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 →
Back in June, to celebrate his 70th birthday, Vanyaland ranked the 70 greatest songs from Glenn Danzig. Curated by site founder and editor-in-chief Michael O'Connor Marotta and me, it was an exhaustive dive into the catalog of the Evil Elvis, one he would surely bristle at because that's just what he does, but which the... 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 →
A single live show on American soil is all it took for the hyperbole surrounding the reunion of a certain Britpop outfit to reach its apex. “Oasis finally conquer America,” screamed one headline following the gig last Thursday at Chicago’s Soldier Field. “Oasis rewrite history,” went another. Even CNN got involved with their quasi-thinkpiece, “Oasis never really... Continue Reading →
One year ago, Oasis announced they would be reuniting after breaking up a decade and a half prior in spectacular fashion. And while news that the Britpop titans, namely brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, had settled their differences enough to perform together once again created a major stir in the UK, there was some question... Continue Reading →
Ever since Sphere opened in Las Vegas in the fall of 2023, music fans have been speculating/debating on what artists would be a good fit for such a marvel of a venue. U2 set the bar high with 40 shows between that September and the following March as the inaugural act to play there, and... 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 →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 