The Spoils of War
Among the most coveted spoils of America’s wars, critic Andrew Cockburn argues, is the money pulled from taxpayers’ pockets never to be returned to the country’s social welfare.
Features
Features, interviews, and commentary about popular culture related topics, including music, film, TV, books, games, and more.
Michael Jackson Sequin-ized
The world conjured by Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson movie is an emotionally flattened realm of veneration and idolisation that would make even Stalin blush.
Charley Discusses Being an Idealist at the End of Everything
Charley discusses her therapeutic poptimism that extends beyond rote structures and clichés to strike a deeper chord with listeners.
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Johan Nayar’s Malawian Musical Odyssey with ‘The Banjo Boys’
From The Banjo Boys beginnings as a “mini-doc” to its fruition as a feature film, Johan and Neil Nayar join musicians Yobu Maligwa and Yosefe Kalenkeni on their journey from simple craft to sensational art.
Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” and the Love of Myth and Ritual
There is far more to the title and meaning of Peter Gabriel’s song “In Your Eyes” than meets the eye, as it turns the lover’s eyes into a dwelling of belief.
Built with an Old Hammer: Dale Watson’s Honky-Tonk Truth
The tools haven’t changed much. The influences are still there. The approach is the same. Dale Watson is still building, as he puts it, with that old hammer.
MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of April 2026
In April’s nest metal, Iron Firmament return to lo-fi, Cascadian alchemy, Lividus set up progressive foundations, and Evil Warriors reach new heights.
‘The Red Hangar’ Warns of Criminal Obedience Amidst Rising Fascism
In The Red Hangar, the first day of Chile’s 1973 coup becomes a tightening moral trap, as an Air Force captain watches military routine turn into open repression.
Nu Metal Anomalies Slipknot, System of a Down, and the Strange Math of Mass Appeal
Nu metal’s ecosystem in the 1990s allowed unexpected forms of extremity to break into mainstream success, and Slipknot and System of a Down exemplify that.
Jazz Trumpeter Dave Douglas Discusses His Latest Music
PopMatters chats with jazz’s Dave Douglas about his new album, new band, recent record Four Freedoms with a different group, and the road ahead.
‘Cheers’, Cosiness and the Illusion of Companionship
Cheers‘ characters float side-by-side as if suspended in a mug of amber-colored beer, going nowhere and befriending no one, least of all one another.
‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ Is Fundamentally Silly
The jokes in Monty Python’s the Life of Brian bristle with ideas about the absurdity of dogma and obedience to power, but the Pythons didn’t care about making audiences angry over religious hypocrisy.