Here are some recommendations of things to read, listen to and watch:

Slate's Decoder Ring podcast has been on a roll lately: the history of Tupperware parties, the lore and surprising lasting influence of Jerry Lewis' lost Holocaust movie. But I did not expect to care about the '90s swing revival for an hour. Like, did you know that members of Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy originally came from the hardcore scene? (Youth Brigade and False Confession, respectively.)

Superman has never really been "my guy" when it comes to comics. So when I began to read House of El by Claudia Gray (author) and Eric Zawadzki (illustrator), it took me a few pages to realize it that it's, yes, a prequel to the Superman saga, but actually it's actually a cautionary tale about eugenics and authoritarian rule… and what it takes to rebel. Stirring, potent and (sadly) timely stuff. 

How many times have I watched this cover by Haku., a Japanese indie-pop band, vibing hard to Japanese tongue twisters? Such a weirdo funk bop! 

Didn't know that an old box of records that I sent to WUOG, my old college radio station, would ever get featured in my alma mater's magazine, though the article really needs a fact check. —Lars Gotrich, vikingschoice.org