In this era of unprecedented cynicism, it’s far too easy for good music to be denigrated or even forgotten. Fed up with the world’s injustices, the Bureau staff stands up to defend great tunes that have been callously spurned or tragically ignored.

This is the fourth in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. After encountering the difficult Czech language, Kevin searches for alternate forms of communication to compensate for his linguistic ineptitude.

The life of a barista is difficult enough without the addition of rude, impatient customers. Inside man Jeff Merrion reveals a series of tips to help you avoid being an asshole at your local coffee joint.

The Bureau presents “Channeling the Canon,” a new series of interviews with past literary voices. In this inaugural installment, Jordan Barber chats up clinically depressed writer Sylvia Plath about life post-suicide, modern household odor eliminators, and new forms of poetic expression.

This is the third in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. In search of coffee, Kevin instead encounters the country’s ubiquitous beer culture.

The kitschy charm of fairs are pleasant for some but less so for others. As a booth worker at the annual Puyallup Fair in Washington, keen observer Caitlin Boersma judges her surroundings.

In theory, it’s great to listen to music while reading dry modernist criticism, but it rarely works so well in practice. It’s too easy to get distracted or fall asleep. Premier musicologist Nick Martens applies state-of-the-science research methods to combat this problem, and locates four albums that make studying a breeze.

This is the second in a series of essays by globe-trotter Kevin Nguyen, who is currently studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Wrapped in historical culture, Kevin sees how the country’s commemoration of its past is making way for its future.

Swedish superstore Ikea can overwhelm the senses with its sheer expanse of furniture. Jeff Merrion wanders into this Mecca of cheap junk for the first time, which motivates him to, among other things, invoke the word ‘bumblefuck.’

The recent popularity of green tea has companies branding the word on consumables left and right. Investigating the ballyhoo, herbalist Nick Martens reviews just about every green tea product available.