These posts are about the songs that just barely failed to cross the key line of chart success, entering the Billboard Top 40. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 41. My Chemical Romance formed in Newark, New … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “Under Pressure”
624. Alphaville, Forever Young (1984) Initially, the music act formed in Germany by Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Frank Mertens was called Forever Young. That name was instead reserved for the band’s first album — and one of their first … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #624 to #621
Why I Haven’t Gone Back to SCOTUS Since Kavanaugh by Dahlia Lithwick For a long time, Dahlia Lithwick was my favorite writer on the Supreme Court beat. Reporting on the goings on at the last depot for the nation’s rickety … Continue reading Outside Reading — Hard Court edition
It’s that opening sound, like the “Edge of Seventeen” riff infested with twenty-first century anxiety. And here we are, back in Haim territory, where the three Cali sisters draw upon the finest pop music inventions from a few decades ago … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Haim, “Now I’m In It”
I am on record, many times over, as generally against bands from my college radio heyday — which was, after all, a long, long time ago — still plying the same old trade, cashing in on past glories rather than moving forward. But I have to admit that having Ministry release a new, stripped down version of “(Every Day is) Halloween” today — today! — is a goddamn delight. Continue reading This Halloween’s Model — Ministry, “(Every Day is) Halloween (acoustic)”
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. I’ve never been precious about the condition of record sleeves. When I peruse a shop’s used vinyl … Continue reading Radio Days — Tracklist stickers
Aquaman (James Wan, 2018). The relatively cinematic merits, or lack thereof, of Marvel Studios’ blockbuster epics has been a mostly mortifying public debate in recent weeks, evidently requiring every director of note to weigh in. While the fact that Martin … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — Aquaman; Dolemite Is My Name; Green Room
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. My obsession with movies predates my ability to see a lot of them. When I was a … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Movie tie-in trading cards
628. Difford & Tilbrook, Difford & Tilbrook (1984) After the band Squeeze announced plans to dissolve and played an official farewell concert at the Jamaica World Music Festival, there was still a significant amount of interest in the group’s chief … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #628 to #625
The Chefs Reinventing the Midwestern Supper Club by Ligaya Mishan Prompted by a Brooklyn restaurant that took its decor from a Northern Wisconsin supper club that shut down, this New York Times article is a wildly enjoyable survey of the … Continue reading Outside Reading — Finest Cuisine and Sultan Lounge edition
