The story of the band Blood, Sweat & Tears' 1970 tour of Eastern bloc countries is bizarre, and sobering, a new documentary shows. "This isn’t a music doc, it’s a political thriller. ... It’s about a group of guys who unknowingly walked into this rat’s nest." - The New York Times
A letter posted on Twitter asked Polley to mail her Oscar back to California. "It said she could keep the award for one more week, ... but ultimately, it needed to be returned so it could go to the 'rightful' winner: All Quiet on the Western Front." - BBC
Siddal died young, and her husband Dante Gabriel Rossetti took up a lot of the air about the movement she was part of, both as model and as painter. "Regarded as an appendage to her husband, she remained unknown during her lifetime." - The Observer (UK)
"The styles explored by Sister Guèbrou ... were so singular in sound and structure that music scholars often puzzled over the main source of her inspiration — seamlessly mixing forms such as jazz, chamber music and rhythms from her homeland." - Washington Post
That's what a new UCLA report says. In Hollywood, "in nearly every job category, women and people of color remain underrepresented relative to the U.S. population. They’re also still likely to receive inequitable economic opportunities compared to white men." - HuffPost
"Joy, in her rage and her depression and her love, anchors the Best Picture sweep. The best goddamn film of the year, and all the leads were recognized except her." (But honestly, all of the Jobu Topakis out there knew this was going to happen.) - Tor Dot Com
It makes sense that we'd want these things. "In addition to providing the cozy fire of a feel-good story to warm your soul, these viral internet fictions can lull you into believing there's some justice in the world." And yet, no. - Wired
Bring on the metadata! "There feels like a genuine affection for the music in Apple Music Classical. ... But there are also just a lot of ways to find the music." - The Verge
The show had to learn "how different characters would have referred to the LAPD and FBI during in Depression-era L.A.; what words English- and Spanish-speakers would have used to protest and show dissent; what jump-rope songs would have been sung." - Los Angeles Times
Cherry died in November after performing in London. Earlier, he said, "A lot of people think your success is how much money you make. … I feel successful because I hung in there and have integrity in what I do. The stuff I do has meaning." - Oregon ArtsWatch
In a recent survey, 71% of 2,000 participants reported that music was the strongest influence on their mood and almost 75% regularly listened to music to cheer themselves up. - The Conversation
That is, after the earth is salted. "When all platforms index the same content, they’ll be desperate to differentiate. ... The apps will be programmers, not just builders, using human taste, judgment, and dealmaking skills." - Slate
Is it like New York's Drama Book Shop? A little, but "The Understudy has rotating displays atop wheeled shop tables, curated by Chicago artists. They are also providing a new hub for itinerant theatre companies seeking space for readings and workshops." - American Theatre
