College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #215 to #213
215. Mighty Lemon Drops, World Without End (1988) “We have found ourselves musically,” David Newton, guitarist for the Mighty Lemon Drops, told Sounds shortly before the release of the band’s third LP, World Without End. “With this album, our influences … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #215 to #213
Outside Reading — Masks at the Merch Table
Musicians Are Begging Fans to Mask Up at Concerts. Here’s Why. by Nina Corcoran Writing for Pitchfork, Nina Corcoran relates the enormous difficulty smaller and mid-tier acts are facing as they adjust to touring, their main source of revenue, in … Continue reading Outside Reading — Masks at the Merch Table
This Week’s Model — Shilpa Ray, “Lawsuits and Suicide”
Shilpa Ray has never struck me as an artist who is reticent about sharing her heated thoughts. Her new single, “Lawsuits and Suicide,” takes aim at a former abusive partner who followed the adhered to the common pattern of greeting … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Shilpa Ray, “Lawsuits and Suicide”
Radio Days — On the Air for Trivia Weekend
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. In my experience, working in a broadcast studio is usually an act of relative isolation. Although there … Continue reading Radio Days — On the Air for Trivia Weekend
My Misspent Youth — Werewolf By Night #31 by Doug Moench and Don Perlin
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. Like a modern action movie determined to not dink around with … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — Werewolf By Night #31 by Doug Moench and Don Perlin
Then Playing — Free Guy; Attica; Inside Daisy Clover
Free Guy (Shawn Levy, 2021). This high-concept comedy about the dawning sentience of a non-player, bystander character in a Grand Theft Auto–style video game is inane chaos. Ryan Reynolds plays Guy, who evolves into heroism from his assigned role of … Continue reading Then Playing — Free Guy; Attica; Inside Daisy Clover
Oscars Exit the Speed Force
As an overly devoted watched of the Oscars for more than thirty years, I often complain that the ceremony doesn’t show me anything I haven’t seen before. I guess that particular gripe is off the table for the ninety-fourth annual … Continue reading Oscars Exit the Speed Force
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #218 to #216
218. Golden Palominos, Visions of Excess (1985) “Everybody on the record is a favorite musician of mine, and they also happen to be my friends” Anton Fier said of the fluctuating Golden Palominos lineup on the album Visions of Excess. … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #218 to #216
Outside Reading — Through Sarahbeth Maney’s Lens edition
The Story Behind That Photo of Ketanji Brown Jackson and Her Daughter by Gina Cherelus In the interest of focusing on the positive, I am setting aside the instinct to engage with arguments made in bad faith to instead celebrate … Continue reading Outside Reading — Through Sarahbeth Maney’s Lens edition
This Week’s Model — Adia Victoria, “Ain’t Killed Me Yet”
When the COVID-19 pandemic roared into destructive dominance in the spring of 2020, there was a lot of discussion online and elsewhere of the way it was upended the music industry. When venues shut down and acts couldn’t tour or … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Adia Victoria, “Ain’t Killed Me Yet”
