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Articles by Andy Knox
Syndemic Geographic Patterns of Cancer Types in a Health Deprived Area of England: a new Paradigm for Public Health Cancer Interventions?
The authors have declared no competing interest. AB, AK, KH, JAM, LS, PA, and TK are supported by the North West Cancer Research UK Strategic Funding programme (LI2021SEDDA). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of North West Cancer Research or NHS England. The funder had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
Is Un-Grading the Solution?
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor Nobody likes grades — they suck. They stress students out, prevent them from taking harder classes, and motivate them to cheat. Most of my peers who I’ve asked have admitted to cheating at one point or another; an unethical act that would usually be unnecessary without the incentive of raising one’s GPA.
Workers At UCSB Spotlight: Being a Writing Tutor for CLAS
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor Having been a writing tutor for half of my time at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), I wanted to share my experience working on campus with my fellow students. Before applying for the job, I had never heard of Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS), but I was immediately interested in a position to help my peers with their writing.
Apocalypse and change. With GP Andy Knox
About “Change can happen. Change has happened…” Poverty makes us unwell. GP Andy Knox sees this in his North Lancashire consulting room, meeting people whose lives could improve if stigma and destitution went away. He tells sociologist Imogen Tyler about the burnout facing doctors and frontline workers trying to care for their communities on scant resources, and reflects on how we need to ask “bigger deeper questions” about what’s making our society sick.
TBL’s Top 10 Albums of 2022
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor 2022 started off as a slow year for music, with Gunna’s rather boring DS4Ever being the only album by a top-tier popular artist to drop during the first couple of months. This paved the way for some unsung heroes to pull through with unique and powerful records.
22 Great Songs from 2022
Andy Knox Arts and Entertainment Editor 2022 was a good, but hectic year for many UC Santa Barbara students. While most of us were happy to get back to fully in-person instruction, going outside meant a lot more time spent moving from place to place, especially in the midst of protests and rain showers. In case you missed any of them amidst this year’s chaos, here are 22 of the best songs that came out in 2022 (in no particular order).
AS Program Board: Hook & CLIP Reel Us In
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor Not a lot of people go to the live shows at UC Santa Barbara’s (UCSB) Storke Plaza, making any individual’s choice to go an unavoidable referendum on whether their fellow students are right to pass them by. The promotion for Hook & CLIP was high, with posters everywhere across campus and the Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) even making a public Spotify playlist of the two performing artists to help attract more students to go.
billy woods Takes Us to “Church”
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor While his 2022 masterpiece Aethiopes is still fresh, the top-notch abstract rapper Billy Woods’ (stylized as billy woods) Church is a bleak look at life, religion, and marijuana. After his previous album’s positive critical reception brought him more attention than ever before, woods’ decision to release this album with absolutely no promotion is an indication of his confidence and satisfaction within his own niche.
From 90’s to Now: Black Thought Releases “Cheat Codes”
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor The abstract hip hop of the ‘90s, pioneered by groups like Del The Funky Homosapien’s Hieroglyphics, and A Tribe Called Quest, sounds very different from that of the genre’s current top artists like Earl Sweatshirt and Aesop Rock. With his ceaseless history of pushing himself to be on the level of contemporary greats in the subgenre, Black Thought is strong proof that it has made progress.
10 Workers’ Rights Songs to Listen to While You’re Not in Section
Arts & Entertainment Andy Knox A strike is upon us! Starting this week, and lasting indefinitely, graduate students all across the UC system will be striking for better pay, working conditions, and more. Some UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) students might take this as an opportunity to skip sections and go to the beach, while others might use it as extra study time for their harder classes.
Late CancelYetion: Ye Banned from Twitter following anti-semitic comments
Home A & E Late CancelYetion: Ye Banned from Twitter following anti-semitic comments Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), the rapper, producer, fashion designer, and quintessential figure in the contemporary American canon, is once again being widely criticized. It seems like every year or so he has a new scandal. 2022 has been uniquely exciting for lovers of Ye drama — he has now had at least three major controversies so far.
