Braincookies

The Inevitable Demise of the Pop Superstar

Braincookies by Xifer Fortier

I recently browsed through Here Come the Regulars: How to Run a Record Label With No Money by Ian Anderson. No, not THAT Ian Anderson (godfather of hobbit-rock). THIS Ian Anderson owned an indie record label in 2003. He was 18. The book was published in 2009. To be honest, I didn’t get very far — it was in the bathroom, and my house-mate [ Read More...]

The Gay 90’s – Why Rock Radio Sucks

By Xifer Fortier

The only thing better than reminiscing about not listening to rock radio in the 00’s is reminiscing about not listening to rock radio in the 90’s. The 90’s was FM’s last gasp as a culture-defining institution in America. AM radio telegraphed the evolution of ideals in the 60’s. In the 70’s FM solidified the unity of a generation with respect to sex, politics, money, recreational drug-use, and ill-advised facial-hair.

In the [ Read More...]

Cocaine + Music = Genius. Duh.

Braincookies by Xifer Fortier

Let’s talk a little about the longest lasting marriage in show business, shall we? I’m speaking, of course, about music and cocaine and the way they interact – for better or worse.

Cocaine-use, in my experience, turns up as a personality trait. This observation is glib and a little judgmental, but true. From a musical standpoint, I’m not convinced that this is all bad. Am I making a pro-coke statement [ Read More...]

Caribou and the Art? Behind Math Rock

Braincookies by Xifer Fortier

I hated calculus.

I aced math through junior high and high school. Given my adolescent awareness of life’s contradictions, math was comforting. There was an answer that was correct or not. There was proof. Math helped feathered-hair, acne-pocked me understand what was happening: how tall I wasn’t, the price of beer versus the pittance of my allowance, would she ever kiss me, when, and how many times?

Two eighths made [ Read More...]