English Beat Archives - Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things

The Ongoing History of New Music, Encore Presentation: Songs of Protest and Dissent

Sometimes people get so pissed off or so inspired by something that they just have to sing about it. This

The first-ever YouTube video, “Me at the Zoo,” was posted on this day in 2005. As for music news on

The English Beat, one of the great bands from the second wave of ska, had some genuine Jamaican DNA in

Here is a truth that some people find very uncomfortable: rock, alt-rock and indie rock are predominantly white. Why is

Sometimes people get so pissed off or so inspired by something that they just have to sing about it. This

If it seems that all the good names are band names taken, you’re not far off. Despite the best intentions

Intimate gatherings of sports fans and media personalities – Kevin Kennedy in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 012 November 25, 2020
No matter the sport, passionate fans and pundits have long debated the goings-on in the clubhouse or on the pitch of every pro sports team. For most of us, this dialogue and discord are limited to Twitter, or perhaps yelling at sports talk radio hosts in our cars. If you were paying slightly more attention, […]
Mark Silver
The Business of Independent Production – Don Young in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 011 November 18, 2020
Canadians have long heard about Canadian content, aka CanCon. What most outside of the broadcast business don’t generally realize is that much of that content is actually subsidized by the private broadcasters, such as Bell Media and Rogers Media. Many independent producers have made a career, and a lot of money, perfecting the art of […]
Mark Silver
Reaching new VR frontiers – Laura Mingail in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 010 November 10, 2020
Pushing boundaries and breaking with convention takes more than confidence, especially when you’re working inside a media giant. To do this in an authentic and meaningful way one needs to truly believe that they can make a difference, for the greater good. Laura Mingail has done just that in many of her roles, and as […]
Mark Silver