A Paler Shade of White

A Paler Shade of White: Musical Events: The New Yorker

While I disagree with Frere-Jones strong rejection of indie-rocks's entertainment value, this is a wonderful article that examines the evolution of modern pop music. Frere-Jones posits that a chasm has opened between "white" and "black" music when historically rock 'n' roll was built on the exchange and borrowing of music from across cultural and racial lines. The article draws to an abrupt, rough conclusion, but otherwise causes its fair share of mental rumbling about the modern soundscape.