The New Releases Shelf — Father of the Bride
It’s not easy to like Vampire Weekend. I carry enough vaporous remainders of my bygone college radio posturing against bands that didn’t conform to my peer group’s preference for vagabond scruff, all battered sneakers, faulty gear, and romanticized disenfranchisement. From … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Father of the Bride
Laughing Matters — The Carol Burnett Show, “The Oldest Man: The Doctor”
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. I feel like I … Continue reading Laughing Matters — The Carol Burnett Show, “The Oldest Man: The Doctor”
The New Releases Shelf — In League with Dragons
“Recite the songs that kept me whole/ On the day I hand over command control/ Try to let them all flow into this one,” sings John Darnielle on “Done Bleeding,” the track that opens In League with Dragons. The new … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — In League with Dragons
My Writers — Elif Batuman
When considering which books to add to my household’s library, I am blessed with neither unlimited resources nor an abundance of time with which to read. There are already stacks upon stacks of bound wonders strewn about the domicile, waiting … Continue reading My Writers — Elif Batuman
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #724 to #721
724. Michael Jackson, Thriller (1982) Looking at the list to this point, I wonder if Thriller was a major catalyst for the shift in the music college radio played, or, more accurately, what college radio chose not to play any … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #724 to #721
From the Archive — Quantum of Solace
For the second straight Saturday, I reach back for a review of a modern Bond film not previously loaded up to this particular site. This was written for my former online home. Quantum of Solace is the twenty-fifth film to feature … Continue reading From the Archive — Quantum of Solace
This Week’s Model — Haybaby, “Get Down”
“I don’t really know/ Why I like you/ I’ve been doing just fine/ On my own,” Leslie Hong sings on “Get Down,” the new single from Haybaby. The band’s sophomore full-length, They Get There, arrives in early June, and the … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Haybaby, “Get Down”
Laughing Matters — “Weird Al” Yankovic, “Word Crimes”
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. Offered as a reminder … Continue reading Laughing Matters — “Weird Al” Yankovic, “Word Crimes”
The Art of the Sell — “Marty” trailer
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. I have a strong affection for the unique era of movie trailers represented by this promotional assemblage … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — “Marty” trailer
Greatish Performances #42
#42 — Gene Hackman as Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001) Gene Hackman didn’t want to play Royal Tenenbaum. As he recounted, history told him that instances in which a filmmaker had written a part specifically for … Continue reading Greatish Performances #42
