Once upon a time, musical artists sweated over their albums, arranging the tracks in just the right order, or using them to explore a single concept or theme. The chaotic, click-driven demands of streaming have put an end to all that. In The Free Press, River Page uses Lady Gaga’s latest release – covering every genre from techno-club pop to light rock to Taylor Swift parody – to lament albums’ loss of musical coherence. “It’s a mess,” Page explains.

Palestinian Culture: Unique in its Own Destructive Way
Although the Palestinian Authority enjoys an array of cultural departments and programs, A.J. Caschetta in Jewish World Review finds that all of it – art, education, literature, poetry, music, education and film – is oriented to two goals: the vilification of Jews and the destruction of Israel. Caschetta notes this is in sharp contrast to Arab and Muslim traditions, which include myriad aesthetically normal cultural works. Palestinianism, Caschetta finds, is “a very sick culture”, driven by resentment and fuelled by hate.


