Recommended by JointzOfTheDay
Excellent deep dives into the back stories behind iconic songs, from an eye-opening queer perspective. Emma: Here's another newsletter fave. Songs That Saved Your Life. Stanley: Like, "The Roof Is On Fire?" Cheryl: It's not so literal, Stan! More like a weekly dose of extremely well-written deep dives on how iconic songs came to be, through a queer lens. Emma: You will be amazed at what you'll learn about these songs' hidden histories, and hear some great music along the way.
Sam: I have a reco. Stanley: Cool, what is it? Sam: Love Will Save The Day! Emma: I'm feeling that one. Started by Jed Hallam, for years it's been a must-read newsletter with excellent curated playlists, mostly but not exclusively dance music, plus lots of guest DJ writers. Sam: And now a whole community has developed around its "shared love of art, culture, and music from the margins," and it's an internet radio station too, lovewillsavetheday.fm! Stanley: Sounds dope. Check it out!
Emma: 2024 is here, and it's a political year. What should folks read to keep up? Cheryl: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's newsletter. Stanley: Yes! He was tight with Bruce Lee, they were inseparable friends. Emma: And he's done a lot to keep Lee's legacy alive. Cheryl: Kareem is writing one of the nation's must-read political and cultural newsletters. He's a voice of reason at a time when the forces of chaos are waging war on truth itself. And everyone should subscribe. Stanley: True facts!
A must-read rundown on all things gospel music, especially the intersection of gospel and the dancefloor. Jonah: Any more reco's? Cheryl: God's Music Is My Life! Detailed dispatches by Tim Dillinger, a nationally recognized authority on all things gospel related, especially how it intersects with the dancefloor. Emma: He's also working on a biography of the New York Community Choir, who blew people's minds when they took gospel into the discos. Jonah: Hallelujah then, go subscribe!
Emma: Any revolutionary recommendations? Cheryl: Black Music and Black Muses. Stanley: Yes! Harmony Holiday. She's the bomb. Emma: Is she down for the struggle? Cheryl: She's about liberation and unification and exhilaration through vibing to old school music, including Sun Ra and Coltrane and Mingus. Plus Betty Davis and Marvin and Amiri Baraka. Stanley: Initially part of a memoir-in-progress, it's also become a really great essay collection on Black music and life. Emma: Well right on!
Sam: More reco's? Cheryl: Craig's Pop Life! Stanley: Yeah, he has seriously great writing chops and old school musical taste. Cheryl: He wrote a Luther Vandross bio. And a book on being a gay male stripper in D.C. Sam: So he writes about good music? Cheryl: All the time! And turns folks onto lots of underground club classics. Stanley: Besides hot takes on music and pop culture, he's always sharing must-read articles from vintage music mags. Sam: Okay, all aboard for Craig's Pop Life!
Jonah: We need a recommendation. Cheryl: The Nelson George Mixtape. That's the reco. Stanley: Love that dude. He's a great writer and one of the preeminent authorities in the nation on Black music and culture. Cheryl: I first discovered him through his book Buppies, B-Boys, Baps & Bohos. He's written like 15 of them now and directed several documentaries. Did you know he helped finance She's Gotta Have It? Jonah: So this guy knows his stuff. Stanley: Yeah, man!
Emma: Who else should we recommend on here? Bill: Ask Ed! Ted: He's the source of all wisdom. Does he have a newsletter? Stanley: Ed's just in High Times, guys. I vote for Micro-Chop. A straight up go-to for serious writing on hip hop, producers, beatmaking, and old school music, where all the samples come from to begin with. Emma: Plus tons of great YouTube playlists. Micro-Chop it is!
Jonah: Another recommendation? Stanley: TSA! Jonah: A newsletter about airport security? Stanley: No, The Second Arrangement! Kelly Dwyer is on fire with his b-ball writing. Emma: And he covers culture and life in general. Stanley: If you're into NBA basketball, you need to be reading this.