College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #6
6. R.E.M., Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) “Lots of kids aren’t willing to listen just to Hall and Oates or whatever,” noted Bill Berry, the drummer of R.E.M., shortly after the release of the band’s third album, Fables of the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #6
Outside Reading — And They’ve Never Heard of Love edition
‘She never pandered to fashion’: why Kirsty MacColl’s vivid pop career was no fairytale by Alexis Petridis The release of a massive new box set prompts Alexis Petridis to write about the great Kirsty MacColl. The article offers a consideration … Continue reading Outside Reading — And They’ve Never Heard of Love edition
This Week’s Model — Laura Jane Grace, “Hole in My Head”
I’m confident that Laura Jane Grace knows a lot. I’m especially confident that Laura Jane Grace knows that a great punk song can get its point across in under two minutes. Leave the sonic epics to other fools. “Hole in … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Laura Jane Grace, “Hole in My Head”
Radio Days — 90FM’s Top 35 for November 9, 1990
This series of posts covers my long, beloved history interacting with the medium of radio, including the music that flowed through the airwaves. As we close in on the end of the very large College Countdown project that I started … Continue reading Radio Days — 90FM’s Top 35 for November 9, 1990
My Misspent Youth — Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David López
I read a lot of comic books as a kid. This series of posts is about the comics I read, and, occasionally, the comics that I should have read. “Okay. Let’s try this again.” With lovely meta aptness, the Captain … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David López
Now Playing — Nyad
In many ways, Nyad adheres devotedly the the patterns of most modern biopics. The film strives to convey something close to the totality of its central subject, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) through focusing the plot on one central … Continue reading Now Playing — Nyad
Medium Rotation — The Returner; Hox; Careful!
ALLISON RUSSELL The Returner (Fantasy/Concord) — It’s phenomenally fitting that Joni Mitchell inspired the title of Allison Russell’s sophomore full-length, The Returner. After being a firsthand witness to Mitchell’s transcendent 2022 comeback performance as one of the musicians onstage, Russell … Continue reading Medium Rotation — The Returner; Hox; Careful!
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #7
7. Rolling Stones, Tattoo You (1981) The Rolling Stones were in a precarious place. Commercially, they were as strong as ever. The 1978 album Some Girls was their biggest-selling album to that point in the U.S., and its follow-up, Emotional … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #7
Outside Reading — Melt It All Down edition
The Crucible of History Surrenders To the Furnace by Erin Thompson Writing for The New York Times, Erin Thompson details efforts to destroy the various Confederate statues and other tributes to white supremacy that have been justly removed from public … Continue reading Outside Reading — Melt It All Down edition
This Week’s Model — Stay Inside, “Sweet Stripe!”
“Sweet Stripe!,” the new single from Brooklyn-based band Stay Inside, feels like it starts in midstream. The guitars are already churning, the beat is already pulsing, the very thought of the song is fully formed. From there, it’s a roaring … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Stay Inside, “Sweet Stripe!”
Coffee for Two 