Writer. "BACKBEATS: A History of Rock and Roll in 15 Drummers" is one of Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of 2025. Also: "Homeplace," about Patsy Cline's hometown. "A Song for Everyone," about Creedence. johnlingan.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3miwazux6lc23Literally who gives a shit. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=581407 Apr 2026 17:02 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3miwazux6lc23https://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mirc6woyl22aRunning laps in high school wrestling practice, nearly dead, when the parade of Linkin Park and AC/DC finally breaks and a rap song comes on that‘s so good I momentarily forgot how awful I feel. Got home and googled “Sorry Mrs Jackson/ I am for real.” [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Apr 2026 17:39 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mirc6woyl22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mir4mnus722hHe is risen (he = Kid Millions) [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Apr 2026 16:00 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mir4mnus722hhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mimbew4a2k2i“Kissing My Love” and “Express Yourself” alone make Gadson immortal, let alone the rest of his incredible 70s beats, but he played well into the 21st century for artists varied as Kelly Hogan, Beck, Paul McCartney, Margo Price, and Corinne Bailey Rae. Drumming royalty. [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Apr 2026 17:42 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mimbew4a2k2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mijdzax6g22jIt’s Marvin Gaye’s birthday, and of all the immeasurably great songs he released, this one is maybe highest for me. If only for the way he sings “How in the world have you been?” One of those moments that always brings me close to tears and I can’t even really say why. https://youtu.be/BDviY4dwfqQ?si=2pZcxl3VQeiM7ZU202 Apr 2026 13:51 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mijdzax6g22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3miebldsjs22yMy biggest problem with Robert Polito’s new book “After the Flood,” about Dylan post-1991 (some of my fav music ever), is that it treats him strictly as a world-historical artistic genius and ignores that he’s also one of the all time inscrutable celebrities who occasionally makes dogshit. https://consequence.net/2026/03/bob-dylan-ai-lectures-from-the-grave-review/31 Mar 2026 13:24 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3miebldsjs22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3miaahwqra224I've been doing field research for 25 years and they just… tweeted it out. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/29/full-network-clitoral-nerves-mapped-out-first-time-women-pelvic-surgery?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky&CMP=bsky_gu29 Mar 2026 22:53 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3miaahwqra224https://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mi5q2de3h22iFair warning to speed readers: [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Mar 2026 22:54 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi5q2de3h22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mhxp5hrpg22iNodded so hard while reading this that I sprained my neck. https://williamhogeland.substack.com/p/sinners-and-the-bad-history-of-the26 Mar 2026 13:22 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhxp5hrpg22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mhvqgym6v22aStopped to see an old friend.25 Mar 2026 18:40 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhvqgym6v22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mhvbitn7i22cReally fun to be interviewed on Connecticut‘s WNPR for a long segment about drummers (including Hal Blaine, Hartford’s favorite son) They had a live drummer in studio for demonstration! https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2026-03-24/the-backbone-of-rock-and-roll-the-drummer25 Mar 2026 14:13 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhvbitn7i22chttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mhg5tjnxps25Rewatched most of these in the last few months and here's where I'm at. 1 Phantom Thread 2 One Battle 3 Punch Drunk Love 4 Boogie Nights 5 Licorice Pizza 6 There Will Be Blood 7 Magnolia 8 The Master 9 Hard Eight 10 Inherent Vice19 Mar 2026 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhg5tjnxps25https://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mhbdq7ntrc2sPoking around @tylerwilcox.bsky.social's essential Doom and Gloom from the Tomb, found this three-song Murray St.-era session with Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, and Jim O'Rourke on acoustic guitars, glorious. https://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/666114857327820800/sonic-youth-wers-studios-boston-massachusetts?is_related_post=117 Mar 2026 15:59 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhbdq7ntrc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mhbbjp56z22oMy favorite novel and its final pages feel like levitating: "Little, Big" by John Crowley. [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Mar 2026 15:20 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhbbjp56z22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mh7c3qslxc2oShoutout to Great Blacks in Wax. [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Mar 2026 20:25 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh7c3qslxc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mh6uwzry4k2uThis, along with the insistence that its sexually/racially demented villains are both ludicrous and very sincere threats to humanity, is also what makes it an incredible Pynchon adaptation. Not just of Vineland, but the whole style. Pat's nickname is Rocketman! [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Mar 2026 16:29 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh6uwzry4k2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mh6o7oln7c2bVery cool for Anderson to say straight out that PPD was at play in this story. That seemed very clear from the script and performance and was one of the more touching elements of the movie to me, though I didn’t see it addressed much by critics. [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Mar 2026 14:29 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh6o7oln7c2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mh6ldw5afk2bVery cool, unbelievably in-depth essay. I interviewed Pam last year and she was amazing, so honest and thoughtful about her family legacy and her lifeline proximity to the Opry side of Nashville. Beautiful artist and soul. [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Mar 2026 13:37 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh6ldw5afk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mh4h2kfvlc2aNo one talks about this but “Fresh” syncs up perfectly with “Crash,” Dark Side of Oz-style. [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Mar 2026 17:15 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh4h2kfvlc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mh4gocvu4k2aThis is how I found out that Sly Stone and David Cronenberg were born on the exact same day. [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Mar 2026 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh4gocvu4k2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mh26bgkta22yGlad I could provide some light reading for this noble librarian. [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 Mar 2026 19:33 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh26bgkta22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mgxjlqg4sc24One of my favorite albums, sickeningly underrated. [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 Mar 2026 18:17 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgxjlqg4sc24https://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mgn6hlchxc2i“Glad you could come, John. I’ve been mulling an awful conundrum and not even the infinite San Francisco sky behind me can help me untie it.” [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Mar 2026 15:32 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgn6hlchxc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mglpbyjfhs2gSaw Vertigo on 70mm tonight, what a gift. So many subtle ways that Hitchcock destabilizes the audience, but my favorite is the constant presence of huge windows in every interior, which gives even calm conversational shots an enormous depth. Also, I feel like we still undervalue Jimmy Stewart.09 Mar 2026 01:27 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mglpbyjfhs2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/johnlingan.bsky.social/post/3mgi4blg6722zFun with Infante. [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Mar 2026 15:09 +0000at://did:plc:vqnmqsaa3izkhob7bopcxus2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgi4blg6722z