Chris Richards
Longtime pop critic (ex–Washington Post) now authoring a music newsletter; sharp commentary on scenes, artists, and trends.
Exploring Rhythm, Noise, and New Music with Analog Tara
Took a walk with ANALOG TARA and learned so much about the teachings of Pauline Oliveros, the boundaries between rhythm and noise, the long path of electronic musicking and more Tara’s fabulous new recording, Life of the Mother, is out today https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/going-where-the-work-needs-to-go
STATION MODEL VIOLENCE's New Album Inspires Punk Reflection
New album from STATION MODEL VIOLENCE is straight-up inspiring and so was this correspondence with the great punk mind Daniel Stewart https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/sometimes-you-need-to-keep-a-wound
Sunday Mini‑Column Launch for Paid Subscribers
Introducing a new Sunday morning mini-column for the paid subscribers of THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE Thank you for making this work happen xo xo https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/flirtations-with-humanity
Music Becomes a Portal: Katie Greer's Mind‑Blowing Insight
I asked KATIE ALICE GREER about music as place-channeling and her answer really floored me https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/one-question-interview-with-katie
100 Recordings Reviewed: Proof of Listening, Proof of Life
Proof of listening, proof of life: I reviewed 100 recordings for THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE Thank you for reading, for subscribing, for telling a friend https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/who-are-you-going-down-in-history
Cellist Janel Leppin Shares Raw, Expansive
Honored by the laughs-tears-joys-fears that cellist JANEL LEPPIN shared in this interview which felt as broad as her music https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/we-gotta-get-our-forces-together
Grateful for GUTTERED, Hopeful for Shoegaze Youth
I saw GUTTERED on Saturday night and felt gratitude for our scene and hope for the young https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/when-the-shoegaze-revival-comes-home
Nala Sinephro’s ‘The Smashing Machine’ Soundtrack Deserves Awards
If the best thing about awards season is arguing for the snubbed, here’s one last shout for NALA SINEPHRO’s exquisite soundtrack to ‘The Smashing Machine’ https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/snub-concussion
Washington Post Cuts Nearly All Arts Critics, Ending Legacy
Glad this story is being told but I’m extremely disappointed that it fails to mention that The Washington Post has laid off nearly all of its arts critics A decades-deep legacy of arts coverage has been destroyed here and it hurts...
NYC Noise Memories Transport Listeners Across Oceans
I asked the NYHC lifers in SHINING SEA about their most vivid New York noise memories and was transported by their answers https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/one-question-interview-with-shining
Dancing at the Apocalypse
I’d like to be dancing when the world ends, just not to this new STURGILL SIMPSON record https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/disco-stu-vs-the-apocalypse