My affection for books — not just the illuminating wonders of the printed word, but the appeal of smartly designed artifacts of literature — has sometimes led me to find certain titles absolutely irresistible. I had a few motivations leading me to purchase … Continue reading My Writers: T.C. Boyle
196. The Psychedelic Furs, “All That Money Wants” Richard Butler intended “All That Money Wants” to be his closing statement on the Psychedelic Furs. The song was written as a direct response to his dismay over the heavy commercial push given to the band’s 1987 album, Midnight to Midnight, which Columbia Records touted as “The Psychedelic Furs’ Masterstroke” in advertisements. Throughout the supporting tour, Butler found that he was growing increasingly detached from the lyrics he was singing onstage. In explaining “All That Money Wants,” Butler said, “It was about the success of Midnight to Midnight and how people began to look … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 250 Songs, 1979 – 1989, 196 – 194
This was originally posted at my former digital home. I don’t have much to add today, save for this: Every great director deserves to have a film this strong as their final cinematic statement. It’s already become commonplace to build … Continue reading From the Archive: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Every college radio station has its own set of “hits,” those songs that barely nuzzled the public consciousness elsewhere, but absolutely dominated the airwaves stewarded by one particular set of junior broadcasters hovering around the age of twenty. “Onion Skin” … Continue reading One for Friday: Boom Crash Opera, “Onion Skin”
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. Over the most recent weekend, I found myself back in my former place of residence that still answers to the nickname Beer City, U.S.A. While I had limited time and far more pressing matters than reacquainting myself with favorite brews, I did find myself one night back at the best brewery in town: Wedge Brewing Company. To my amazement, this output of sudsy goodness that has long insisted on taking their growth as slowly as … Continue reading Beers I Have Known: Wedge Brewing Iron Rail IPA
#24 — Thora Birch as Enid in Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001) Expert portrayal of the precise brand of withering contempt found in the American teen-aged girl is, by definition, a talent of fleeting utility. While Thora Birch may have had a few other impediments in her quest for career longevity, it’s not implausible that she would have difficult time pushing past her young adult years simply because she so perfectly embodied a particular stretch in late adolescence, when the intellect slightly outpaces maturity, which in turn leads to a complete certainty that the rest of culture is disastrously backward and inane. Birch … Continue reading Greatish Performances #24
Sometimes comedy illuminates hard truths with a pointed urgency that other means can’t quite achieve. Sometimes comedy is just funny. This series of posts is mostly about the former instances, but the latter is valuable, too. If you’d asked me when I was younger to identify my favorite comedian, I would have snapped off “Robin Williams” without hesitation. My age was still a single digit when Williams stepped into his star-making appearance on Happy Days, so I was precisely the right age to respond to his joyous anarchy. This was a guy whose stand-up showstopper centered on an Elmer Fudd impression. Of … Continue reading Laughing Matters: Robin Williams, “The Invention of Golf”
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 my estimation, 2004 was a pretty lousy year for superhero comic books from the big two publishers, DC and Marvel. Sales were in their extended descent, leading writers, artists, and editors to consistently resort to the desperation of cheap sensationalism. DC was building their major event comic for the year around the rape and murder of a character who belonged to a more innocent time, and Marvel was operating with a similarly … Continue reading My Misspent Youth: DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke
199. Joan Jett, “Bad Reputation” While it’s hardly the most pertinent detail to share about the life and career of Joan Jett, the fact that I’m typing this out while seated in a coffee shop in Wisconsin’s capital city makes me feel obligated to begin with the following: Jett is a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan. She reported falling in love with the team as a kid, based almost entirely on the image on a Sports Illustrated cover. Her affection for the Baltimore Orioles was even more pronounced, leading her to add a liner note dedication to the team when she reissued … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 250 Songs, 1979 – 1989, 199 – 197
For eight years, I was in charge of the graduation ceremony at Warren Wilson College. Today, I return to view it as a spectator, fulfilling a promise to several dear friends of mine who will be walking across the stage to claim well-earned diplomas.In celebration, I reach back to a post that is almost precisely ten years old. In my former online home, the work week regularly ended with a feature called “Five for Friday,” in which I listed a quintet of songs that suited a specific prompt, inviting folks to “please play along” and contribute their personal choices. This … Continue reading From the Archive: Five for Friday, Bettering Edward Elgar edition
Coffee for Two 