Author Archives: Sarah A. McCarty
Like Federer
“Genius is not replicable. Inspiration, though, is contagious, and multiform — and even just to see, close up, power and aggression made vulnerable to beauty is to feel inspired and (in a fleeting, mortal way) reconciled.” – David Foster Wallace In 2006, author David Foster Wallace wrote an essay in the New York Times where […]
Seriously cool
A passage through rock ‘n roll history in 100 riffs, 12 minutes, 1 single take: Awesome. Although, I do wish the Pixies showed up . I discovered this on Explore (edited by Maria Popova). For a complete list of riffs click here.
I Did Own Music To Begin With
In one day, NPR intern Emily White transformed from a college student into a viral sensation/ scapegoat/ hero for admitting she only purchased 15 CDs in her lifetime but managed to build an iTunes library of more than 11,000 songs. White’s article, “I Never Owned Any Music To Begin With,” ignited a music industry saga […]
Pop music and ageism
“It made me want to ask a question that, like those twin impulses of adolescence itself, is both facetious and sincere: am I too old for pop? He kindly obliged via email. After joking that I was ‘certainly too old to be a music journalist – they generally peak in their early teens’, he went […]
The Walkmen “Heaven” Review
Here is my review of The Walkmen’s “Heaven.” This is my first freelance review for Paste magazine and I hope to do many more for them. Look for it in the Paste mPlayer next Tuesday.
Are albums and playlist culture mutually exclusive?
Listening to my “Songs of 2011” Spotify playlist (yes, a boring title, but incredibly accurate and descriptive), I appreciate the range. It includes summer dance hits such as Phantogram’s “Don’t Move,” Class Actress’ “The Weekend” and M83’s “Midnight City” along with melancholy tracks such as EMA’s “California” and Cold Specks’ “Holland.” It also features high-energy […]
Happy Birthday Bob Dylan
To commemorate Bob Dylan’s birthday today, here’s one of my favorite Dylan songs.
Is music too social?
Music is social. It always has been. But is the communal and collective aspect of music overwhelming our personal connection to it? Last night, the very first award presented on the 2012 Billboard Music Awards broadcast celebrated the Top Social Artist. Justin Bieber nabbed the award, beating out Shakira, Eminem, Rihanna and Lady GaGa (who […]
samccarty.com 