Essays
- Footloose: Political Transformations of a Song and Its MeaningOn September 5th in Portland, Oregon, videographers on the scene captured footage of a protester inadvertently lighting his feet on fire as he set off a Molotov cocktail. In a state of panic and distress, the man runs awkwardly towards theContinue reading “Essays and Interviews”
- Music and Politics, 1917–1920In unsettled times like our own, it is tempting to assume that the confluence of events is unprecedented: 2020 has already brought us an impeachment trial, a global pandemic, a sudden shift from prosperity to recession, a worldwide protest movementContinue reading “Essays and Interviews”
- The Deep Cuts of a Randy Rainbow Song ParodySeptember 12, 2020 American comedian and musician Randy Rainbow has recently enjoyed YouTube success thanks to a group of people he apparently vehemently dislikes: President Donald Trump and his administration. One video alone has garnered as many as 6.5 million views.[1] Although mostContinue reading “Essays and Interviews”
- Refractions of a Rainbow: Randy Rainbow’s Multi-Layered ParodiesAugust 17, 2020 In September 2019, I stood in a blocks-long line of excited fans in front of the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. The attraction was neither the latest teen heartthrob nor a jazz luminary, but Randy Rainbow, the YouTube sensationContinue reading “Essays and Interviews”
Interviews
- Just say “Song long to Kell” and that “Vlad Guy”: An Interview with SongBirdIn early October, the brilliant parodies of a 17-year-old singer who goes by the pseudonym “SongBird” came to the attention of Trax on the Trail. Following in the footsteps of her idol, Randy Rainbow, SongBird’s music showcases her acerbic witContinue reading “Essays and Interviews”
- Singing a Song to the 81%: An Interview with Daniel DeitrichOn July 17, 2020, Trax on the Trail Research Assistant Haley Strassburger and Founder Dana Gorzelany-Mostak interviewed Daniel Deitrich, the South Bend Indiana singer-songwriter who created quite a stir with his praise anthem “Hymn for the 81%.” Read on toContinue reading “Essays and Interviews”
- Musicians. Organizers. Activists. An interview with Andrew Scotchie and Andrew Fletcher, Organizers of the Feel the Beat! Feel the Bern! Fundraiser, Asheville, NCOn May 19, 2020 Trax founder Dana Gorzelany-Mostak and Trax Research Assistant Sarah Griffin had the pleasure of chatting with the two Asheville-based musicians who organized Feel the Beat! Feel the Bern!, a concert to support the candidacy of Bernie Sanders.Continue reading “Essays and Interviews”
- Tommy Oswalt Weighs in on Pop Culture and the American PresidencyOn May 14th Trax Co-editor Dana Gorzelany-Mostak and Research Assistant Sarah Griffin had the pleasure of interviewing recent Vanderbilt University graduate Tommy Oswalt, who developed a TEDx talk and an interactive game exploring campaign playlists. Here Tommy weighs in onContinue reading “Essays and Interviews”