The Linguistics of My Next Band Name
Why do certain combinations of words make good band names? Linguistic research points to "semantic space."
Why Do Some People Get “Skin Orgasms” from Listening to Music?
Have you ever been listening to a great piece of music and felt a chill run up your spine? The science behind "skin orgasms," or frisson.
A Conversation with Alexander Chee
While fact-checking his critically acclaimed novel about an enigmatic soprano of the Paris Opera , Chee happened upon a piece of information on JSTOR he could not ignore.
Does Vocal Talent Translate into Album Sales?
The correlation between vocal talent and album sales is a telling indicator of what consumers want.
The John Lennon Memorial
Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial in Central Park, has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for Beatles and non-Beatles fans alike.
Do the Hustle: How Disco Was Marketed
Disco changed the way the music industry marketed music to the public. The genre innovated an industry and changed our interaction with popular music.
The Grateful Dead, Tape Trading, and the Music Industry
What the difference between tape trading and bootlegging in rock music?
Why Did the Violist Cross the Road?
Every subculture has its in-jokes. Classical musicians are no exception, and the punchline usually involves a viola.
