Pharoahe Monch’s “Fight” Takes a Torch to the Moving Targets of American History
Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters.On the morning after media outlets reported that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election, Pharoahe Monch tweeted a parting message to the dearly departing 45th president: “SIMON SAYS! GTF(OUT)!” The…
Banjo Player Jake Blount Challenges Genres and Questions Historical Narratives in “Spider Tales”
Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters.For nearly a century, the musicians playing and promoting old-time string band and bluegrass music have tended to be white. That’s not merely a cultural trend, explains Jake Blount, a Black…
Jake Blount’s “Spider Tales” Spins a Web of American History, Black Identity, and Banjo
Michelle Lotker Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters.Banjo player and fiddler Jake Blount likes to mess with his audiences: He’ll swap the pronouns in the lyrics of the old-time tunes he covers. He does it with…
It’s Time for the Mother Jones Taylor Swift Slack Channel’s Takes on “evermore”
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE SEPTEMBER 16: In this screengrab, Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry on September 16, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The ACM Awards airs on September 16, 2020 with some live and some prerecorded segments.ACMA2020/Getty Images for ACM Let our journalists help you make…
Neil Young’s Lawsuit Against Trump Is As Weird and Iconoclastic as He Is
Frazer Harrison/Getty For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones’ newsletters.Earlier this week, on August 4, the Hollywood Reporter was the first major media outlet to report the news that Neil Young is suing Donald Trump for playing his songs at campaign rallies. It has become a major news story since then.…
Meet the 21-Year-Old Explaining the Science Behind Your Favorite TikTok Hits
Mother Jones Illustration For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones’ newsletters.What is it about “Say So” by Doja Cat that makes you want to dance? Why does “Ribs” by Lorde make me feel nostalgic? What makes “Love on Top” by Beyoncé so good? Music bombards our brains, causing us…