The Outline
Samuel Argyle
A music festival like no other
A Q&A with the founder of FORM Arcosanti, which bucks corporate festival culture.
Is Beto O’Rourke responsible for The Mars Volta reuniting?
Probably not, but, like, what if he were?
This year’s hottest cultural trend is being bald
From John Travolta to The Rock to George Costanza, the biggest celebrities in the universe are discovering that they can have one career and zero hairs on their head.
By Samuel Argyle
A punk academic helps you justify your love for Madonna’s music videos
Ryann Donnelly’s book ‘Justify My Love’ offers radical interpretations of music videos from Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and more.
Horror buffs, meet music nerds
A Q&A with the authors of ‘Blood on Black Wax,’ a new book about the best horror film soundtracks ever made.
Oh no, I’m a Tool fan again
The cult band’s new album is coming this summer, as is all my long-submerged fondness for their whole thing.
Finally, a new way to learn that Post Malone is still popular
‘Rolling Stone’ is launching a new rankings chart to compete with ‘Billboard.’ What that means for music listeners is unclear.
Good vibrations: I purified myself in a sound bath
It’s not therapy, but a night with a sound artist left us feeling calmer and collected.
The woman who recorded 70,000 VHS tapes of... news
A Q&A with the director of ‘Recorder,’ a new documentary about archivist Marion Stokes’ project to chronicle the news cycle.
Spielberg vs. Netflix ends in a draw
Films released by streaming platforms will still be considered for the Oscars.
Remembering a giant
Marking the 10th anniversary of J.G. Ballard's death.
God saw all that He had memed, and behold, it was very epic
An interview with Epic Christian Memes, Instagram’s largest Christian-themed meme page.
Iconic English label Creation Records is getting a Danny Boyle-backed movie
Alan McGee, who founded the label behind Oasis, My Bloody Valentine, and many more, will be the subject of a new biopic.
There’s a new way for MySpace music mourners to revisit the past
Thanks to the Internet Archive, we now have access to once lost digital songs.
A fantasy getaway in a fish tank
The Adult Swim talk show ‘FishCenter Live’ offers a soothing respite from the world.
An evening with Black Midi, the best new rock band you should know about
The London-based band talks art, the origins of their name, and video games.
This year’s hottest cultural trend is eggs
From Eggboy to heart health, the oval food has been in the news a lot.
A Democratic presidential candidate’s curious alt-right fandom
The “Yang Gang” loves Andrew Yang’s unconventional political ideas, and they love making memes about his unlikely shot at taking the White House.
The ambient jams of ‘Kankyo Ongaku’ will help you achieve full consciousness
An interview with the makers of a new compilation highlighting innovative New Age and avant-garde artists previously overlooked outside Japan.
‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ rewards people who don’t like podcasts
HBO’s new documentary provides a necessary visual element to the 'Serial' case.
The nerds who hate ‘Captain Marvel’
Search YouTube, and you’ll find dozens of wannabe gatekeepers who claim they know best about nerd culture, and definitely can’t stand Brie Larson.
The anatomy of the “anatomy of” memes
A new meme style highlights subtle characteristics of celebrity figures, and takes fandom to a new level.
Warhol’s ‘Clockwork Orange’ is weirder than Kubrick’s
Looking back at the bizarre ‘Vinyl,’ the first adaptation of the Anthony Burgess novel.
Tim Heidecker knows how absurd this is
An interview with the comedian about cynicism, satirical folk music, the importance of political debate, and more.
You don’t need just one Merzbow podcast. You need two.
Interviews with the creators of two separate podcasts dedicated to the legendary noise artist, both launched in 2019.
They didn’t have to make Will Smith blue
‘Aladdin’ isn’t faithful to anything but nostalgia, and now we have this overly blue monstrosity.
How ‘Russian Doll’ flirts with psychedelic therapy
The show's nod to ketamine is subtle, but the drug underscores the cycle of life, death, and life-changing revelations.
How do you tell what words mean?
An interview with the academics behind ‘Keywords for Today,’ a book exploring the myriad definitions and contexts behind the most important words of the day.
Ted Bundy would be thrilled to know we’re still talking about him
The 30th anniversary of the serial killer’s death has brought an overwhelming amount of coverage as a new generation considers his crimes.
The Dude would not abide this Super Bowl commercial
Corporate revivals of fan favorites is nothing new, but this stinks.
Here are 21 covers of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”
Most of them are better than Weezer’s.
In Japan, a debate about swastikas takes on new urgency
A proposal to limit the symbol’s public prominence ahead of the 2020 Olympics clashes against centuries of cultural history.
My weekend with white nationalists
I wanted to understand Identity Evropa. So I became one of them.
