Then Playing — The Merchant of Four Seasons; Madeinusa; Magic Mike’s Last Dance
The Merchant of Four Seasons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1972). Generally considered the film that established Rainer Werner Fassbinder as a significant cinematic figure outside of his home base of West Germany, The Merchant of Four Seasons follows the travails of … Continue reading Then Playing — The Merchant of Four Seasons; Madeinusa; Magic Mike’s Last Dance
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #28 and #27
28. Camper Van Beethoven, Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart (1988) “I got very tired of the fact that indie record labels sell to very specific audiences,” David Lowery, frontman of Camper Van Beethoven, told the Orlando Sentinel as his band toured … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #28 and #27
Outside Reading — The Star of the North edition
What Democrats Can Accomplish When They Control a Whole State by Grace Segers Like their cohorts on the other side of the Dairy State Divide, Minnesota Democrats have taken their recent wins at the voting booth as a mandate to … Continue reading Outside Reading — The Star of the North edition
This Week’s Model — Bush Tetras, “Bird on a Wire”
Bush Tetras formed in the late nineteen-seventies. Like a lot of acts formed in the forge of New York City punk rock, they churned out a slew of singles and played loud live shows. They also didn’t release their first … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Bush Tetras, “Bird on a Wire”
Medium Rotation — Change; The Chicago Sessions; The Answer Is Always Yes
CATT Change (Listenrecords) — A musical polymath raised in Northern Germany and currently based in Berlin, Catt might be uniquely calibrated to accept change. At least that’s how she comes across on the new album Change. Change can be rough, … Continue reading Medium Rotation — Change; The Chicago Sessions; The Answer Is Always Yes
Now Playing — Past Lives
Past Lives, the feature directorial debut of Celine Song, has a unshakeable emotional elegance about it. Clearly autobiographical, the film meets the simple yet surprisingly elusive goal of speaking to universal through focusing on a highly specific story. The plot … Continue reading Now Playing — Past Lives
Greatish Performances #56
#56 — Matthew McConaughey as Dallas in Magic Mike (Steven Soderbergh, 2012) Employing a freshly coined portmanteau that was immediately tiresome, the entertainment press relentlessly invoked the McConaissance all throughout the awards season run that provided a lot of shiny hardware for … Continue reading Greatish Performances #56
Now Playing — Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Conceding upfront that the sanctity of the film series that chronicles the adventures of an archeology professor who has some especially bustling sabbaticals took a significant hit with a comeback installment centered on a crystal skull, I think it’s still … Continue reading Now Playing — Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #30 and #29
30. The Clash, London Calling (1979) “I remember that things were so up in the air, and there was quite a good feeling of us against the world,” Joe Strummer, guitarist and co-frontman of the Clash, told Rolling Stone several … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #30 and #29
Outside Reading — The Dark Side of the Trousers edition
Pink Floyd, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and Me by Charlie Savage Charlie Savage, who’s now a well-regarded political journalist with a Pulitzer Prize on his shelf, recounts his experience a cub reporter when a human interest piece about stoners syncing … Continue reading Outside Reading — The Dark Side of the Trousers edition
Coffee for Two 