Welcome to “Hellfire”: A black midi Review
Jasper Kerr Contributing Writer “Moving with a purpose,” London experimental rock band, black midi (stylized in lowercase), has once again caused a stir in the underground with the third installment of their fantastically cacophonous brand of post-punk.
“Killing Nothing” Giving Nothing: A Boldy James Review
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor “I’ll probably never love this rap shit more than these cash transactions / I got a passion for selling drugs,” Boldy James declares in his grim, low-pitched, nasal, monotone voice. As perhaps the coldest and most intimidating member of Griselda, a collective of trappers turned rappers headed by Westside Gunn, Boldy James is an easily recognizable artist in his circles.
“Learn 2 Swim”: redveil is Still Learning
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor At only 18, rapper-producer redveil (stylized in lowercase) is still finding his way through the vast seas of the music industry. His sophomore album learn 2 swim reflects his shifting mind state and the torrent of changing surroundings he faces as his career rises.
Knox Reviews: “The Loser” by Gospel
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor For many, screamo was a phase, one that fortunately died out in the mid-2010s. While screaming is almost universally considered to be one of the most unpleasant sounds in existence, there is a reason people like it. Angst is endemic to the human experience, so it is natural that screaming — and listening to the screams of those who are the best in the world at it — can be cathartic.
The Seven Students You See in the Library During Finals Week
Andy Knox Arts & Entertainment Editor Feeling stressed out while working in the library over your lack of productivity is a universal UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) student experience, especially around finals week. When focusing on your own procrastination, you might assume your fellow Gauchos are studying with pure focus and maximum efficiency. But if you look closely, you’ll start to feel less alone in your struggles.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You: Big Thief Steals My Heart
Andy Knox A&E Editor Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is an album as unusually long as its own name. Although the record sits at a hefty 20 songs and has a run time of an hour and 20 minutes, the newest album of up-and-coming indie folk band Big Thief does not feel remotely bloated. The band’s fourth album has a healthy mix of experimentation and the group’s tried and true sounds, its most distinguishing feature being lead singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker’s beautiful and unique voice.
No Rest for the Wicked: Ransom Demands Attention. Does He Deserve It?
Andy Knox Staff Writer Having claimed to be “top five when you talk to the greats,” in his new song, “Rituals,” underground rapper Ransom is one of many who believe he has not gotten the recognition he deserves. His new album No Rest for the Wicked is full of claims like this and attempts to prove his worthiness through his lyrics. However, having been in the game for twenty years, Ransom seems out-of-touch and aloof in his public persona.
“Technical Difficulties”: A Review of Extravaganza 2022
Andy Knox, Incoming A&E Editor Extravaganza, the Associated Students (AS) Program Board’s annual mini-music festival, gave students four concerts this year at Harder Stadium. The guest list — featuring Valentino Khan, Audrey Nuna, Dayglow, and A$AP Ferg — makes it no surprise that Extravaganza is consistently one of the most anticipated events of the school year. Though anticipators got their reward in a great performance at the end, the event was far from living up to expectations.
Aethiopes: Tough Listen, Great Reward
Andy Knox Staff Writer Pessimism, esotericism, and dark humor sound like three reasons you might want to avoid someone, but they are also some of the quintessential qualities of billy woods, one of the industry’s most underrated rappers. He stylized his rap name in all-lowercase characters long before it was cool, and he is so hard to reach that he keeps his face, government name, and even birth date concealed from the public.
It’s Almost Dry: Cocaine’s Doctor Seuss “Pushes” Ye, Pharrell, and Himself
Andy Knox Staff Writer Pusha T, newly known as “Cocaine’s Doctor Seuss,” is a Virginia-born rapper known as one of the greatest cocaine-dealing rappers of all time. He gained notoriety in 2018 for his masterful album Daytona and subsequent diss track war with Drake (which Pusha definitively won). King Pusha’s new album It’s Almost Dry hints at his gargantuan ego, the title of the record comparing it to a newly completed oil painting of a master artist.
Melt My Eyez See Your Future: Denzel Curry’s Future is Wide Open
Andy Knox Staff Writer Florida native Denzel Curry is best known for his energetic, aggressive, and danceable bangers that are appreciated by both casual fans and music reviewers alike. Curry is an A-list artist with an upward career since his 2015 breakout hit 32 Zel. His new album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, takes a turn in the introspective direction. Though the topics he covers are deeper and more interesting, his execution is flawed.
