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“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” is absurdism done right
Jennifer Aniston has a problem that most aspiring actors would die to have: She’s too beloved. Factor in that she’s...
We’re mature enough to reconsider “Little House on the Prairie”
In Netflix’s new “Little House on the Prairie” adaptation, the first person that the Ingalls family encounters on their journey...
Xiu Xiu channels the spectral sounds of “Eraserhead”
Listening to Xiu Xiu’s “Eraserhead” on a hot and stormy Friday afternoon is an atavistic summoning of the many gifts...
The sex ed icon who won’t go quietly
Surveying the massive archive of tapes tightly nestled in her Manhattan apartment, Robin Byrd — the New York cable-access icon...
Bonnie Tyler’s anthems will live forever
One’s life doesn’t start until they hear “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” the runaway hit power ballad from Welsh rock...
Taylor, Travis and the cone of silence
Nature abhors a vacuum, but it’s got nothing on celebrity media, which has spent the last year buzzing with rumor,...
It’s not you, it’s the Emmys: Voters have reasons for ignoring your show
Disappointment is standard. Elation? Rare, but it happens. Overall, though, the 78th Emmy Awards nominations yielded a typical slate of...
How “Spirited Away” inspired “Avatar: The Last Airbender”
Throughout July, The Swell is celebrating the lasting cultural inspiration of animator Hayao Miyazaki and the legendary films he created...
Madonna’s irresistible contradictions
At the outset of her highly anticipated 15th studio album, “Confessions II” — a sonic sequel to her 2005 smash...
Please give Neil the Seal some space
Having white-knuckled through America’s unhinged 250th birthday party, maybe you’ve been wondering what it might be like to live in...
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