Katie Bennett
The Fine Art of Keeping the World's Weird Films Alive: An Interview with Archivist Rick Prelinger
Rick Prelinger is an archivist rockstar. In the DIY spirit, he created his acclaimed Prelinger Library from scratch -- by touring the world in search of its rare and beautiful advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur films. In 2002, after...
Animal Collective's New Radio Station Is Killer
Since the May release of their 7" ‘Honeycomb’/‘Gotham,’ Animal Collective have been back in circulation on our itunes. But there are only so many times you can play two songs, and that’s why we’re excited about last night’s launch of Animal Collective...
Here's What Happened to Seven of the Most Important Film Reels in History
Something you may not know is that fifty percent of movie theaters play films through an old-school projector. Yup, that means that some of the movies you watch come from actual film reels instead of some invisible source on the internet. But now that...
Listen to a Hip Hop Batman Album Born Out of Revenge
In 2007, journalist and musician Abdullah Saeed, who also goes by the nickname "Blame the Kid":http://blamethekid.bandcamp.com, was stabbed in the neck in Baltimore when a pack of kids tried to steal his phone. Because of nerve damage in his neck and...
No One Remembers Who Invented the Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell, the so-called father of the telephone, may have been the first to patent it. But true credit goes to an impoverished Italian immigrant from Staten Island who couldn't speak English.
"Decoder" is a Forgotten Star-Studded Indie Thriller About Sonic Terrorism
Fighting muzak with brain-hacking noise.
"Decoder" is a Forgotten Star-Studded Indie Thriller About Sonic Terrorism
You may not know _Decoder_, an oddly forgotten 1984 West German No-Wave film collectively made by four people (Trini Timpop, Muscha, and two friends). But you probably know some of its all-star cast (William Burroughs, Bill Rice, Genesis P-Orridge), or...
When the Album Art Is the Album
Remember when an album used to be a tangible object, its cover art an integral part of its aesthetic? Probably not. Today we only read and dream about it, and re-read the passage from "_Just Kids_":http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060936223/ref=pd_lpo...
The Man (and Machine) Behind Bieber's Vocals
If you know who Kuk Harrell is, then you know that the concept of “raw talent” is a myth. Or at least extremely hard to come by. This vocal producer has all but crafted the voices of some of pop’s greatest acts, such as Justin Beiber, Beyonce, and...
Before The Muppets, Jim Henson Made an Adorably Surreal Video For AT&T
To describe a robot future, the makers of The Bell System, at the time the leading telephone service in the US and Canada, hired Jim Henson. Then known as the eccentric behind the variety puppet show Sam and Friends, and before he became a household...
Beatport Finally Puts a Price on DJ Mixes
It’s no secret that almost everyone illegally downloads music. However, there are times when no one’s uploaded some "obscure '70s krautrock song":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQPEIrjssB8&feature=player_embedded, and I just have to submit to iTunes...
To Celebrate World Music Day, Score a Free Minimoog Soft-Synth
Before reading this post, you may not have known that World Music Day is today. And that would have been perfectly fine in years past, but missing out this time around would have been monstrously detrimental to your cool-factor, and potentially your...