Author: Dan Seeger

Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I was kept plenty busy by Spectrum Culture, this week. For one thing, this week was a fairly uncommon instance of me having two films to review instead of one, although that was more a product of a slight tangle with the prior week’s schedule than any ambition on my part. So even though I shouldn’t have been scrambling to get it all in, that’s exactly what happened. I started with a significant disappointment: Lynn Shelton’s new film. I really enjoyed her prior directorial effort, but the new film is a mess, entirely wasting her best cast yet (and sadly … Continue reading Spectrum Check

MusicLeave a comment

One for Friday: Bill Janovitz, “Shoulder”

Dan Seeger

I once had a clear sense of the proper life cycle of a musician. It started with a band, typically lasting a handful of albums, until just enough success was achieved that one or more of the members could move on to solo careers. And that was pretty much the whole story. Led Zeppelin didn’t get back together. The Who Didn’t get back together. The Band or Creedence Clearwater Revival? They didn’t get back together, even if their former members had only the most intermittent solo careers. Sure, the oldies revival in the nineteen-eighties meant there were a bunch of … Continue reading One for Friday: Bill Janovitz, “Shoulder”

Comics12 Comments

My Misspent Youth: Dark Horse Presents

Dan Seeger

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. As I believe I’ve mentioned before, I tiptoed ever so hesitantly into the world of independent comics back when I was a devoted teen reader, grabbing as many titles as my meager funding could manage. For one thing, they cost more. Dark Horse Presents #10 had a $1.75 cover price, over twice as much as the big publisher superhero stuff for the same month. The extra investment put a lot of … Continue reading My Misspent Youth: Dark Horse Presents

Everything ElseLeave a comment

Give me your hands, show me the door

Dan Seeger

I spent a significant amount of my time today in the surprisingly exhausting process of writing trivia questions for a campus program. That’s pummeled away any energy I have for making a meaningful written contribution to this space this evening. Instead, I’ll share my favorite question of the night, with a special hat tip to a dear friend: “What is the name of the fictional school that has as part of its campus both North Cafeteria, named after Admiral William North, and the English Memorial Spanish Center, which is named after a Portuguese sailor named English Memorial?” And the answer … Continue reading Give me your hands, show me the door

Music26 Comments

Top 40 Smash Taps: “Brand New Girlfriend”

Dan Seeger

These posts are about the songs that can accurately claim to crossed the key line of chart success, becoming Top 40 hits on Billboard, but just barely. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 40. I find it interesting that so much modern country music has shown up in this feature, as if the chart compilers at Billboard have felt obligated to acknowledge the widespread popularity of the genre, but only want to do it half-heartedly. “This is popular, eh?” the Hot 100 chart seems to say. “Here, it made it to the Top 40. Now leave us … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Taps: “Brand New Girlfriend”