Alan Cross

• Why does the music of your youth sound better than what’s out today?

  Chances are you've heard the music your kids are listening to and wondered what's wrong with their musical taste. You're not alone. This has been happening for millennia.

  Entertainment

  May 10
  
• Heading for a mosh pit any time soon? The history of a unique musical tribal ritual

  How did the mosh pit evolve? There's a surprisingly colourful history to the practice of banging into fellow concertgoers at high speed.

  Entertainment

  Mar 15
  
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• For the first time in 35 years, the Billboard Top 40 has no hip-hop or rap songs. Here’s why

  Hip-hop and rap have been driving culture in the U.S. for almost four decades now, especially in America. So why are these songs missing from the Top 40? It's ...complicated.

  Entertainment

  Nov 9, 2025
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• From boxer shorts requests to vintage wines, the strange world of concert riders

  When an artist is on tour, they often require some very specific backstage provisions in their concert riders. Sometimes, things can get very weird.

  Entertainment

  Sep 28, 2025
• I’ll give up the iTunes Music Store — when you pry it from my cold, dead hands

  I've been a heavy, diehard user of iTunes from the moment it was made available for Windows in 2003. I'll never give it up, even though some claim streaming has made it obsolete.

  Entertainment

  Sep 7, 2025
• Record stores, radio specials and other things I miss about the old music industry

  The music industry has gone through a lot of changes over the last 25 years and while it's important to adapt, there are some things about the old days that are missed.

  Entertainment

  Aug 17, 2025
• Gavin Rossdale on the new Bush album, cooking, and staying away from social media

  With the 10th studio album from Bush now available, Gavin Rossdale talks about songwriting, the enduring legacy of the '90s, and how to make a killer cauliflower dish.

  Entertainment

  Jul 20, 2025
• The tortuous process of finding a name for your band

  Next to actually writing songs, the most difficult thing a band has to do is come up with a name. It is not easy.

  Entertainment

  Jun 8, 2025
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• Finally, a mental health survey of the Canadian music industry. The situation is dire

  Preliminary results of a mental health survey of people working in Canada's music industry show high rates of anxiety, fatigue and financial stress among the initial respondents.

  Entertainment

  May 11, 2025
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• Trump, tariffs and music: What could possibly go wrong?

  The zigzagging, on-again-off-again policies regarding tariffs in the U.S. will have a greater impact on music than people realize. Possibly. Maybe.

  Entertainment

  Apr 20, 2025