Our society hides death in a haze of euphemism (what did he pass, a kidney stone?) and antibacterial has become a lifestyle, yet we also live in a culture where gruesome flourishes and horror are an industry. These are among the paradoxes explored...

There wasn't a name for what Mark Shurilla was doing when he started a Milwaukee band called the Electric Assholes in the mid-1970s. A couple of years later when punk rock came to town, Shurilla found a context for his inventive spoofing...

In their introduction, Oxford Hindu studies professor Gavin Flood and American poet Charles Martin make their case for the enduring relevance of the Bhagavad Gita. Aside from its canonical status in the Hindu scriptures, with its emphasis...

Jean Feraca's mellifluous voice is a familiar presence for Wisconsin Public Radio listeners; her choice of guests and her conversations on “Hear on Earth: Radio Without Borders” evince a thoughtful, intuitive and tolerant mind...

It won't surprise too many fans to hear that the new Flaming Lips song is about death�many of the band's are. But death for the Flaming Lips hasn't been a particularly scary proposition in a long, long time. Since Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Wayne Coyne has caked his ruminations on the great beyond in enough puppets and sunshine to fill an entire afternoon block of PBS children's programing. ...

Waukesha-born Les Paul, a rock and jazz pioneer and inventor who created the electric guitar as we know, died today of pneumonia, the Associated Press is reporting. He was 94. Paul was lucid and active in his final years, playing concerts regularly. He was also well celebrated back home. Last year the Discovery World museum opened an exhibit in his honor, and he christened the exhibit wit...

Michael Jackson music videos ran on a constant loop on cable this weekend, while radio recommitted itself to his songbook�at one point I caught three Milwaukee radio stations all playing different Jackson songs at the same time. Although there had been some initial doubt about how Michael Jackson might be remembered, as either the King of Pop or a tabloid freak show, in the end, fans c...

Michael Jackson died this afternoon, the Los Angeles Times has confirmed. The news marks the end of the singer's long, painful decline. Michael Jackson was, without a doubt, the most tragic pop star the world has ever known. Other singers and rockers have battled with sex, drugs and violence. Many have committed crimes, but few have been accused of committing the taboos Jackson did. ...

A Milwaukee native who relocated to Minneapolis and began recording for Kill Rock Stars, Jeff Hanson was found dead Friday, apparently from an accidental fall. He was 31. On a trio of folk-pop records for Kill Rock Stars beginning with 2003's Son, Hanson stood out for his high, remarkably feminine singing voice, a novelty that the label happily marketed and that Hanson had a sense of humor abou...

In part because of a reluctance to insinuate that Wilco might be past their prime, obituaries for Jay Bennett, the former Wilco multi-instrumentalist who died in his sleep yesterday of unknown causes, have downplayed Bennett's contributions to the band. So here's some context: Bennett played on Wilco's three best albums (Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, taking on increased responsib...