CCM, Heavy Metal, and the Lure of Possibility
Just last week, I was reading Deena Weinstein’s landmark 1991 study Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology and I was nearly stopped in my tracks by the final chapter, which deals with metal’s “detractors” from across the political spectrum. While conservative criticisms of heavy metal are well-known through the work of groups like the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC)––most often centered on its lyrical proclivities for violence, sexuality, and images of Satanic ritual––the... Read More
James Blake and Marks of Specters
The idea of “deconstruction” has achieved a somewhat surprising ubiquity in our current culture. In addition to relatively long-standing applications in literary and cultural criticism, deconstruction has also found a home in political punditry and haute cuisine (what does it mean to “deconstruct” a meatloaf anyway?). But perhaps most enamored with the idea of deconstruction are music critics, particularly those alternative critics who cover the broadly-defined... Read More
Lent & Rango: It’s About the Desert
It is the liturgical season of Lent, week two. Lent is Latin for “spring,” the season in which life sprouts, blossoms, hatches, emerges forth. The prophet Isaiah proclaims, The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. -Isaiah 35:1-2 Ash Wednesday marks a threshold when Christians leave ordinary time to enter into the journey of Lent through the desert. The... Read More
Christmas, Community, & Meaning
In the land of the network shows, almost every show has an annual Christmas episode. There is little surprise in most of these. Recurrent themes of family, giving, and peace run rampant through these episodes, and all are assigned to be part of the Christmas spirit. Very little new ground is explored. However on the Christmas episode of the show Community, the minefield of our society’s fascination with Christmas is traipsed upon. The episode, “Abed’s Uncontrollable... Read More
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