It was another hard pandemic year—and the pop music around us often reflected that. Our first full (calendar) year of the pandemic, pop both musically and narratively carried forward our feelings of anxiety and isolation but also yearnings for connection … Read the rest
feelings
Dawn Richard and Songs of the South
In June 2011, I made a decision that would forever change my life: I broke up with a partner of over three years and mentally committed to getting back home to New York City as quickly as possible. Within six … Read the rest
Land of Talk and Loving During Crisis
It was January 2007 and I needed a new band to grow up with. Having returned to Philly from Sleater-Kinney’s “last” show in Portland, OR only five months previously, I was now left with a new (in name, at least) … Read the rest
Listening to Holly Miranda During COVID-19
At the start of the fourth week of social distancing in the COVID-19 pandemic, I relistened to the recording for one of my favorite concerts of all time, the album release show for Holly Miranda’s The Magician’s Private Library at … Read the rest
Lana Del Rey, FKA twigs, and Careful Romanticism
2019 was a year—and the 2010s were a decade. The 2010s were a time of massive change and growth for me. Throughout the decade, I lived in four cities: Philly, Brooklyn, Austin, and New Orleans. I was affiliated with four … Read the rest