Contributions from Cian Traynor | Huck
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Cian Traynor

What a stoner rock band can teach us about the state of US politics

Positive cynicism — Chicago band Twin Peaks may be known as party bros who make chill sounds but, off record, they pack some serious political bite about a country in flux.

  • Bernie Sanders
  • Cian Traynor

A brief guide to feeling better about the world

Reasons to be cheerful — Despite the sense of doom dominating the news, economist Johan Norberg argues that the facts paint a different picture: humans are actually more safe, more free, wealthier, healthier, less hungry and more literate than ever before.

  • Activism
  • Cian Traynor

Cakes da Killa: A fresh voice shaking up hip-hop

A serious slice of attitude — Having shot to attention for being an openly gay rapper with a dirty mind, Cakes da Killa is steering attention back to where it should be: his skills on the mic.

  • Music
  • Cian Traynor

Stretch & Bobbito: The story of hip hop’s greatest tastemakers

Radio that changed lives — From Nas to Jay Z, Eminem to Notorious B.I.G., some of the biggest rappers got their start on an independent, underground radio show in the middle of the night. Now its story is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

  • Music
  • Cian Traynor

Capturing the spirit of childhood

Snapshots of innocence — Side Gallery, the UK's only space dedicated to documentary photography, is relaunching with an exhibition on the complex lives of children, drawing from four decades' worth of projects from around the world. Photographer Liz Hingley takes us through the process of gleaning insight into strangers' lives.

  • Culture
  • Cian Traynor

A conversation with Jenny Hval, musical provocateur and transgressive force

There will be blood... — Norwegian artist Jenny Hval has made an album inspired by female vampires and period blood. But as a shape-shifting musician who pushes against convention, her work is almost impossible to write about... and that's exactly what makes her so special.

  • Blood Bitch
  • Cian Traynor

Inside the everyday world of UFO hunters

The truth is out there... — Photographer Robert Ormerod took a road trip from Roswell, New Mexico to Area 51, exploring our fascination with the unknown by immersing himself in the mythology behind extra-terrestrial life.

  • Culture
  • Cian Traynor

Forever Changes: Teenage life in Britain’s old mining towns

All Dressed Up — Photographer Karen Robinson spent over a year hanging out with the young women of East Durham, illuminating the hopes and dreams of people failed by society. What she captured were candid moments of humour, innocence and working-class resilience.

  • Culture
  • Cian Traynor

The hip-hop heroes fighting oppression in conflict areas

Stronger than a weapon — From political prisoners to former child soldiers, photographer Sascha Kraus has travelled the globe documenting outspoken figures doing what they do best: rapping for survival.

  • Culture
  • Cian Traynor

The psychedelic punk creating a safe-haven for artists

Acid Priest — When photographer Lee Kirby stumbled across a vagabond in designer clothes, he found himself opening a pandora’s box that would change his life. But for Lee Trosclair, renegade-turned-muse, the story is just beginning. In a world that undervalues art, he’s kickstarting a cultural revolution from an unlikely place.

  • Culture
  • Cian Traynor

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