From The Great New England Vampire Panic:
Though scholars today still struggle to explain the vampire panics, a key detail unites them: The public hysteria almost invariably occurred in the midst of savage tuberculosis outbreaks….
“People find themselves in dire situations, where there’s no recourse through regular channels,” [Rhode Island folklorist Michael Bell] explains. “The folk system offers an alternative, a choice.” Sometimes, superstitions represent the only hope, he says.
This year, I added 214 albums to my library, spanning nearly a century of music. After much listening, I’ve chosen my ten favorite albums released in 2024. From ambient masterpieces to electrifying jazz, these picks showcase the year’s best. Thank you for following along—here’s to another great year of music!
This month’s musical discoveries take us from Leyla McCalla’s Sun Without the Heat, my favorite album of November, to Kendrick Lamar’s lyrical powerhouse GNX, and everything in between. Explore the joy-filled jams of Goose, the haunting melodies of Beth Gibbons, and the Afrobeat grooves of Kokoroko in this eclectic roundup of November’s best music.