Author: Thomas Newman

Ralph Stanley was born in the 1920s. That means he was of the right age to become one of the first bluegrass musicians when the genre emerged in the post-war period. It is no exaggeration…

Any article about the Grateful Dead eventually has to tackle the elephant in the room. The Grateful Dead’s fusion of rock, psychedelia, jazz, folk, R&B, and whatever else had tickled their fancy that week didn’t…

Johnny Cash is such a big name in country music that even people who don’t listen to that particular genre of music know who he is. Over the course of many decades, he sang hundreds…

Vance Joy went from being an Australian rules footballer to being a singer-songwriter. Generally speaking, he is known because of his second single, “Riptide,” in 2012. However, interested individuals should know he has never stopped…

During the 1990s, rap became mainstream, even crossing over into politics. Politics and rap collided when Ice-T and Bodycount released Cop Killer and challenged the first amendment. Warner Brothers didn’t censor the song’s lyrics about…

ABBA is easily one of the most influential music groups of all time. Hitting the peak of popularity during the 1970s, this is a group that many people still listen to with fervor today. In…

When we think about hating someone we still love, it’s romantic love. However, sometimes we have a toxic parent with a complicated relationship. Addiction is sometimes personified, which becomes a love-hate relationship. Regardless, loving someone…

Alaska is one of the states that most people remember. After all, it isn’t a part of the Contiguous United States. Furthermore, Alaska has unusual conditions because of its northern location. As such, it shouldn’t…