Outside Reading — Untruth Social edition
How Disinformation Splintered and Became More Intractable by Steven Lee Myers and Sheera Frenkel Much as I know that bigotry, cynical propaganda, and bald-faced lying have long been welcome in our broader political discourse, I swear there was a time … Continue reading Outside Reading — Untruth Social edition
This Week’s Model — Caroline Polachek, “Sunset”
In the time since Caroline Polachek moved on from the breakup of her band Chairlift, it’s sometimes seemed like she’s everywhere doing everything. Her debut solo album, Pang, was released in 2019 to widespread acclaim, but it’s more than that. … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Caroline Polachek, “Sunset”
Radio Days — 90FM’s Jazzfest
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. There were two times per year that we preempted the entire weekend schedule at WWSP-90M, the student-run … Continue reading Radio Days — 90FM’s Jazzfest
Medium Rotation — Bleed Out; 2007; Natural Brown Prom Queen
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Bleed Out (Merge) — Presumably, John Darnielle has somehow eradicated the need for sleep. A Nobel is surely forthcoming. How else to explain the amazing output in recent years from the previously prolific and now practically omnipresent … Continue reading Medium Rotation — Bleed Out; 2007; Natural Brown Prom Queen
The Art of the Sell — Marvel’s New Cover Format
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. I would like to take this opportunity to admit anew that during the height of my comic … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Marvel’s New Cover Format
Then Playing — Cronos; Duel at Diablo; Time Without Pity
Cronos (Guillermo del Toro, 1993). If Guillermo del Toro isn’t exactly a fully formed filmmaker with his feature debut, Cronos, it’s still remarkable how much of his careerlong creative voice is present from the very beginning. Most distinctly, he brings … Continue reading Then Playing — Cronos; Duel at Diablo; Time Without Pity
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #131 to #129
131. Hüsker Dü, New Day Rising (1985) Following their creative breakthrough with the double album Zen Arcade, Hüsker Dü felt they were ready to produce their next album entirely on their own, something they hadn’t done since Land Speed Record, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #131 to #129
Outside Reading — Off the Menu edition
Hacked to Bits by Jaya Saxena Writer for Eater, Jaya Saxena explores the culture of creative tinkerers who use the online menus of chains restaurants and coffee shops to concoct wild variants of the businesses’ standard fare. Because they post … Continue reading Outside Reading — Off the Menu edition
This Week’s Model — Bleached, “Flip It”
An empowerment anthem about rejecting a personal tendency for diminishing self-judgment, “Flip It” is a prime blast of Bleached. The single is grounded in a chewy pop-punk and spins on the axis of an irresistible singalong chorus, siblings Jennifer and … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Bleached, “Flip It”
Golden Words — Barney Miller, “The Photographer”
Since great television comedy always begins with the script, this series of posts considers the individual episodes that have claimed the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series over the years. The folks who worked on the … Continue reading Golden Words — Barney Miller, “The Photographer”
Coffee for Two 