Joni Mitchell and the Melancholy of Christmas
polyphonic posts
The Story of Hadestown
I've been a fan of Anais Mitchell's Hadestown for almost a decade now. I discovered the concept album as a teenager, and have been a fan of it ever since. When the musical hit broadway last year, I was so excited because it meant I could finally make a Polyphonic video dedicated to it. This is th...
2020-11-26 18:47:16 +0000 UTC View Post
The Joy of Jazz
A little story about the brilliant Cannonball Adderley
2020-07-10 15:41:56 +0000 UTC View Post
On Creating a Cover
Looking at three of the greatest covers ever made.
2020-05-06 19:03:47 +0000 UTC View PostIV: The Great Gig in the Sky | The Dark Side of the Moon Project
On Approaching the Apocalypse
I don't think I need to explain why I made tis video right now.
2020-04-01 16:42:01 +0000 UTC View Post
On Fables and Fleetwood
The real myths that inspired Fleetwood Mac's classic "Rhiannon"
2020-03-17 21:35:42 +0000 UTC View Post
The Hopes of Hong Kong
For more than seven months, protesters have been taking to the streets in Hong Kong to fight for democracy. This video looks at the songs they've been singing.
2020-01-15 22:18:28 +0000 UTC View PostThe Charisma of Cab
This week's video looks at the first great frontman: Cab Calloway
2020-01-09 19:23:45 +0000 UTC View PostOn Killing and Christmas
Ten years ago, a viral campaign put Killing in the Name on top of the UK's Christmas charts.
2019-12-17 18:22:43 +0000 UTC View PostHow Kendrick Lamar Shaped the 2010s
In the final episode of my "5 Artists Who Shaped the '10s" series, I look at Kendrick Lamar, who entered the decade as an unknown and will leave it as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
2019-12-10 21:31:54 +0000 UTC View PostHow Beyoncé Shaped the 2010s
Beyoncé already entered the 2010s as one of the biggest artists of the world. But throughout the decade, she pushed creative boundaries, challenged social conventions, and joined political conversations en route to becoming one of the most impactful artists for the second decade in a row.
2019-12-05 20:07:59 +0000 UTC View PostHow Kanye West Shaped the 2010s
This week, we continue my series on artists that shaped the decade with one of the most controversial artists in all of music.
2019-11-27 20:09:40 +0000 UTC View PostHow Taylor Swift Shaped the '10s
Throughout the 2010s, Taylor Swift established herself as one of the best-selling musicians of all time, and as a true pop auteur. This video looks at her rise.
2019-11-21 16:53:01 +0000 UTC View PostOn Screamin' and Spells
This week's video takes a look at my favorite Halloween song - Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You"
2019-10-28 21:37:43 +0000 UTC View PostThe Beauty of Degraded Media
Why do so many videos use VHS filters? Why do we love tape hiss and vinyl crackle? Why do I keep getting "lo-fi beats to study to" recommended to me on YouTube?" Because there's something beautiful about degraded media.
2019-10-23 18:29:28 +0000 UTC View PostOn Asking Alice
This week's video looks at a psychedelic masterpiece.
2019-10-07 18:57:50 +0000 UTC View PostA Recounting of Ragtime
Before Hip Hop, before Rock n' Roll, even before Jazz, one musical craze took America by storm: Ragtime. This video is about Ragtime, and the man who became its king.
2019-10-02 18:50:12 +0000 UTC View PostThe Mystery of Mister Jones
Bob Dylan's most infamous diss track.
2019-09-25 17:06:56 +0000 UTC View Post
On the Love Behind Layla
In the late 1960s, a friend gave Eric Clapton a book of Persian poetry. What followed was one of the greatest love songs ever written.
2019-08-28 16:15:59 +0000 UTC View PostOn the Brilliance of Brubeck
For the first few decades of jazz history, the genre was mostly in 4/4 time. Then Dave Brubeck came along and changed everything.
2019-08-22 16:54:26 +0000 UTC View Post