The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
One of the biggest acts of the initial MTV era, along with Duran Duran, Talking Heads, The Stray Cats, and Pat Benatar, was Men at Work. Led by the Scottish-born Colin Hay, the Australian exports were known for a series of video clips that aired around the clock, filled with peculiar imagery to match the equally idiosyncratic... Continue Reading →
Out of all the bands that were part of the late-’80s/early-‘90s Dischord Records roster, Shudder to Think was one of the least likely to be thrust into the mainstream. But that’s what happened come 1994 when the Washington D.C.-based post-hardcore outfit found their fifth LP, Pony Express Record, released by Epic Records. Even for a label diverse enough... Continue Reading →
Art Alexakis hasn’t had the easiest life. But you don’t need us to tell you that; it’s all in the lyrics to some of the most popular songs by his alternative rock band Everclear. Growing up with an absentee dad? “Father of Mine.” Being a child of divorce? “Wonderful.” Brother succumbing to a heroin overdose and his... Continue Reading →
Before there was The Cult, there was Death Cult, a darker, more gothic iteration of the group that would later become known for hits like “She Sells Sanctuary,” “Fire Woman,” and “Love Removal Machine.” And while a shadowy side existed to the modern version through the years, no matter what musical path they ventured down, it was... Continue Reading →
When Shane MacGowan passed in 2023, it seemed as if he was finally in a good place after a life at the other end of the spectrum. The revered frontman for the Celtic punk outfit The Pogues often had his talents overshadowed by drunken antics, with his hard partying ways and drug abuse the stuff of legend. During one... Continue Reading →
It’s rare in music for an artist to have a second act, and even more so to be recognized for their undeniable impact on entire genres. But it does happen, as is the case with Cymande, a footnote British psychedelic funk outfit from the early ‘70s who later found themselves as one of the building blocks... Continue Reading →
“Nostalgia” is always a big buzzword, looking in the rearview when things were supposedly simpler – like right now with the ‘90s. It could manifest as a movie evocative of the decade or one that’s straight-up banking on the legacy of a franchise. Maybe it’s a Britpop band singlehandedly thrusting the genre back into the spotlight. Sometimes, albeit rarely, it’s... Continue Reading →
When I recently began the "Archive" feature here with an interview with The Kills, it wasn't by accident. I was set to talk to them again a few days later, and couldn't find that LA Weekly feature for the life of me. This time around, my chat with Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince was for... Continue Reading →
Welcome to Archive, where I'll be periodically highlighting articles pulled from my files that have either disappeared into the ether of the internet, originally ran in print, or otherwise faded away. Each one will be somewhat thematic, connecting the past to the present day. Today, it's an interview I did with The Kills back in... Continue Reading →
I've been doing the 617 Q&A series over at Vanyaland for quite some time now. Incredibly, it took until just a few months ago, with the electronic duo Phantogram, that I conducted it with more than one person. It's hard enough keeping the pieces to a manageable length with a single interviewee, even with the... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 