College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 19
19. The Rainmakers, The Good News and the Bad News It may seem odd to see the Rainmakers placing so high on this countdown, especially while seminal albums by the likes of the Pixies and the Cure are relegated to … Continue reading College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 19
Spectrum Check
Though I was largely absent last week, I had a few things stockpiled for use at Spectrum Culture, largely because I’m way behind on my CD reviews. In fact, I’m still trying to catch up on all that. I provided a lukewarm assessment of the latest Steve Earle album and an even less enthused consideration of the new outing from the Wave Pictures. The Earle record was assigned to me, but the latter was my own damn fault. I asked for it. Which brings me to the new movie review I wrote for this week. Without getting too deep into … Continue reading Spectrum Check
One for Friday: Frazier Chorus, “Cloud 8”
I didn’t pay particularly close attention to the producer credit on albums when I was in college. Usually, the name in that part of the liner notes didn’t even register for me unless it was a person I recognized from their primary place in the music world. If Peter Buck from R.E.M. or Bob Mould was listed as a producer, I took notice. Otherwise, considering who was filling that vital personnel role was an afterthought. It was only well after deciding the work was great that I realized, for example, that Paul Fox produced several favorite records released during my … Continue reading One for Friday: Frazier Chorus, “Cloud 8”
Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-One
#31 — Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman, 1984) Sigourney Weaver is a well-respected actress with three Oscar nominations to her credit for a trio of performances that are wildly diverse. Beyond the official accolades, Weaver can point to fine work in heady, … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-One
Well, beat the drum and hold the phone – the sun came out today!
The following is presented in tribute to the Major League game I saw yesterday. I’ve watched some winter programming on the MLB Network. This isn’t far off. A return to a preponderance of words in this space tomorrow. Or at least more than this. Continue reading Well, beat the drum and hold the phone – the sun came out today!
My memory is muddy, what’s this river that I’m in?
Though I had full intentions of sharing images from our trip to New Orleans in this space, a technical shortcoming has thwarted that plan. Instead, I’ll just briefly acknowledge that, due to our return trip to the Crescent City, I … Continue reading My memory is muddy, what’s this river that I’m in?
College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 20
20. Bob Mould, Workbook To me, this album represents the beginning of summer. Online sources of reasonable repute list its release date as April 1989. That may very well be the case, but my memory of the album begins with … Continue reading College Countdown: 90FM’s Top 90 of 1989, 20
One for Friday: The Banana Splits, “In New Orleans”
I typically wax nostalgic in this weekly feature, spinning misty yarns about first encounters with certain songs or especially meaningful moments when a college radio favorite spoke to me most deeply. But I recognize that we’re living in an iTunes … Continue reading One for Friday: The Banana Splits, “In New Orleans”
It seems to me I’ve been here before, the sounds I heard and the sights I saw
Ten years ago today, I was standing in a mountain valley with my favorite person in the world. After we conversed privately, we signed some state-issued paperwork and we were obligated to check the “Married” box on relevant paperwork from there on in. Five years ago today, I was in New Orleans with my favorite person in the world. We’d just completely a hard week of work on houses that had been effectively destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. We were in a great restaurant, having a wonderful meal and toasting each other and the bruised, battered city that we loved. Today, … Continue reading It seems to me I’ve been here before, the sounds I heard and the sights I saw
Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Two
#32 — Body Heat (Lawrence Kasdan, 1981) No genre belongs so decisively and completely to the era of its greatest heyday like film noir. Even westerns, the exemplar of movie genres that evolved from ubiquitous to scarce, still work fine … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 80s — Number Thirty-Two