Unlimited Love: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Age Gracefully
Andy Knox Staff Writer Flea is, for good reason, one of the most influential bassists in the genre of rock. Chad Smith has a smooth, precise drumming style, while still being full of energy when it is called for. Anthony Kiedis has an unforgettable voice and lyrics that switch between cool-sounding nonsense and cryptic but profound. They always share a certain intangible, unique mesmerizing quality.
AS Presents The Warm Up: Long Warm Up, Short Reward
Photo Courtesy of Vicente Villaseñor Andy Knox Staff Writer On Saturday, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) hosted its annual “The Warm Up” concert, which provides students a few hours’ rest from the drinking and partying so many were doing during the concurrent “Deltopia.” Next to “Deltopia,” “The Warm Up” was the talk of the town in the days leading up to it. Even my geography professor polled my class to see who was going.
“Tana Talk 4”: The Butcher has Arrived!
Andy Knox Staff Writer Those who refuse to engage with hip-hop like to complain the genre is simply bragging about drug dealing and shooting people. A reasonable response might be to reference rappers like Kendrick Lamar or Aesop Rock, who write substantive lyrics about a variety of topics. Alternatively, you could respond that a lot of people do rap mostly about selling drugs, and some of them are really, really good at it.
Lucifer On The Sofa Reminds the World: Rock Isn’t Dead
Illustrated by Bridget Rios Andy Knox Staff Writer Lucifer On The Sofa is the newest album by American rock band Spoon, headed by guitarist and singer Britt Daniel. The band is prolific, releasing ten full-length albums and a number of EPs since their start almost 30 years ago in 1993. Though they have not reached top-tier levels of musician fame, their discography is highly critically acclaimed, boasting the title of highest-rated rock band of the 2010s according to Metacritic.
“Ants From Up There” May Be the First Masterpiece of 2022
Photo Courtesy of Bandcamp Andy Knox Staff Writer Experimental rock group Black Country, New Road released their second studio album, Ants From Up There. The England-band is composed of a saxist, violinist, and pianist along with the four standard rock instruments. Their size does not reduce the importance of any member, however; all seven musicians are incredibly skilled in their respective crafts. When they work together, they create some incredible, unique sounds.
Few Good Things: The Title Says it All
Andy Knox Staff Writer Few Good Things is Chicago rapper Saba’s first major release since his highly acclaimed 2018 album Care For Me, which brought him into the mainstream. His new album is set in his new life situation, with most of the songs exhibiting different modes of his introspection around his success, its contrast to its previous life, and what it all means to him.
Health inequalities and the NHS
It’s often repeated that the NHS is a ‘religion’ for the British people. The fundamental belief underpinning it, common to young and old, is in free health care for all. I believe this is because we have a visceral memory of the suffering and cruelty people experienced before the health service was founded. And a memory that, of all the public services we enjoy today, the NHS is ours because we designed it. The impact of the NHS on the nation’s health has been transformational.
Health inequalities: the NHS plan needs to take more responsibility
There are some clues about what we might see. Some of those are specific to health inequalities, see particularly NHS England’s board papers from earlier this year. Some are more general. For example, in return for what it considers to be a very generous funding settlement, the Treasury is likely to want specific and clear deliverables set out in the NHS plan that can be project-managed with precision.
Healthy places: the link between your health and where you live
HM: Hello, and welcome to the King’s Fund Podcast, where we talk about the big issues and ideas in health and care. I’m Helen McKenna and I’m a senior policy advisor here at the Fund, and I’m going to be your host for the next little while. And today we’re going to be talking about the role of place in health, about the relationship between where we live and our health, and why we should all be thinking about how to make places healthier.
The public and the NHS
The NHS forms part of an implicit agreement or ‘deal’ between the public and the state about their respective rights and responsibilities. The population has a set of rights – such as the right to care that is free at the point of need – but there’s an expectation that the population contributes in return, for example by paying taxes or accepting the authority of state institutions.
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