About Brian

Brian Raftery’s features and profiles have appeared in such publications as Wired, New York, SPIN, and GQ. His first book, Don’t Stop Believin’: How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life, was published in 2009, and his oral history of Purple Rain appeared in SPIN Greatest Hits: 25 Years of Heroes, Heretics, and the New Rock n’ Roll. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter, and can be reached at brianraftery@gmail.com.

A few recent articles:

“Who the Hell is Bob Lefsetz?” (March 2012)
“Heart of Darkness” (Dec. 2011) (David Fincher profile)
“How Dan Harmon Drives Himself Crazy Making Community“ (Oct. 2011)
“Stats Geek Bill James Applies His Science to Serial Killers” (May 2011)
“Why America’s Funniest Home Videos Won’t Die” (May 2011)
“How Two Outcast Rappers Built an Insane Clown Empire” (Dec. 2010)
“King of Cheez: The Internet’s Meme Maestro Turns Junk Into Gold” (Feb. 2010)
“Now Playing: Cheap-and-Schlocky Blockbuster Ripoffs” (Jan. 2010)
“Tim and Eric Awesome Show! Gross, Half-Naked, Demented TV” (Nov. 2009)
“Speechless: Dilbert Creator’s Struggle to Regain His Voice” (August 2009) (Scott Adams profile)
“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon is Out of Beta” (June 2009)
“Weird Al: Forefather of the YouTube Spoof” (October 2008)
“So, Tron Guy, Gem Sweater Lady, and the Firefox Walk Into a Bar …” (July 2008) (ROFLcon profile)
“Karaoke Dreams” (December 2006) (Karaoke World Championships profile)

 

“Undercover Brother” (January 2012) (Nick Jonas profile)
“And…Scene” (October 2011) (Oral history of the Upright Citizens Brigade)
“Denizens of the Quotidian” (July 2011) (Fountains of Wayne profile)
“Yes, Really, ‘The Best Show’” (May 2011) (Tom Scharpling profile)
“Hannibal Buress’ Hyperexaggerated Reality” (March 2011) (Hannibal Buress profile)
“Second Sight” (Aug. 2010) (Flo Fox profile)
“The Renegade Cartoonist” (Oct. 2009) (Berkeley Breathed profile)
“Excess Bravado” (May 2009) (Screaming Females profile)
“How Poster Boy Turns Subway Ads Into Political Art” (Oct. 2008)

 

Album Review: Fucked Up, David Comes to Life (May 2011)
“Dearly Beloved” (July 2009) (Purple Rain oral history)
“Album of the Year: TV on the Radio” (Jan. 2009)
“Crazy/Beautiful” (Dec. 2008) (Fucked Up profile)
“Led Astray” (Jan. 2008)
“Microphone Fiends” (Sept. 2007) (New Pornographers profile)
“Sunshine State” (Aug. 2007) (Against Me! profile)
“It’s Swing Time” (March 2007) (Fall Out Boy profile)
“Bent Out of Shape” (Aug. 2006) (Thom Yorke profile)
“Johnny B. Bad” (July 2006) (Johnny Knoxville profile)
“Gender Bender” (May 2006) (Genesis P-Orridge profile)
“Requiem for a Beam” (Sept. 2005) (Profile of the declining laser-show industry)
“Building a Broken Heart” (Sept. 2005) (Death Cab for Cutie profile)
“He’s Lost Control” (May 2005) (Joy Division oral history)
“Rebels Without Applause” (April 2005) (Living Things profile)
“Night Falls on Manhattan” (April 2005) (Interpol profile)

 

“Mike Judge is Getting Screwed (Again)” (June 2006)

 

“Karaoke Rage” (January 27th, 2009)

 

“‘Slacker’: 15 years later” (July 2006)

 

“The Pixie Who Fell to Earth” (Frank Black profile) (April 2004) (pdf)