Author: Dan Seeger

Film, MusicLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

I had a very busy week at Spectrum Culture, in part because some screenings got goofed up, necessitating schedule shuffling. Specifically, Rubberneck, directed by Alex Karpovsky of Girls, ran on the day the film was released, a bit of a rarity for me. On the flip side of that, I also had a review of new Korean action film go up, after I had been turned down on two or three other titles for the release week in question. I also had a very big review go up on the music side, with an assessment of the new release from … Continue reading Spectrum Check

MusicLeave a comment

One for Friday: The Billy Nayer Show, “Hey Boy”

Dan Seeger

I hope I’m wrong and anxiously await the opportunity to be proved so, but I think we’re heading towards a dreadful Academy Awards ceremony this Sunday. I’ve adamantly disliked the selection of Seth Macfarlane as this year’s host for a variety of reasons (not just because I don’t find him or his creations funny in the slightest, but also because he’s by far the least prominent celebrity to host the program in my memory, diminishing the prestige of the whole endeavor), but it goes beyond that. Nearly every special segment of the show that’s been teased by the producers sounds … Continue reading One for Friday: The Billy Nayer Show, “Hey Boy”

Film4 Comments

Top Ten Movies of 2012 — Number One

Dan Seeger

There are some movies that inspire adoration from their very first moments, that simply feel exactly right. That’s what happened when I saw Wes Anderson’s sophomore effort, Rushmore. I truly thought that would be a one-of-a-kind experience from the director, especially as his very particular brand of pinched emotion and tightrope whimsy became a little more strained with every outing. Oh me of little faith. From the very beginning of Moonrise Kingdom, with Bob Balaban calmly, sagely explaining the world of New Penzance, Anderson offers a pitch-perfect delivery of an enchanting tone, spirit and rhythm that is uniquely his own, … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2012 — Number One

Everything Else24 Comments

Beers I Have Known: Foster’s

Dan Seeger

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. Monday nights we went to The Cabin. We went other nights too, but Monday was when The Cabin featured Imports Night, cutting the prices of their imported beer and offering a chance to check them off on a little card until enough had been purchased and consumed to claim the trophy of a little glass mug. In Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in the early nineteen-nineties, this is what passed for high, erudite living, at … Continue reading Beers I Have Known: Foster’s

Everything ElseLeave a comment

College Countdown: KROQ-FM’s Top 40 Songs of 1987, 1

Dan Seeger

1. “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure The third single from the Cure’s 1987 double album release, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, was a clear breakthrough for the band, at least in the United States. It was their first song to cross into the Billboard Top 40, although just barely. What’s more, the band that MTV had been toying with for a couple of years found themselves with a very secure place on the trend-setting cable network. Maybe that was in part because the smitten exuberance of the song helped the band shake off some of gothy cobwebs that … Continue reading College Countdown: KROQ-FM’s Top 40 Songs of 1987, 1

FilmLeave a comment

Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

For the most part, we writers are allowed to pick the films we review for Spectrum Culture. There are limitations, of course, especially for those of us who live in more remote areas that don’t offer advance screenings of major releases for critics. Still, every week afford us the opportunity to peruse the vast array of new movies coming out, picking the title we’d like to cover. I was a little uncertain when looking at my choices for this week, finally narrowing it down to two different options. I finally asked my partner in all things to help me settle … Continue reading Spectrum Check

MusicLeave a comment

One for Friday: Billy Bragg, “Valentine’s Day Is Over” (Peel Session)

Dan Seeger

As I’ve recounted, there were many discoveries I made after I arrived at the campus radio in the late-eighties. Among them were a series of records with a distinctive cover design, just the name of an artist atop a big black box with a dizzying array of other bands and performers listed within it. In small print at the very top of the jacket sat three simple words: “The Peel Sessions.” To the best of my knowledge, I hadn’t heard of John Peel, the British radio personality and indefatigable music fan who was the namesake for the records. We didn’t … Continue reading One for Friday: Billy Bragg, “Valentine’s Day Is Over” (Peel Session)

Music1 Comment

Love? Less.

Dan Seeger

This isn’t usually the digital corner where I share my thoughts on new releases (that’s done elsewhere), but I got a special request from a good friend so here we are. Maybe this will be a one-off, maybe the first of many. Here’s my true confession about My Bloody Valentine: I didn’t grasp the significance of the band the first time around. I didn’t even get just how good they were. Part of that was because their true masterwork, 1991’s Loveless, initially struck me as part of a trend instead of a buzzy revolution all on its own. It was … Continue reading Love? Less.