College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #532 to #529
532. Lene Lovich, Flex (1980) A resolute oddball, Lene Lovich is an unlikely figure to have heightened commercial expectations attached to one of her projects. That was precisely the case, though, with her sophomore album, Flex. Her debut, Stateless, was … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #532 to #529
Outside Reading — The Big Not-So-Easy edition
The Bars of New Orleans Are Closed. They’re Still Getting the City Through This. by John Stanton We are lucky in our household. Transitioning to a work-from-home model was easy for us, and our employers are incredibly supportive of the … Continue reading Outside Reading — The Big Not-So-Easy edition
This Week’s Model — Randy Newman, “Stay Away”
In this time of disconcerting norm erosion, when the user’s manual for global society is being rewritten on the fly, at least we have Randy Newman to see us through. A sardonic chronicler of human failings for over a half-century, … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Randy Newman, “Stay Away”
Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty
#40 — Coherence (James Ward Byrkit, 2014) Of all the recurring quandaries of modern fiction, one of the most consistently compelling seeks to determine how human beings will handle themselves when everything starts to fall apart. If a couple globe-spanning … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty
Then Playing — The Helen Morgan Story; Cabin in the Sky; Jimmy the Gent
The Helen Morgan Story (Michael Curtiz, 1957). It’s like A Star is Born if the venerable tale of showbiz melodrama was overtly based on a true story. Helen Morgan (played by Ann Blyth) was a singer and actress who made … Continue reading Then Playing — The Helen Morgan Story; Cabin in the Sky; Jimmy the Gent
Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty-One
#41 — The Martian (Ridley Scott, 2015) An earnestly ambitious actor, Damon is at his best when he hews closely to his established public persona, that of a mildly doltish yet laudably competent individual. That’s why he was so well-suited … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Forty-One
Radio Days — CMJ Reviews
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. When I showed up at my college radio station, the music was still predominantly played off of … Continue reading Radio Days — CMJ Reviews
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #536 to #533
536. The Psychedelic Furs, The Psychedelic Furs (1980) When Richard Butler started seriously making music with his brother, Tim, the original band names adopted glancingly referred to the long history of recorded music. First known and RKO and Radio, the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #536 to #533
Outside Reading — Purloined Pedagogy Premises edition
Land-grab universities by Robert Lee and Tristan Ahtone In an amazing piece of investigative journalism and historical research, Robert Lee and Tristan Ahtone (and a team credited at the end of the article) detail the theft of Indigenous land that … Continue reading Outside Reading — Purloined Pedagogy Premises edition
This Week’s Model — Mavis Staples, “All In It Together”
In the photo, team members for the Chicago-based organization My Block, My Hood, My City are with a truck newly loaded with more than fifty boxes of supplies that will be taken to elderly residents as part of their Senior … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Mavis Staples, “All In It Together”
Coffee for Two 