588. Nina Hagen, Fearless (1983) Released in her homeland as Angstlos, the fourth album by German wildling Nina Hagen delivered a notable shift in sonic style. A compatriot of the Sex Pistols, Hagen had previously leaned into offbeat art rock, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #588 to #585
We are seeing the very worst of our scientific predictions come to pass in these bushfires by Joëlle Gergis While the U.S. news media is distracted by the geopolitical instability fomented by the moronic lifelong criminal who’s perplexingly still allowed … Continue reading Outside Reading — Terra Australis edition
Jack Tatum recently passed his ten-year anniversary creating dream pop music under the moniker Wild Nothing, a span that included four full-length studio albums, one live album, two EPs, and slew of singles, remixes, and collaborations, according to his own tally. Perhaps to help commemorate, he closed out 2019 by releasing a new single. Culled from the upcoming EP Laughing Glass, “Foyer” is built on tinny synths and moves with a cascading rhythm. It’s pop that shimmers and seduces. Another decade’s worth of music at this level would be a very welcome development. Continue reading This Week’s Model — Wild Nothing, “Foyer”
Love, Simon (Greg Berlanti, 2018). In adapting Becky Albertalli’s young adult novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda to the screen, director Greg Berlanti and his collaborators honor the story of a gay teenager coming into his own by structuring … Continue reading Then Playing — Love, Simon; Ad Astra; The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
Around these the digital parts, tradition holds that the tolling of a new year means a quick look back at the old. As accompaniment to yesterday’s listing of favored albums, I present a quintet of songs that spun me around … Continue reading Five Songs from 2019
There are years when my yearly exercise in ranking albums is fairly easy. That was decidedly not the case this time around. Maybe I can attribute the added challenge to the high number of releases that spoke directly to me, … Continue reading Top Ten Albums of 2019
It is an odd, daring experiment to build a film around a protagonist who unfailingly does the wrong thing. In Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a New York City jewelry store proprietor whose skill at garish hucksterism is … Continue reading Now Playing — Uncut Gems
592. That Petrol Emotion, End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues (1988) That Petrol Emotion recorded their third album knowing that a major change was looming. At the outset of their time in the studio, guitarist and co-founder John O’Neill announced … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #592 to #589
The Christmas Eve Confessions of Chuck Todd by Jay Rosen Earlier this week, Rolling Stone gave a platform to Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, interviewing him about an upcoming special edition of his venerable program. Todd and his producers … Continue reading Outside Reading — America’s Press Conference of the Air edition
For those still trying to settle on that perfect resolution to launch themselves into the new year, perhaps Burna Boy can help. About six months after the Nigerian performer’s fourth album, African Giant, was released, he’s brought out a new … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Burna Boy, “Money Play”
Coffee for Two 