Canadian electronic band A Tribe Called Red are, as The Guardian writes, “putting indigenous culture center stage” with their music that speaks to the experiences of First Nation communities. The group exemplifies “the tensions between city life and ‘rez life’, between pop and traditional native culture,” and the band’s initial intent was to spark what they saw as a missing party culture, to provide a celebratory environment of cultural significance for indigenous students. Band member Witness tells The Guardian, “Indigenous people are used to being invisible, keeping our heads down. So when people started freaking out across the dance floor, we knew we were on to something.”
Anil Ananthaswamy, author of ‘The Man Who Wasn’t There’
Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is a condition that causes patients to perceive their own body parts as foreign ones. Anil Ananthaswamy conveys the true-experiences of individuals with BIID in his upcoming book, The Man Who Wasn’t There: Investigations into the Strange New Science of Self. For a novel and challenging perspective on the self, pick up a copy as soon as it is available on August 4. In the meantime, here’s a thought-provoking introduction to the notion of literal self-rejection.
Sneakers are the type of shoe that never goes out of style, and they’re laced into American history — especially that of Black youth culture. Brooklyn Museum’s new exhibit, “The Rise of Sneaker Culture” examines the historical significance of the ubiquitous shoe from the late 1800s to 2015. And in uncomfortably related news, Gwyneth Paltrow — yes — seems to be taking her rather expensive, Goopy cues from hip-hop culture. She recently got together with handbag brand Edie Parker in a bizarre, exclusive and exceedingly expensive creation of two acrylic clutches engraved with the names “Pac” and “Biggie.”
Of course, some musicians are not also handbags. Today’s music news saw The Weeknd’s sensational pop-hit, “Can’t Feel My Face” get a music video via Apple Music; also released today was a list of tour dates in honor of Tears for Fears’ 30th anniversary. Also: Chance The Rapper first announced his girlfriend was pregnant shortly after the Pitchfork Music Festival — of which you can find subtly animated photographs here — and he continues to gift fans with information, releasing dates for his topical upcoming “Family Matters” tour. It’ll kick off on October 11 in Austin, TX.
And, when it comes to selling music, still images have the potential to be just as engaging as video (…or handbags). Artist Denise Burt takes viewers through her process of designing classical music album covers in this special NPR multimedia piece, taking into account that people do “judge a book by its cover.”