John Totten

John Totten explores the perceptions of one of the greatest American rock bands, and why they might be evil – but for different reasons than people may think.

Breaking up is hard to do. John Totten addresses music as a method for regulating distressing emotions in the context of broken attachments, specifically regarding his own “relationship” with the music of classic rock genre benders Steely Dan.

Today, as I write this, the world is learning about the death of Ronnie James Dio, who succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of sixty-seven. The heavy-metal singer replaced Ozzy Osbourne in the late ’70s as the front man for Black Sabbath. After several years and records, Dio went on to front Ritchie Blackmore’s […]

Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Revolver Entertainment, 2010. Visit here to view a list of screenings in the United States. I was the first person in the history of my high school to fail the AP Art exam. The class, which at the time was somewhat exclusive, consisted of about six students every year. […]

In this review, John Totten considers the Coen brothers’ latest film, A SERIOUS MAN, and how it speaks to our understanding of life and God.

This article looks at the U2charist phenomenon and the implications of integrating pop music with the Eucharist. The author argues that the conflation of the rock group U2 with the Eucharist is a dilution of the table and suggests that we should approach the Eucharist, and music, with more critical minds.

A Google search for Portland’s Blitzen Trapper and the word “schizophrenic” will result in a library of alt-weekly reviews of the new Sub Pop signees’ buzz-worthy, self-released album Wild Mountain Nation. Waiting for their show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle, I discussed with Trapper’s Marty Marquis, Brian Adrian Koch, and Eric Manteer the idea […]

The first time I heard the name Jandek, I was backstage at a Wilco show in Asheville, North Carolina. I was holding a tape recorder and smoking an American Spirit cigarette and my hands were shaking with nervousness. I was interviewing Jeff Tweedy for my hometown alt-weekly and I had asked him the question “What […]

I have a friend who is vehemently against iPods. The reason for his hatred is not because he is a dedicated fan of vinyl or compact discs. He hates iPods because people walk around listening to them, with the volume turned up, ignoring the world around. He sees iPods as a bridge in the gap […]