Music – Page 2 – The Pop Culture Philosopher

That Random Minor Note, Part I: Janelle Monae

May 10, 2018May 17, 2018 Chris SunamiHistory

In her excellent new song, “I Like That,” multi-talented singer and former android Janelle Monae refers to herself as the random minor note you hear in major songs. A commentator on Genius interpreted this as[…]

I’m Not There: Film Review

April 19, 2018April 25, 2018 Chris SunamiMovies

Repost I knew even before the house lights went down that I needed to approach this film in the right frame of mind. I knew not to expect a rational or linear plotline, that my[…]

Reconstructivist Art: Mona Lisa

April 12, 2018April 12, 2018 Chris SunamiMusic

Repost: Wyclef Jean’s Mona Lisa as an example of Reconstructivist Art Mona Lisa was a little noted deep-album cut from hip-hop impresario Wyclef Jean’s multiplatinum album The Carnival (1997). A radical reinvention of the remixed[…]

Django Jane’s African Beat

March 22, 2018March 21, 2018 Chris SunamiFeminism

Perhaps to showcase her many sides, the incomparable Janelle Monae released two very different songs/videos in advance of her hotly anticipated new album, Dirty Computer. A few weeks ago I showcased her funky, bubbly, sex-drenched[…]

Image by Michael Todd Williamson

7 Best Dylan Covers

March 15, 2018March 7, 2018 Chris SunamiBest

I’ve always been fascinated by cover songs. The vast majority of them just make you long for the original. But every once in a while, someone does one that brings the song a whole new[…]

Image by SoftSpirit118

Seven Nation Army

March 8, 2018February 28, 2018 Chris SunamiCover Songs

It can be tough sometimes to separate the greatness of a song from the greatness of a particular performance of that song. And in the case where a great songwriter is also an amazing performer[…]

Princess Janelle

March 1, 2018February 28, 2018 Chris SunamiArt

The late great Prince always claimed he was “50-50 girl.” Well, apparently when his male half departed this earthly plane, his female half was reborn as Janelle Monae’s new alter-ego in this smoking new video.

Stevie Wonder: Philosophical Music

January 25, 2018January 23, 2018 Chris SunamiArt

It occurred to me recently that in my survey of philosophical music I had too long overlooked perhaps the premiere philosopher of transcendent pop music, Mr. Stevland Wonder (an artist I had the exquisite pleasure[…]

Alt Classical: The Jazz Connection

January 18, 2018January 19, 2018 Chris Sunamialt-classical

Repost from 2014 A month or so ago, I explored the “cover songs” side of alt classical music, a genre that combines the pleasures of classical music with the vitality of more modern forms. This[…]

The Pop Culture Philosopher

Books, Music, Movies and Philosophy (Updates Thursdays)

Category: Music

That Random Minor Note, Part I: Janelle Monae

I’m Not There: Film Review

Reconstructivist Art: Mona Lisa

7 Best Dylan Covers

Seven Nation Army

Princess Janelle

Alt Classical: The Jazz Connection