Punks vs. Cowboys in Reagan Country
A bastion of both the Old and New Right, Orange County in the late 1970s seems an unlikely place for punk rockers.
Disco and Classical Music: A Copacetic Couple
Despite seeming like strange dance partners, disco and classical make the best music—together.
German Song in America
In the late 1800s, German American singing festivals united German immigrant communities and brought new kinds of cultural activities to the United States.
How Hungary’s Hard Rock Became Hard Right
Punk and hard rock—or at least extremist, right-wing versions of them—are alive and well in post-Cold War Hungary.
Quebec Disco: Influenced by Italo Disco?
Ostensibly developing on continents apart, the sounds Quebec Disco and Italo Disco exhibited an identifiable sonic kinship.
Mashup at the Intersection of Deco and Hip-Hop
Archived at Cornell University, a collection of flyers promoting dance-inspiring DJ sets in the Bronx established the visual identity of a new cultural era.
Gray’s Music: Over the Telegraph
Inventor of the telephone Elisha Gray also pioneered the world’s first purpose-built electric musical instrument.
Lady Gaga’s Return to Form
With Mayhem, Lady Gaga offers (again) utopia on the dance floor—but is there anyone left in the club to experience it?
When Singing Was a Crime
Calvinist reformers in sixteenth-century Geneva frequently punished people for immoral behavior—like singing.
How Roy Orbison’s Repertoire Shaped David Lynch’s Films
Drawing on the nostalgic feelings evoked by Orbison's music, Lynch added new layers to the cinematic traditions of film noir.