Anthill 14: Music on the mind
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A podcast on what music does to our brains, and why it moves us.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Music history
Displaying 1 - 20 of 30 articles
The song that had one British politician wishing for the Sex Pistols’ ‘sudden death’
Banned from the BBC, denied its rightful place on the charts, 'God Save the Queen' – released 40 years ago this month – remains one of the most controversial protest songs of all time.
Decoding the music masterpieces: Brahms’s Piano Quartet in G minor
The 29-year old Johannes Brahms had his first major public success with his piano quartet in G minor, but not everyone gave it glowing praise.
Are pop stars destined to die young?
For those on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Artists, their life expectancy is on par with the people of Chad, the nation with the lowest life expectancy in the world.
The Grateful Dead were decades ahead of their time
In the internet era, musical artists freely distribute their songs and encourage fans to attend live shows. The Dead did this for 40 years.
Battling the British Invasion: Mr Tambourine Man and the fight for American pop independence
Fifty years ago, in the first half of 1965, the British invasion was officially under way – at least, in music. It seemed like all the biggest hits on the American pop charts came from British bands. Ever…
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, 50 years later: the song that almost never was
Fifty years ago, the Rolling Stones released their breakthrough single (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, which debuted in the US during the first week of June 1965. The band’s previous singles had done well…
How BB King’s days in radio helped shape his career and music
Before being crowned the "King of the Blues," a young Riley King honed his on-stage persona and made crucial contacts as a radio DJ.
U2’s continuing quest for authenticity
When bands "return to their roots," is it a genuine search, or a way to court critics and sell records?
Showbiz politics: through campaign songs, candidates become stars
Songs no longer relay party platforms. Instead, they're used to promote "celebrity" candidates.
Before watching Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, you need to understand the artist’s three sides
It's important not to conflate and confuse Cobain's varying personas.
Back on record – the reasons behind vinyl’s unlikely comeback
As Record Store Day shows, there's a lot more to the vinyl revival than simple nostalgia.
The messy history of music copyright suits
Like ambulance chasers, gimlet-eyed entertainment lawyers have been trained to detect the most trivial copyright infringements.
50 years ago, the Rolling Stones’ first US hit evinced the band’s eclectic style
The band's first US hit wasn't 'Satisfaction.' Released in March 1965, 'The Last Time' possessed stylistic flairs that would predict the band's future success.
Lead Belly’s music defied racial categorization
Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection depicts the fully-formed artist – a blues musician, yes, but also a performer of string-band, country and pop songs.
The forgotten voices of race records: Pullman Porters, the Rev TT Rose, and the ‘Man with a Clarinet’
In the 1920s, many black musicians were exploited by record companies, and faded into anonymity. Here are some of their stories.
I’m right, you’re wrong … wait, what is a song?
My daughter came home from school orchestra rehearsal one day and said: Daughter: We are learning a great new song by Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. Me: Song, darling? I’d call it a piece. Daughter…
In Pink Floyd’s river, time is endless
For a band that once sang “Every year is getting shorter / Never seem to find the time” – which followed an explosion of alarm clocks – Pink Floyd’s songs always seemed to take their time. During the band’s…
Stand by your Maine: country music’s Northern roots
This past June, radio conglomerate Clear Channel (now known as iHeartRadio) announced it was converting Boston’s 101.7 FM to a country station. The story they told the Boston Globe was a familiar one…
UKIP calypso cringe shows we’ve glossed over black music’s radical history
To call Mike Read’s recently withdrawn UKIP calypso an appropriation of “black” culture is to do a disservice to the cultural traditions usually identified under that name. Still, something grates about…
Top contributors
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Director, Institute for Popular Music, University of Rochester
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Adjunct Lecturer of American Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Deputy Director ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, University of Melbourne
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Associate Professor of Musicology and Director of Academic Program, Music, Western Sydney University
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Head, Interactive Composition , Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in Music, Newcastle University
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Lecturer in Music Industry, RMIT University
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Associate Professor in Film, University of Southampton
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
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Lecturer in the Sociology of Gender and Program Director of Gender Studies, Macquarie University
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Associate Professor and Head of Composition, University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in Music, Edinburgh Napier University
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Senior lecturer in Guitar, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne
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Professor of Cultural Studies, Director, Graduate Program in Gender Studies and Feminist Research, McMaster University
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Teaching Assistant in English, Queen Mary University of London
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