In the latest episode of the RiYL podcast, Brian Heater interviews Richard Hell, one of the pioneers of punk rock.

When we spoke in the East Village tenement apartment Richard Hell has occupied since 1975, the conversation turned turned to writing. His memoir covers the years beginning with his birth up through the end of his music career, and, as Hell made clear early on in our conversation, he’s not found of being asked the same question twice.

Between last year’s I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography and all that goes on between the iconic red and white covers of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, there’s seemingly little about Richard Hell’s relatively short music making career that hasn’t been written. Save for an outing with members of Sonic Youth under the banner Dim Stars, the man who played such an instrumental role in defining the aesthetics and voice of New York City punk had largely retired from the music game by the mid-80s.

It’s a tough proposition when speaking to an artist who’s been in and out of the public eye since the mid-70s, and it’s no doubt at least part of the reason Hell seemed to balk at my initial interview request. With his latest book having just been released in paperback, however, Hell agreed to meet with me and discuss his career as a writer, from his early days in poetry to the novels Go Now and Godlike and his 2013 autobiography.

Minor Problem: a punk anthem about Donald Trump's mockery of Greta Thunberg

Balazs Sarkadi from the Hungarian band Bankrupt ("a refreshingly energetic blend of 90s indie, hip hop and punk rock") writes, "President Trump mocked Greta Thunberg in a recent tweet, which sparkled the idea of a song in which he elaborates his point of view on climate change in a Twitter rant addressed to Greta. The […]

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"Let it Go," sung in Klingon

Jen "Klingon Pop Warrior" Usellis records covers of pop songs, translated into Klingon, the apex of which is surely her rendition of "Let it Go" ("yIbuSQo'") from Frozen. (via Borderlands)

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Listen to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's minimalist cover of David Bowie's "Life on Mars?"

This lovely cover was heard in the seventh episode of the new Watchmen TV show, titled “An Almost Religious Awe.” The track will appear on Reznor and Ross’s album “Watchmen: Vol. 3 (Music from the HBO Series)” due out December 16.

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These Millennium Falcon ice cubes will melt your Star Wars fanboy heart

Do you have any Star Wars fans on your list? Given the reach and output of its new corporate masters these days, it might be easier to ask if there’s anyone out there who isn’t a Star Wars fan. So let’s narrow it down further: Do you know a Star Wars fan who likes to […]

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Have cold brew or hot coffee in minutes with this compact brewer

There’s much ado about coffee brewing methods these days, but most of us – at least on the busy weekdays – just want our morning joe to be consistent, easy, and most of all, fast. If that sounds like anyone on your Christmas list, they’re going to get a lot of mileage out of the […]

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Get a 3-year subscription to Windscribe VPN for just $48

Online shopping is going to be through the roof this month, and you’d better believe that hackers know it. If you’re going to invest in a virtual private network, now is the time. Especially when Windscribe VPN is offering its own holiday discount. At their current price point, it’s well worth jumping on the paid […]

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