Four men gather at the edge of a nation that simultaneously exalts and oppresses them. They are famous, and at least a couple of them are generously compensated for the actions that earned them notoriety. They also are confined to … Continue reading Now Playing — One Night in Miami
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. Thirty years ago this week, the United States went to war. After months of amassing a military … Continue reading Radio Days — Operation Desert Storm
Promising Young Woman is a gleaming arsenic lollipop with a razor blade hidden in the middle. It’s enticing and delicious but it also induces queasy wooziness, and then, with the barest warning, it cuts deep. The film is merciless and … Continue reading Now Playing — Promising Young Woman
Having spent another iteration of this national holiday watching political figures and institutions that are diametrically opposed to the tenets espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. opportunistically and hypocritically celebrate his legacy, I’m appreciative of those who approach the … Continue reading The Revolution of Values
404. Howard Devoto, Jerky Versions of the Dream (1983) After folding his band Magazine, Howard Devoto wasn’t sure what he’d do next. He started working on one project with guitarist Alan St. Clair and another with Barry Adamson, Magazine’s bassist. … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #404 to #402
‘Stop the Steal’ Didn’t Start With Trump by Jamelle Bouie As Jamelle Bouie forcefully, smartly argues in this editorial, published by The New York Times, there’s nothing new about the Republican rhetoric that led directly to lawless storming of the … Continue reading Outside Reading — See Who They Are edition
Start asking for forgiveness in advanceFor all the future things I will destroyThat way I can ruin everythingWhen I do, you don’t get to act surprised I’m in a real dancing-about-architecture place with this new Julien Baker tracks. I’m not … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Julien Baker, “Hardline”
I read a lot of comic books as a kid. This series of posts is about the comics I read, and, occasionally, the comics that I should have read. In the late nineteen-eighties, John Byrne came back to Marvel. A … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — West Coast Avengers by John Byrne
As Marvel took over the movies, their concurrent attempts to expand their universe into television largely floundered. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the much vaunted series co-created by Avengers helmer Joss Whedon, went from an official, canonical extension of the Marvel Cinematic … Continue reading That Championship Season: Legion, Season One
This series of posts is dedicated to the many, many six packs, pony kegs and pints that have sauntered into my life at one point or another. Back in the days when it was reasonable to move about the country, … Continue reading Beers I Have Known — pFriem Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout
