Now Playing — Pearl
Director Ti West’s new film, Pearl, is a prequel, but that hardly matters. Yes, it is narratively connected to X, the springtime release, written and directed by West, that paid tribute to most sordid cinema of the nineteen-seventies with its … Continue reading Now Playing — Pearl
Radio Days — Anton Fier
Part of my process in becoming a proper part of my college radio station was learning the musicians who made stealthier contributions to the records that stirred the most awe for their resolute coolness. My previous music knowledge, shaped by … Continue reading Radio Days — Anton Fier
Now Playing — The Woman King
I am neither oblivious nor immune to the pleasure to be had in watching Viola Davis absolutely kick ass on screen. Usually that description is more metaphorical, referring to her ability to take charge of a dramatic scene and command … Continue reading Now Playing — The Woman King
Radio Days — Priority Emphasis
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. At least in my era, I think the college kids who stewarded the airwaves at their campus … Continue reading Radio Days — Priority Emphasis
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #143 to #141
143. The Jam, Sound Affects (1980) As was becoming the norm, Paul Weller was not quite ready to go when he arrived at the studio to record the Jam’s fifth album, Sound Affects. Spurred in part by record company and … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #143 to #141
Outside Reading — Join Us, Won’t You? edition
How Karina Longworth Brought Sex and Sleaze Back to Hollywood History by Alex Morris Given my specific cultural interests, it’s ridiculous that it took me as long as it did to listen to You Must Remember This, the Hollywood-focused podcast … Continue reading Outside Reading — Join Us, Won’t You? edition
This Week’s Model — Ariel Bui, “Sixteen”
Not to get all Mr. Holland’s Opus today, but one of the enormous privileges that comes from working in higher education for many years (in my case, about a decade and a half) is watching the exemplary human beings you … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Ariel Bui, “Sixteen”
The Art of the Sell — The Electric Prunes for the Vox Wah-Wah Pedal
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. Plain and simple, I love every last bit of this 1967 radio commercial that features garage rock … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — The Electric Prunes for the Vox Wah-Wah Pedal
Medium Rotation — Take It Like a Man; Surrender
AMANDA SHIRES Take It Like a Man (ATO Records) — There’s a lot of backstory that can be weighed when listening to Take It Like a Man, the eighth solo album from Amanda Shires. By her own accounting, Shires was … Continue reading Medium Rotation — Take It Like a Man; Surrender
Laughing Matters — The Young Ones on University Challenge
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. During my first year … Continue reading Laughing Matters — The Young Ones on University Challenge
Coffee for Two 