The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
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 →
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 →
Although they’re approaching their 57th year as a band, ZZ Top has spent the bulk of 2025 on the road, even expanding their ongoing Elevation tour – which began last October – so that it stretches until the end of November. Late last month, the Texas trio of guitarist/singer Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard, and... 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 →
“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 →
As a music journalist, I’ve been lucky enough over the years to meet and interview some of my all-time favorite artists. Members of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Van Halen, The Cult, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Glenn Danzig, Liam Gallagher – the list is endless. And one of the questions I get asked most is, “Don’t... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 