TOP TEN QUESTIONS FOR MCCAIN'S CAMPAIGN (Letterman, via Kurtzman) 10. "I just contributed to your campaign - how do I get a refund?" 9. "It's Sarah Palin -- does this mean I'm pars'dent?" 8. "Can't you solve this by selling some of your houses?" 7. "This is Clay Aiken. Is McCain single?" 6. "Do you … [Read more...]
Archives for 2008
Think It Through
How about Three Strikes You're Out! Cue Paul Krugman on PBS Newshour last night. Or hey, how about: "They didn't NEED to strike our Twin Towers -- they were already ROTTING FROM WITHIN!" Too bad about that collateral damage, huh? VOTE NO BAILOUT … [Read more...]
Catching Up
Best thing yet on Dark Knight, just let me add one thing: a posthumous performance like Ledger's, which already upstages Jack Nicholson, feels beyond tragic: Yet I suspect it is still the news. While both candidates run on the premise that Washington Is Broken, I'm disinclined to disagree, only to … [Read more...]
Long Long Long
Chicago Reader has upgraded its archives, and voila. … [Read more...]
Great Ad Guzzler Rig
This La Boheme ditty cracks me up, and the lyric translates as "Woe is not for me. Everyday is a joy. I explore, where the air is clear." Diane Lane and Richard "Groundhog" Gere should get their own cable channel. … [Read more...]
Fall Lectures
Brown University: three lectures SGT PEPPER (9/16, 4pm, see poster below) FEVER: HOW ROCK TRANSFORMED GENDER (10/30) MUSIC CRITICISM (12/2) Host: Professor Rose Rosengard Subotnik (401) 863-3234 Society for Music Theory November 7 & 8, 2008, Nashville, TN Plenary Session: The Pop Music Catalog Host: … [Read more...]
Not What You Think
Soundtrack Scorecard
This week's Republican convention will be full of overt and subliminal references to all of last week's Democratic catchphrases, and the pundits will congratulate themselves on how many they can point out. Expect Rove to write glib rejoinders to Clinton's "example of our power..." line, and watch … [Read more...]
Join Together
Five Essential Music Ebooks from Hypebot, via Music Press Report and don't forget New Music Strategies manifesto: 'Convergence' is an example of a way of discussing new online technologies by reducing them to a single idea without understanding them in any depth at all. In fact, convergence is the … [Read more...]
Draper Don Does Post-Bop
Live Coltrane was wasted on patrons like Don Draper. … [Read more...]
Social Currencies
...Other institutions do far better jobs at issuing social currency these days. What is Facebook but the Federal Reserve Bank of social currency? And it's all social currency you can use! Like cocktail chatter, a Facebook posting--be it a link, a list, a photo, or travel plans--conveys the message, … [Read more...]
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Ben Kingsley, Sir
...The real turning point was Sexy Beast. For in that inspired, delirious film, we went from asking ourselves what on earth Ben Kingsley was doing, to praying that he would not stop. It's as if his director, Jonathan Glazer, whispered to him: "Take the film over, inhale it, and roar like its … [Read more...]
Circuitous Route to New Music Social Blogging…
"Snagged by a sour, pinched guitar riff, the song has an acerbic tinge...and Dylan sings the title rejoinders in mock self-pity. It's less an indictment of the system than a coil of imagery that spells out how the system hangs itself with the rope it's so proud of."... (How did this ever get by … [Read more...]
Quote of the Month: Jerry Wexler
"I asked him once," said Mr. Thurman, the filmmaker, " 'What do you want written on your tombstone, Jerry?' He said, 'Two words: More bass.' " … [Read more...]
Big Mention: rockcritics.com
Scott Woods shouts it out. … [Read more...]