Oliver Wang is an culture writer, scholar, and DJ based in Los Angeles. He's the author of Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews of the San Francisco Bay Area and a professor of sociology at CSU-Long Beach. He's the creator of the audioblog soul-sides.com and co-host of the album appreciation podcast, Heat Rocks.
Independent venue closures, social media algorithms and the rise of generative AI are all part of an ecosystem that artists say is becoming increasingly difficult for working musicians to weather.
iPods were all the rage 20 years ago, but Apple discontinued them in 2022. Claire Hughes is refurbishing old, used iPods and sharing what she finds on them.
On a new album, the experimental vocal group Roomful of Teeth and songwriter Gabriel Kahane take up residence in a multidimensional hotel with a time-traveling elevator and a quirky clientele.
On the heels of a new memoir sharing the recipes of a rich cultural life, rap's first tour guide talks aging with the culture, seeing its influence all over, Basquiat's lasting legacy and gatekeeping.