Nitsuh Abebe on the Rock of Ages soundtrack's goofy odes to 1980s hair metal, Japandroids' scrappy Celebration Rock, and the evolution of rock'n'roll from myth to underdog.

Nitsuh Abebe looks to the R&B singer Miguel and the N.J. punk trio Screaming Females to discuss closed cultural loops. What happens when we think of a rarefied circle as being the whole of the world? 

What happens when traditional ideas of personal expression are usurped by a patchwork arrangement of cultural references? Jumping off from his SXSW experiences, Nitsuh Abebe looks at the politics of style in the age of social media. 

Nitsuh Abebe defends the much-maligned notion of "rockism" and discusses the difficulty of articulating a love of rock music proper when the language used to describe it has been tainted and corrupted.

Nitsuh Abebe on understanding musical tastes across generation gaps and why the large cohort that grew up liking (or loathing) emo acts such as My Chemical Romance is so important.

Nitsuh Abebe combats the myth that says pleasant, soothing music can never be as meaningful as the rude and noisy stuff, discussing Cocteau Twins, the Mountain Goats, WHY?, and Destroyer in the process.

Nitsuh Abebe discusses the rise of divisive Internet star Lana Del Rey, touching on the ways our notion of imagination can work in different musical worlds.

Nitsuh Abebe on how we use music to meet our needs, one need at a time.

How did chillwave turn old ideas into a Hot New Thing?

On "Gucci Gucci" rapper Kreayshawn, identity in pop, and the politics of "fake."

On Lady Gaga and the thorny question of what "be yourself" actually means.

How early rock critic Ellen Willis, tUnE-yArDs, and Ponytail unlock music's sense of liberation.

The Weeknd, Robyn, mainstream norms, and gatekeeping: how the importance of genre is being replaced by the importance of a sensibility.