“A blue bong, high quality indica buds, hash, hash oil, freebase, red wine, cigarettes, LSD, coffee, and whippets.” Dust Brother Mike Simpson’s recollection of the essential items in the production of the Beastie Boy’s second album gives more than a hint about why this particular slice of hip-hop has been, to say the least, a little obscured. And this is the Beastie Boys album which needs the most exposition; even though most people will tell you that it’s their masterwork, the …

Back in 2001, there was still mystery left in the Pixies. Frank Black (not, as he seems to call himself now, Charles Thompson) had only just reached the point where he could say the name of his former band out loud; he still hadn’t spoken to his ex-bandmate Kim Deal in almost a decade. Whispers of a reunion were growing louder, sure, but certainly nobody I knew was ready to believe them. And when an article appeared in Mojo that March, it was still …

We, the collective audience, love pop culture dynasties. Perhaps the appeal is in the idea that the level of talent that allows one to rise to the heights of stardom is not something that can be learned or even a matter of universal randomness. Rather, it is a genetic trait – something that can only be passed from the blessed few on to their blessed children. So sayeth the gospel of LA. Whatever the case, our entertainment history books are littered with the names …

There are a number of roles to play in the realm of pop culture, but it’s rare that we give much thought to what is, perhaps, the most important one. Entertainment media is nothing without the fan. The fan is the one who allows a work to succeed. If you have no fan base, your efforts will most certainly fail.
Yet even that idea isn’t so simple: there are your standard fans — the people who make an effort to tune in to a TV show …

Technology is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? There was a time, not all that long ago, when we were at the mercy of television producers and progammers. They told us what we were allowed to see, and when we were allowed to see it. With the explosion of cable channels, however, and the creation of syndication, it became easier to find the type of show you wanted to see, at a time more convenient for you – just ask any Law and Order fan. …

Ask a few random people to list the definitive artists of soul music, and Sam Cooke’s name is one that probably won’t come up. Despite this, there’s nothing keeping him from being one of the most pivotal and important artists in black music. There’s no contesting that had Sam not died at his height, he’d be recognized by today’s public as the important innovator, entrepreneur and iconic artist he was. But given a few generation gaps and his (relatively) small body of work, Cooke …