By Sarah Bardeen, guest contributor Modern South Africa was forged in apartheid. The struggle defined life for generations of South Africans, and music was crucial in that struggle. Black South Africans saw their guns confiscated, their homes bulldozed, their land stolen, but in the mouths of demonstrators, song became both a balm and a weapon. …
By Nick Dedina, Guest Contributor Drop a needle on a John Coltrane record, hit play on one of his digital playlists, or watch Chasing Trane and it’s easy to understand why the saxophonist is universally revered as a musical giant. The ways in which Coltrane influenced jazz are vast. But the saxophonist has also had a …
Real Boy is the portrait of Bennett, who is undergoing gender reassignment surgery, and his mom’s struggle to process the change, but it’s also the portrait of a young musician (Bennett) who is mentored by the more experienced folk singer Joe Stevens (who is also trans and been through a lot of ups and downs …
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution aired on Independent Lens and you can plug in, turn on, and get down with our curated Pandora Mixtape. The set joins the politically charged soul music of the ’60s and 70’s with post-Panther era R&B and hip-hop that preserved the revolutionary spirit in song. This is active music …
The soundtrack to America’s civil rights movement before the mid-1960s was predominantly made up of gospel standards and spirituals, with a smattering of popular folk. But by the late 1960s, music was changing right along with the political landscape. Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X parted ways in their philosophies of how …
We asked you for your favorite Monday music jams, and boy, did you come through! Turns out your tastes run from Wilco to NOFX, with some Mamas & the Papas and Bobby “Blue” Bland thrown in for good measure. Rock on, fans (or blues on, or jazz on, whatever gets your feet tapping). Now as …
Who’s got a case of the Mondays? We do! As you may know, we have a new home on the television schedule starting in October — Monday nights at 10 PM. Yay for Monday! So right after you watch Antiques Roadshow and Market Warriors, you’ll be primed to discover great stories and amazing people on …
