College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #764 to #761
764. The Icicle Works, If You Want to Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song (1987) By most accounts, Ian McNabb was anxious for a hit when it came time to record the third album with his band the Icicle Works. … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #764 to #761
From the Archive — CrissCross
This is a mundane review of a properly forgotten Golden Hawn vehicle from the early nineteen-nineties. The only particularly notable aspect of it, for our purposes here, is this I believe it represents the last piece of writing from my … Continue reading From the Archive — CrissCross
This Week’s Model — Mountain Man, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”
I appreciate honestly and accuracy in promotion, so I’d like to celebrate the simple guarantee offered by the trio Mountain Man in announcing new covers of John Denver songs. On their Facebook page, after pointing out they’d gone the extra … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Mountain Man, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”
The New Releases Shelf — Sunshine Rock
I’ve been repeatedly certain I’d finally encounter the sunny side of Bob Mould for at least twenty-five years. Upon the release of File Under: Easy Listening, the sophomore album from Mould’s band Sugar, I hummingbirded around my college radio station, … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Sunshine Rock
Playing Catch-Up — The Greatest Showman; At Eternity’s Gate; Brute Force
The Greatest Showman (Michael Gracey, 2017). The unexpected — and slow-building — success of this big screen musical at least provides gratifying evidence that modern audiences remain hungry for original material, no matter how desperately studio executives treat their production … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — The Greatest Showman; At Eternity’s Gate; Brute Force
Laughing Matters — Inside Amy Schumer, “The Foodroom”
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. It is obviously going … Continue reading Laughing Matters — Inside Amy Schumer, “The Foodroom”
All We Hear is Academy Ga Ga
When Julia Roberts slipped her slender fingers across the seal of the Best Picture envelope, I was actively afraid she was going to pull out a card with the title Bohemian Rhapsody typed onto it. So I mostly felt relief … Continue reading All We Hear is Academy Ga Ga
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #768 to #765
768. Romeo Void, It’s a Condition (1981) The foundation of Romeo Void was laid when Debora Iyall met Frank Zincavage, while both were attending San Francisco Art Institute. Iyall had recently been inspired by Patti Smith concerts and felt she … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #768 to #765
From the Archive — The Queen
On this Academy Awards weekend, I’ll reach back to the review I wrote about the film that earned Helen Mirren her Best Actress in a Leading Role trophy. This was first posted at my original online home. Stephen Frears’ new … Continue reading From the Archive — The Queen
This Week’s Model — Jess Cornelius, “No Difference”
“And it all feels harder than normal,” Jess Cornelius sings at the opening of the new single “No Difference,” over a spare, echoing guitar line. “And you can’t believe it’s happened again,” she continues, the last word stretched to about … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Jess Cornelius, “No Difference”
