In my latest column for Salon, I pay tribute to the late George Michael, who not only wrote, produced, and performed excellent music of irresistible groove and soul, but elevated and celebrated an ethos of mutual pleasure in sexuality. Michael’s treatment of sexuality as an opportunity for reciprocal, erotic enjoyment assaulted both the suffocating Puritanism of Western Culture, and the desire for domination from too many heterosexual men.
Meanwhile, at No Depression, I provide my personal choices for top five records of 2016, featuring Metallica, Marcus King, Tedeschi Trucks, Blackberry Smoke, and Rival Sons.
David Masciotra 