often imagine what it’d be like to perform on stage with their rock favorites, but producer Andrew Watt got the opportunity to do just that earlier this year when he joined Pearl Jam for their Ohana Festival performances and rocked their legendary song “Alive.”
Robby Krieger is best known as the co-founder and guitarist of the renowned rock band The Doors, and his varied playing and songwriting were integral to the band’s sound. After spending the last year releasing guitar lessons on youtube and putting out a solo album, Krieger announces the release of his memoir titled, Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar With the Doors. Not only will we receive a further look into the Doors and the dysfunctional beauty of the band, but we will get a front-row seat into Krieger’s life. From buying his first guitar at
Solo artist Evan Gray released his album “It Ends Tomorrow” earlier this year. The LP is full of guitar anthems with catchy hooks and riffs. It has almost a pleasant brassiness. “It Ends Tomorrow” is a very pop-infused album with a pretty straightforward inspiration or meaning. With a quite gloomy feel, Gray’s work also feels very comfortable.
Almost six years after his last performance, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson declared that “there’s no way Rush will ever exist again.” Taking as an example the death of drummer Neil Peart in 2020, Lifeson hopes that he and Geddy Lee will one day reunite in music.