556. Guadalcanal Diary, Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man (1984) The members of Guadalcanal Diary claimed that the title of their debut album derived from some misheard lyrics from a gospel groups performance at a street festival. The … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #556 to #553
Garbage Language by Molly Young Ever-wonderful Molly Young wittily, wisely addresses the scourge of the modern workplace: communication twisted into a buzzy abomination meant to confer seriousness and impenetrable expertise. The most tellingly obtuse words and phrasing are brought out … Continue reading Outside Reading — Parallel Path edition
“Describe,” the new single from Perfume Genius, opens with the lush, thunderous, bass-heavy wall of sound once glowed down a possible pathway, Emerald City–like, viewed by alternative music after the haze of grunge lifted. In these tones, power and beauty … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Perfume Genius, “Describe”
Richard Jewell (Clint Eastwood, 2019). Another entry in Clint Eastwood’s late career run of pedantic, politically confused prestige dramas, Richard Jewell follows the title security guard (Paul Walter Hauser) during the grueling stretch after his discovery of a bomb at … Continue reading Then Playing — Richard Jewell; Men in Black: International; Terminator: Dark Fate
#47 — The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018) When powdered wigs, heavy dresses, and ornate waistcoats are hauled to set, the resulting movie is likely to be stiffened by affected refinement. Adhering to patterns set by countless period dramas before, action … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty-Seven
Thinking about the history of the Black Lips, it was probably always just a matter of time before the band flicked their hair grease onto some corn pone. Specialists in raucous, retro rock ‘n’ roll as raw as fingertips ravaged … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Sing in a World That’s Falling Apart
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. Now that Better Call Saul has an officially announced endpoint, it’s the appropriate time to start campaigning … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Ethics Training with Kim Wexler
560. Queen, The Game (1980) Producer Reinhold Mack told Queen it was time to use a musical tool they’d resisted to that point. Across seven prior studio albums, the flashy, British rock band made bigger and bigger sounds, always noting … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #560 to #557
Bong Joon Ho Interpreter Sharon Choi Relives Historic ‘Parasite’ Awards Season in Her Own Words by Sharon Choi Of the many pleasures of this Oscar season that concluded with a wonderful, history outcome, one of the most satisfying was the … Continue reading Outside Reading — Translations Are Sacred edition
I could type out a million words about the new Waxahatchee single, offering babbling descriptions of every favorite moment: the easy, melodic stroll of the intro, her delivery of the lyric “marking the slow, slow, slow passing of time,” the … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Waxahatchee, “Lilacs”
