Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" on bamboo flute and koto

Lily E. Hirsch wrote the book on how music has been used to prevent crime and torture people.  Music in American Crime Prevention and Punishment that covers "police and community leaders' use of classical music in crime deterrence and punishment; the use of rap lyrics as prosecutorial evidence; allegations of music as incitement to violence;… READ THE REST

Tonight is the beginning of Yom Kippur and many Jews around the world gather to sing Kol Nidre, the haunting and soulful Hebrew and Aramaic declaration that precedes the day of atonement. In 1958, the great Johnny Mathis recorded a beautiful rendition of Kol Nidre for his album Good Night, Dear Lord which contained Black spirituals… READ THE REST

The lyrics of Bobby "Boris" Pickett's classic 1962 Halloween jam "Monster Mash" mostly make sense, with one weird exception: The background vocalists sing about a tennis shoe. Why? Nobody knows and even Pickett himself couldn't remember during a Dr. Demento interview in 2006, the year before he died. "[They're saying] 'Ooh, tennis shoe, wah-ooh," he… READ THE REST

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. With living spaces getting smaller, rent getting higher, and the cost of living generally increasing across the board, during this year's Deal Days sale, we're offering the ideal accessory to light up your… READ THE REST

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. There is no worse feeling than realizing the endless creativity you can achieve on your phone or laptop actually does have an end. That horrible moment you realize your storage drive… READ THE REST

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. It's easy to stream music on your iPhone or your Alexa — but if you're a true music fan, you know streaming music like that just doesn't cut it. You end… READ THE REST