Today, we celebrate the birth of the good ol' U.S. of A. We gather in back yards, pools and lakes. We roast hot dogs and hamburgers and let watermelon juice trickle down our chins. We light fireworks smuggled in from less pansy states. But at some point, these wonderful traditions are marred by the schlocky strains of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." (as they will be on CBS' Early Show today). Call me an unpatriotic snob, if you will, but I believe we as a nation can do much better when it comes to celebrating America in song. I... //more

List of the Day published
12 Patriotic Songs Better than Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A."

List of the Day published
If You're Happy and You Know It: The 13 Best Songs with Handclaps

Features published
Salute Your Shorts: Why We Fight

News published
Liam Finn and Eliza-Jane Barnes to Release Champagne in Seashells EP

News published
Watch the Trailer for Steven Soderbergh's The Informant!

News published
Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe, The National, Frank Black, Many More Unite for Mark Mulcahy Tribute

Reviews published
Public Enemies

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Q-Tip to Release Album in Sept. Following Eight-Year Delay

News published
Michael Jackson's Victory Tour Glove to be Auctioned

Reviews published
Kamila Shamsie: Burnt Shadows

//more recent posts

 

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stereogum
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//more news from ATW

Liam Finn and Eliza-Jane Barnes to Release Champagne in Seashells EP
With all the instruments he plays, it seems the only...

published
Watch the Trailer for Steven Soderbergh's The Informant!

published
Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe, The National, Frank Black, Many More Unite for Mark Mulcahy Tribute

published
Q-Tip to Release Album in Sept. Following Eight-Year Delay

published
Michael Jackson's Victory Tour Glove to be Auctioned

published
Giant Gundam Set to Terrorize Downtown Tokyo, Godzilla Unavailable for Comment

published
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published
Saw-Inspired Attraction Headed to Universal Studios

//more news

MUSIC

Mos Def: The Ecstatic
At this point, you could be forgiven for knowing...

Moby: Wait For Me

Wilco: Wilco (The Album)/Son Volt: American Central Dust

Levon Helm: Electric Dirt

Otis Taylor: Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs

Elizabeth & The Catapult: Taller Children

Patterson Hood: Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)

//more

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FILM

Do the Right Thing: 20th Anniversary Edition
In Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn...

Public Enemies: Early reviewers are shrugging their shoulders at the new Michael Mann, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale film, Public Enemies, but...

Ashes of American Flags: I should acknowledge up front that I am one of...

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Director Michael Bay has accomplished something incredible with Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen...

Surveillance: By the time Surveillance comes to its unhinged, ludicrous...

The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow’s jerky, zoomy, dusty new film features 10 nail-biting displays of limb-risking bravery...

The Dana Carvey Show: Not a big hit during its initial 1996 run...

//more

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BOOKS

Kamila Shamsie: Burnt Shadows
Kamila Shamsie’s book is the latest addition to a...

Emily St. John Mandel: Last Night in Montreal: Emily St. John Mandel’s slim debut, an elegy for a broken relationship...

River Jordan: Saints in Limbo: River Jordan’s third novel is a Southern Gothic masterpiece...

Eric Kraft: Flying: Less than 10 pages into Flying, having already laughed aloud...

Barney Hoskyns: With a persona, not to mention a body of work...

Arthur Phillips: Some books, like some songs, invade you slowly. Arthur Phillips’ The Song is You doesn’t...

Robert Polito: The average reader will surmise from the pages of...

//more

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