2014 BOOKS When America Turned: Reckoning With 1968, by David Wyatt (University of Massachusetts Press) Leaving the Pink House, by Ladette Randolph (University of Iowa Press) Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?: A Memoir by George Clinton with Ben … [Read more...]
Archives for 2014
Sorkin HBO Rape UVA Rolling Stone Snowden #Keywords
Lots of good ink on The Newsroom's rape episode, but it's not like West Wing didn't already prove this megalomaniac's zeal for self-aggrandizement... Remember when he stopped production to compose his very own post-9/11 special episode, Isaac and Ishamel (Season 3, Ep. 3)? (Reminds me of Dylan … [Read more...]
One-Hit Wonders, Soundtrack Blunders
MUST READ The Complete List of True One-Hit Wonders, by Tom Nawrocki (Medium's Cuepoint) SOUNDTRACK OVERKILL Hanz Zimmer's exceedingly literal and pressing soundtrack to Interstellar throws Kubrick's … [Read more...]
Spotify Lightning: Right Spark, Wrong Rod
COVERS Bill Murray, Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm," St. Vincent closing credits SPOTIFY COVERAGE STILL WEAK In The New Yorker, John Seabrook leaves the reader asking the single most pertinent, obvious yet invisible question coursing through this non-story: why would anybody rely on "record … [Read more...]
A LITTLE MORE GAUZE
Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky 1931-2014 … [Read more...]
BROTHAS… George Clinton book review
National Memo, the new online publication from Joe Conasan, launches its book review: George Clinton, funk’s profane God-uncle, bandleader of both Parliament and Funkadelic, producer of legions more, was born in a lavatory in Kannapolis, North Carolina, so he “came by the funk honestly.” His … [Read more...]
Rand Paul, Plagiarism, and Time magazine
This really crosses a line, both for objective fact and hard news. It's neither, and it's deceitful by omission. This guy creeps me out, never more than when I agree with him (on drones). Alternate heads: The Most Interesting Plagiarist in the Senate The Senate's Plagiarist Hood … [Read more...]
Reasons to be Cheerful: Sleater-Kinney Reunion
Sleater-Kinney Announce No Cities To Love Reunion Album & World Tour - Stereogum. Related articles Sleater-Kinney release first new song in nine years "Bury Our Friends" - listen Selater-Kinney returns with new album and tour in 2015 Sleater-Kinney Box Set Comes With A New Song Marked … [Read more...]
Chris Smither
Chris Smither's 70th birthday release, minus some missing liner notes that completely misdirected listeners: Never mind that Eric Von Schmidt gave him an early break by inviting him onstage at Passim's in Harvard Square, or that the Boston Music Awards granted him Best Folk Artist status. Chris … [Read more...]
Eight-String Bach
Interview with Reinventing Bach author Paul Elie about Chris Thile's performing Bach on mandolin. Part of a larger project still in progress, Roll Over, Beethoven: the Rock Critic's Guide to Classical Music … [Read more...]
Banned Books Week – Author Picks
Burning Ideas: Celebrating Banned Books Week at Truthdig. Banned Books That Shaped America … [Read more...]
Dylan’s Other Side: Maymudes Backstage
An Insider's View of the Bob Dylan Story Another Side of Bob Dylan, by Victor and Jacob Maymudes On Point discussion with Jacob Maymudes and Tom Ashbrook NPR rebroadcasts this, repeats tonight on WBUR at 8pm Eastern. Related articles A Dylan Insider's Back Pages 6 … [Read more...]
Nixon in Purgatory, plus: Obama’s Words to Live By: Harry Shearer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD46pHpRVzo MORE: https://soundcloud.com/leshowharryshearer/le-show-with-harry-shearer-august-10th-2014#t=38:48 Nixon at 38:48 https://soundcloud.com/leshowharryshearer/le-show-with-harry-shearer-august-3rd-2014#t=37:56 "We Tortured Some Folks" at … [Read more...]
Buried in the Files: That Eric Alper entry
Moondog Matinee, The Band (Capitol) I first fell in love with this record growing up in Boulder, Colorado, after I saw Dylan play with the Band at the Denver Coliseum in early 1974. I had Planet Waves in my ear, and knew the early Band albums, but this record hovered over them all with an aura of … [Read more...]
Battle of the Mashups: Donna Reed v Robert DeNiro
Post by Rick Schober … [Read more...]