Alex Coles – författare

Crooners sing close to the mic in a soft, intimate style. In this book Alex Coles explores the crooner in popular music from the 1950s to the present. Each chapter focuses on one song and one singer – Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, Barry White, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Tom Waits, Grace Jones, Ian McCulloch, Nick Cave and Nas – and examines in detail how each contributes to the crooner image. The book describes how crooners traverse era, gender, geography and genre – where Barry White developed out of disco, Nick Cave sprang from alternative rock; where Grace Jones was born from reggae and funk, Nas originated from hip-hop. Ultimately, Coles shows how the crooner continues to be a figure that enables listeners to reflect on and communicate their emotions.

Walter Benjamin is often considered the key modern philosopher and critic of modern art.Tracing his influence on modern aesthetics and cultural history, Introducing Walter Benjamin highlights his commitment to political transformation of the arts as a means to bring about social change.Benjamin witnessed first-hand many of the cataclysmic events of modern European history. He took a critical stance on the dominant ideologies of Marxism, Zionism and Technocracy, and his attempt to flee Nazi Europe ultimately led to his suicide in 1940.With its brilliant combination of words and images, this is an ideal introduction to one of the most elusive philosophers.