The Story Behind Prince’s Last Guitar

In February 2016, custom guitar maker and creator of the distinct Purple Special guitar, Simon Farmer received an email from Prince’s former drummer Kirk Johnson. Years prior, in 2007, Farmer produced the Purple Special with one person in mind: Prince. After years of internet support and rave reviews about instrument, Johnson reached out to Farmer to acquire the guitar for Prince and only a month …

Chicago Makes the Right Move in Equal Access to Bathrooms

Four months to the day since the Charlotte City Council passed the discriminatory House Bill 2 in North Carolina, Chicago has done the opposite. In a vote passed at 45 to five, Chicago’s City Council has announced that transgender people are allowed to use whichever bathroom matches their gender identity. “As other states try to erase transgender people from public life, let’s recognize that this …

Portishead: SOS (ABBA Cover)

In an exhilaratingly dark version of ABBA’s “SOS,” Portishead’s Beth Gibbons brings an immense heartbreak to the Swedish group’s 1975 pop song. The cover is a tribute to Jo Cox (a Batley and Spen MP who fought for refugees’ rights) who was murdered last week outside a library. In this context, and in this downtempo version, the song carries much more weight, pain and sorrow. …