Our weekly recap highlighting the best feature stories from around the internet.
Diiv frontman Zachary Cole Smith's shirt might have been the loudest thing at Laneway. Photo: RNZ/Diego Opatowski
Is Indie Rock Over The White Male Voice? – by David Turner, MTV
“For most of its history, indie rock has been largely driven by the travails of the dejected white bro. In 2016, when institutional racism and sexism are topics that even popular music is capable of tackling in profound ways, that an ostensibly progressive genre so often fails to engage with those broader themes — or simply have an idea — is frustrating.”
The Art of The Smear – by Dune Lawrence, Bloomberg
“There were real consequences. My husband and I were turned down for homeowners insurance; the underwriter told my husband I was “high-profile.” I traded cards with another journalist at an event, and the next day he e-mailed to ask what the heck I’d done to make anyone so angry at me. I felt as if I had a dirty little secret. I’d forget, and then moments like that would upset me again.”
New Zealand: One Nation Under a Beach Towel? – by Steve Braunias, The NY Times
“There were 25 public meetings. The average crowd was 30. Ten people came to the meeting in Christchurch and eight attended in New Plymouth. In fairness, there were other things on in both cities those nights, for instance staying indoors and staring at the wall. As for the panel members, they received 640 New Zealand dollars per day. The chairman, John Burrows, a law professor, must be a superior human. He earned 850 New Zealand dollars per day.”
25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going – The New York Times Magazine
“We’ve spent the past century or so trying, in creaky and convulsive ways, to figure out what music is even for, and how we intend to use it. When and where will we listen to it? Will other people be there? Should people own music? Who should write it — the performers? What’s a normal amount to release at once? How will we find out about it? Will there be pictures? Are you absolutely, definitely sure we have to pay money for it?”
When crime spills out of the shadows – by Jared Savage, NZ Herald
“Back in the 80s and 90s they were relatively minor players, but the growth of P in the past decade gave them a huge opportunity. When gangs like the Headhunters saw the profits to be made from methamphetamine, they needed criminal contacts to buy the drug, or its main ingredient, pseudoephedrine, from a source country like China. Quickly, the Asian-organised crime groups in New Zealand became crucial players in the drug trade and, over time, their international links made them the real power-brokers.”
Now Is Not the Time – by Jessica ‘Coco’ Hansell, Worm Hole
“And unlike many “socially aware” people I encounter, I like shutting the fuck up once in a while, gathering my thoughts and I don’t feel I need to rescue every tense or “problematic” thread with my incredible perspective. To the chagrin of oversharers online and planet-wide, my most meaningful thoughts feel more awkward to commodify or disclose than ever.”
