Greg Schwartz

San Rafael

Investigative Reporter and Contributing Editor at PopMatters

Award-Winning Investigative Journalist + Contributing Editor w/ PopMatters | Shining a spear of illumination through the darkness of this world gone mad 🌎⚡️🕉

Articles

Dispatches From a World Gone Mad

1 month ago | dispatchesfromaworldgonemad.substack.com | Greg Schwartz

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SASAMI Delivers a Dazzling Shimmering Pop Rock Gem » PopMatters

1 month ago | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

Blood on the Silver Screen Domino Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and all-around badass musical genius SASAMI made a big splash with her sophomore album Squeeze in 2022. She took her sound to a bold new level with fuzzy guitars and hard-rocking tunes, making the record feel like a lost classic from the golden era of grunge in the 1990s. The heavy sound seemed to serve as a fabulous platform for her dynamic voice and the powerful live shows suggested a new rock goddess had arrived.
Legendary Funk Bassist George Porter Jr. Keeps on Grooving » PopMatters

1 month ago | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

Porter's Pocket Color Red Legendary bassist George Porter Jr., has kept grooving into his 70s and shows few signs of letting up. His new album Porter’s Pocket represents something of a return to Porter’s roots, with eight instrumental tracks that showcase different aspects of the New Orleans style funk that he helped pioneer in the 1960s and 1970s. It’s a timeless sound that has remained in demand in the 21st century, keeping Porter busy.
Moe Conjure a 'Circle of Giants' and Blast Off Again " PopMatters

1 month ago | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

Circle of Giants Fatboy / ATO The men of Moe are back on the road here in early 2025, and they’ve got a great new album in tow with Circle of Giants, released on 31 January. On the one hand, it’s hard to fathom that these Gen-X rockers are now honoring their 35th anniversary as a band. For longtime fans, it seems like Moe were bursting onto the national scene in the late 1990s, not so long ago.
North Mississippi Allstars' Astounding Blues Power Is Needed

2 months ago | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

It’s a chilly winter night in Mill Valley on Saturday, 25 January, just 14 miles north of San Francisco across the ever-majestic Golden Gate Bridge. But there’s a cozy clubhouse where locals gather to warm up with good music, good booze, and good friends.
Sun Ra Arkestra Triumph with 'Lights on a Satellite'

2 months ago | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

Lights on a Satellite In + Out Visionary jazz masters Sun Ra Arkestra have been on a roll in the 2020s. Lights on a Satellite is their third release in five years, and it’s another triumph. The new record features the formidable tone scientists at full Arkestra power with a 24-person session that includes tracks ranging from old-school throwbacks to future-forward cosmic jams.
The Greyboy Allstars Drop a 'Grab Bag' of Goodies

2 months ago | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

Grab Bag: 2007-2023 Knowledge Room Recordings The Greyboy Allstars have grown from an acid jazz buzz band in the 1990s into a genuine West Coast institution of funk, soul, boogaloo, and jazzy jams in the 21st century. Saxman Karl Denson continues to lead the dynamic quintet with the release of their eighth album in November of 2024.
Sol Foundation Symposium Examines Political Problem of UFOs

2 months ago | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

It’s a stormy day outside Fort Mason in San Francisco here on Friday, 22 November, with an atmospheric river that triggers flash flood warnings in the city. However, there’s a measured sense of calm inside, where hundreds of attendees from around the country have gathered for the prestigious Sol Foundation symposium to hear leading experts report on what we know about UFOs, aka UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), and how Congress and civil society can act to seek more answers.
The Allman Betts Family Revival Keeps Winter Solstice Flame Burning

Jan 22, 2025 | popmatters.com | Greg Schwartz

It’s a cold, damp Saturday night here in San Francisco on 21 December, but that won’t deter music fans from coming out for a special Winter Solstice bonanza at the Fillmore. The eighth annual Allman Betts Family Revival is back for the tour closer to their December run to honor the music of the Allman Brothers Band. The tribute tour started in 2017 to honor singer & keyboardist Gregg Allman, who passed away at age 69. The tour also honors guitarist Dickey Betts, who passed away in 2024 at age 80.
Biden’s Refusal to Pardon Reality Winner Underscores Taboo on Questioning Electoral Integrity

Jan 20, 2025 | counterpunch.org | Greg Schwartz

Supporters of U.S. Air Force veteran and former NSA contractor Reality Winner made a last ditch effort last week to lobby outgoing President Joe Biden to pardon Winner for her 2017 violation of the 1917 Espionage Act. The “Reality Is Us!” campaign highlights how the young misfit from a Texas border town “showed America the proof that Russia hacked into our voter data right before the 2016 election, and certain government officials knew about it, but denied it ever happened.