This Week’s Model — Haim, “Now I’m In It”
It’s that opening sound, like the “Edge of Seventeen” riff infested with twenty-first century anxiety. And here we are, back in Haim territory, where the three Cali sisters draw upon the finest pop music inventions from a few decades ago … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Haim, “Now I’m In It”
This Halloween’s Model — Ministry, “(Every Day is) Halloween (acoustic)”
I am on record, many times over, as generally against bands from my college radio heyday — which was, after all, a long, long time ago — still plying the same old trade, cashing in on past glories rather than moving forward. But I have to admit that having Ministry release a new, stripped down version of “(Every Day is) Halloween” today — today! — is a goddamn delight. Continue reading This Halloween’s Model — Ministry, “(Every Day is) Halloween (acoustic)”
Radio Days — Tracklist stickers
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. I’ve never been precious about the condition of record sleeves. When I peruse a shop’s used vinyl … Continue reading Radio Days — Tracklist stickers
Playing Catch-Up — Aquaman; Dolemite Is My Name; Green Room
Aquaman (James Wan, 2018). The relatively cinematic merits, or lack thereof, of Marvel Studios’ blockbuster epics has been a mostly mortifying public debate in recent weeks, evidently requiring every director of note to weigh in. While the fact that Martin … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — Aquaman; Dolemite Is My Name; Green Room
The Art of the Sell — Movie tie-in trading cards
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. My obsession with movies predates my ability to see a lot of them. When I was a … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Movie tie-in trading cards
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #628 to #625
628. Difford & Tilbrook, Difford & Tilbrook (1984) After the band Squeeze announced plans to dissolve and played an official farewell concert at the Jamaica World Music Festival, there was still a significant amount of interest in the group’s chief … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #628 to #625
Outside Reading — Finest Cuisine and Sultan Lounge edition
The Chefs Reinventing the Midwestern Supper Club by Ligaya Mishan Prompted by a Brooklyn restaurant that took its decor from a Northern Wisconsin supper club that shut down, this New York Times article is a wildly enjoyable survey of the … Continue reading Outside Reading — Finest Cuisine and Sultan Lounge edition
This Week’s Model — Courtney Barnett, “Keep On”
According to Courtney Barnett, “Keep On” was a song she practiced every night when touring Europe last year. The stellar singer-songwriter took fellow Australians and label-mates Loose Tooth on tour with her and became enamored with one of their songs, … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Courtney Barnett, “Keep On”
Last Call — Calvin and Hobbes
Sometimes in pop culture there are clear end points, and — effective or not — they can provide insights to a whole series, oeuvre, or discography. I think it’s reasonable to say that the last time a daily newspaper comic … Continue reading Last Call — Calvin and Hobbes
Playing Catch-Up — Hagazussa; The Whip Hand; Gloria Bell
Hagazussa (Lukas Feigelfeld, 2019). An oily stew of a movie that has some aromas familiar from Robert Eggers’s The Witch, this German horror film is set in the verdant, unforgiving mountain in the fifteenth century. An odd, withdrawn woman named Albrun (Aleksandra Cwen) … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — Hagazussa; The Whip Hand; Gloria Bell
