THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Jenny from Thebes (Merge) — Now that the Mountain Goats’ main man, John Darnielle, has solidified his successful side hustle as a nimble novelist, it makes perfect sense that he’s embracing similar deep-dive storytelling in his songwriting. … Continue reading Medium Rotation — Jenny from Thebes; Black Bayou
Ladies of the Chorus (Phil Karlson, 1949). This backstage drama about burlesque performers is pedestrian in its most basic particulars, but it has just enough flinty spirit to keep it interesting. Peggy Martin (Marilyn Monroe) is a performer who rises … Continue reading Then Playing — Ladies of the Chorus; Paris, Texas; Reality
2. The Police, Ghost in the Machine (1981) After constantly operating under the nettlesome, intrusive scrutiny of their record label, the Police were finally given the opportunity to record a new studio album on their own terms. The trio, comprised … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #2
Michael Stipe Is Writing His Next Act. Slowly. by Jon Mooallem This article about the former lead singer of R.E.M. is a simply a masterful piece of profile writing. With unerring instincts for which details convey the most telling information, … Continue reading Outside Reading — We Are Hope Despite the Times edition
The band Yumi Zouma was formed in New Zealand, but its members are now spread all over the globe. They’ve acknowledged the difficulty in creating together over the course of the past few years, the challenge of geography compounded by … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Yumi Zouma, “Desert Mile”
BOYGENIUS The Rest (Interscope) — Let’s hear it for the boys. Let’s give the boys a hand. Carrying four new tracks like a baton they all grip, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus cross the finish line together to … Continue reading Medium Rotation — The Rest; All That Was East Is West of Me Now
It’s long been clear that filmmaker Todd Haynes is a master of manipulating tone for delightfully acts of cinematic chicanery. To this point, this most potent manifestation of that talent was surely Far from Heaven, his 2002 film that gently … Continue reading Now Playing — May December
Theater Camp (Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, 2023). This affectionate spoofing of arts education summer camps where young thespians find their hit-the-back-row voices is too raggedy to be wholly satisfying. As directed by first-timers Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, Theater … Continue reading Then Playing — Theater Camp; Inherit the Wind; Sweet Revenge
WILCO Cousin (dBpm) — By the time a band gets to lucky album number thirteen, complacency would be understandable. That’s especially the case if the band has a songwriter who can evidently dash off accomplished new tunes as easily a … Continue reading Medium Rotation — Cousin; Silver
3. The English Beat, Special Beat Service (1982) “We looked at ourselves and realized we had unconsciously overcompensated for the frenetic rhythms of the first album with the slower pacings of the second album,” Dave Wakeling, guitarist and vocalist with … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #3
