The New Releases Shelf — Be the Cowboy
Mitski’s new album, Be the Cowboy, is the white flowers that freckle up on scorched earth. It is beauty and anger and disappointment and resilience. It is a tremor that signals life in a wounded form. It is a mural … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Be the Cowboy
Playing Catch-Up — Crime of Passion; They Live By Night; The V.I.P.s
Crime of Passion (Gerd Oswald, 1957). This sordid little number casts Barbara Stanwyck as Kathy Ferguson, a San Francisco advice columnist who abandons her career after falling love with and marrying a Los Angeles police lieutenant (Sterling Hayden). It turns … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — Crime of Passion; They Live By Night; The V.I.P.s
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #860 to #857
860. Faith No More, Introduce Yourself (1987) Faith No More formed in San Francisco in the mid-nineteen-eighties, essentially as an offshoot of another group called Faith No Man. Three of the band members jumped ship and gave their new outfit … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #860 to #857
From the Archive — Friends with Money
On the occasion of Nicole Holofcener’s latest film making its debut in theaters and on Netflix this weekend, I’ll reach back to the review I wrote of her third feature. Friends with Money is arguably the writer-director’s weakest film, and … Continue reading From the Archive — Friends with Money
One for Friday — The Sicilian Vespers, “Baccala”
Thirty years ago, in 1988, the Sicilian Vespers released their self-titled debut LP. Comprised of Pittsburgh brothers David and Francis Rifugiato, the band delivered bouncily jagged punk pop music with notably off-kilter lead vocals. I take great delight in imagining … Continue reading One for Friday — The Sicilian Vespers, “Baccala”
That Championship Season — Raising Hope, Season Three
Before Raising Hope, Greg Garcia was the credited creator or co-creator on two series that had multi-season runs. Yes, Dear was a CBS family sitcom that was painfully conventional. Accordingly, it was a clear commercial success, running six seasons and … Continue reading That Championship Season — Raising Hope, Season Three
Golden Words — “Elegant Iggy”
Since great television comedy always begins with the script, this series of posts considers the individual episodes that have claimed the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series over the years. Taxi, season 4, episode 20: “Elegant … Continue reading Golden Words — “Elegant Iggy”
The Long Haul —Keri Russell in The Americans
These posts are about great acting performances sustained across the full run of a television series. Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings in The Americans (2013-2018) When The Americans made its debut on FX, a mere five years ago, its premise … Continue reading The Long Haul —Keri Russell in The Americans
Programming Note — TV Week
True story: When I was a wee child, springing from bed far too early once per week because I was excited to watch Saturday morning cartoons, I soothed the anxiousness that arose when I switched on the set to be … Continue reading Programming Note — TV Week
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #864 to #861
864. Visage, Visage (1980) The new wave band Visage had their origins in the simple, noble act of trying to bring David Bowie music to the people. Steve Strange and Rusty Egan (the lead singer and drummer, respectively) successively set … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #864 to #861
Coffee for Two 