College Countdown: CMJ Top 40 Cuts, March 16, 1990 — 16 – 13
16. The Creatures, “Standing There” Siouxsie Sioux was never one to recede from pointed commentary, particularly when it came to sexist attitudes that have long been rife in society. For the first single from the Creatures album Boomerang, she and … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 40 Cuts, March 16, 1990 — 16 – 13
From the Archive: Michael Clayton
Since I carved out a little digital space this past week to express my disappointment with one of the new movies being aggressively positioned as a Oscar contender, I’ll use this regular archival rummaging to share a review from ten … Continue reading From the Archive: Michael Clayton
One for Friday — Tommy Keene, “In Our Lives”
One of the great pleasures of working in college radio is discovering monumentally talented songwriters and artists, and then claiming some sliver of their coolness by playing their songs on the radio. This was especially true in my personal era, … Continue reading One for Friday — Tommy Keene, “In Our Lives”
Now Playing — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the new film by Martin McDonagh, begins on the outskirts of a small, Midwestern town. A woman named Mildred (France McDormand) notices a trio of dilapidated billboards lined up in a satisfying grouping. She has … Continue reading Now Playing — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
The New Releases Shelf — Colors
Even as I’ll admit that I’m fairly detached from up-to-the-minute music scene scuttlebutt, it seems to me there’s a surprising lack of enthusiasm or even basic interest around the release of Colors, the new album by Beck. This is an … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Colors
Playing Catch-Up — Lady Macbeth; The Killing of a Sacred Deer; Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
Lady Macbeth (William Oldroyd, 2017). Adapted from a similarly-titled nineteenth century novella by Nikolai Leskov, Lady Macbeth follows a young woman named Katherine (Florence Pugh), who is plopped into a chilly marriage to Alexander (Paul Hilton), the unkind scion of a rural estate. She carves out what satisfaction and happiness she can find, largely through an affair with one of her husband’s brutish employees (Cosmo Jarvis). William Oldroyd, making his feature directorial debut has a fine eye for visual composition and a brave sense of restraint. The film’s most dramatic moments play out with striking understatement, and the score (by … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — Lady Macbeth; The Killing of a Sacred Deer; Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
Now Playing — Coco
I’ve championed the output of Pixar Animation Studios often and vigorously over the years, but lately I’ve been nervous. The rare studio that wriggled its way into auteur status, Pixar currently sits in the the middle of stretch in which … Continue reading Now Playing — Coco
College Countdown: CMJ Top 40 Cuts, March 16, 1990 — 20 – 17
20. Kevn Kinney, “MacDougal Blues” Back in the day, I don’t think we knew about the ability to claim Kevn Kinney as one of our own. Livin’ on the air in Central Wisconsin, we had a prideful devotion to artists … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 40 Cuts, March 16, 1990 — 20 – 17
From the Archive: Ratatouille
On the weekend that brings a new Pixar release — thankfully not a sequel or other overt franchise stab — I’ll import this review from my former online home. There are plenty of creators working in animation, computer or tradition, … Continue reading From the Archive: Ratatouille
One for Friday — Blue Aeroplanes, “Jacket Hangs”
The countdown currently occupying our Sundays around here is pulled from the March 16, 1990 issue of CMJ New Music Report, the trade publication that served college radio for a few happy decades before imploding the last couple of years. … Continue reading One for Friday — Blue Aeroplanes, “Jacket Hangs”
Coffee for Two 