The Best of the 2010s – The Mixtape

The Best of the 2010s – The Mixtape by: Christian Hagen It’s hard to imagine a more stark contrast than the one between the world of 2010 and the world of 2019. In a mere 10 years, American politics has transformed from the well-meaning liberalism of Barack Obama to the neo-fascism of Donald Trump. Hope…

The Best of 2017 – The Mixtape

2017 has been a nightmare in many ways. America is in constant political crisis. The international community is facing the rise of right-wing extremism, white nationalism, religious and ideological terrorism, an increasingly centralized wealthy elite, and a fundamental threat to democracy in the form of widespread election hacking in nearly every Western nation. Waves of…

Trump, Fascists, and the American People

If there are two sides, they are not equal.

The True Evil of the Abortion Debate

Abortion in America contains a great and terrible evil at its heart.

Lessons from Television: Prisons

Last Week Tonight. Adam Ruins Everything. Full Frontal. Modern television has become a marvelous source of easily-digested, enlightening, and entertaining bubble-bursters with thoroughly-researched explanations of the ills in American society. These shows are extraordinarily compelling, but unfortunately, they face obstacles that make them harder to put in front of viewers, from cable subscriptions to the sheer…

I’ve Seen the Alt-Right

Sexists. Racists. Bigots. Xenophobes. Islamophobes. Deplorables.

Discover: Big Thief / Aldous Harding

A couple sweet, folky records to listen to as antidotes to the over-Mumfordization of modern folk rock. Big Thief, Masterpiece FOR FANS OF: Jenny Lewis, Haley Bonar, Phox Brooklyn natives Big Thief are still relatively new to the scene, but listening to sweet-hearted, fully produced tracks like “Masterpiece,” the title track of their debut album on…

Essential 2016 Election Coverage

[UPDATED 10/20/2016] The 2016 American presidential election may wind up being the defining election of this generation, or perhaps the last defining generation of the eldest generation. After all, this is the first election in which there are as many (possibly more) eligible millenial voters as there are baby boomers. How fitting, then, that the two…

Sounds Worth Discovering

A few friends have asked me in the past, “How do you find new music these days?” Discovering new music is paradoxically easier than it’s ever been and also harder, or at least less manageable. The overwhelming deluge of new releases each week, each DAY, can make it seem impossible for a person to be…