My piece on the brilliant movie Sita Sings the Blues, including an interview with animatrix/writer/director Nina Paley is up on Coilhouse:
Sita’s magnificence is a testament to the tireless hard work and innovative vision of Paley, a longtime alternative cartoonist, who made the whole film on her home computer over five years. The ideas for [...]
Moe Hamzeh of The Kordz during the Cedar Revolution, photo by Lynsey Addario
My piece on the growing heavy metal culture in the Middle East is up on Coilhouse:
In 2007, the documentary Heavy Metal in Baghdad chronicled the trials of Acrassicauda, dubbed “Iraq’s only heavy metal band.” No doubt many did a double take at trying [...]
In light of today’s news:
My article on these bastards (and their real-life equivalents), is up on Coilhouse.
They’re powerful, immensely so, and rich beyond a mere prole’s wildest dreams. They tread the earth as megalomania-driven gods. If you’re a musician (or anyone, really) they want your talent, your creativity, your voice — above all, they want your name on the [...]
Johann Hari finds out what the kids in the Middle East are listening to:
I first realised that my never-quite-abandoned adolescent taste for heavy metal had a political edge in – of all places – the Jaballya refugee camp in Gaza. I was interviewing teenagers about their strangled lives and expected to hear the usual Hamasnik [...]
I have mixed feelings about most mashups, but this is just awesome. Who would have thought that two of my favorite songs (and videos) would go so well together?
