Writing about music is like dancing about architecture. The line above has been attributed to several voices — Elvis Costello, Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, and Lester Bangs, among others — but if the roof is on fire, I say we dance. Continuum’s 33 1/3 Series, helmed by the insightful and inimitable David Barker, is good… Continue reading 33 1/3: Books About Records
Looking back over the music of the year, it struck me that two of my favorite bands released both proper records and compilations this year, and that all four were among my favorites of the year. With the music industry currently shaped like a big question mark and all of the nay-saying about creative churn,… Continue reading Four by Two: dälek and Jesu
In the late 90s, my friend Mark Wieman ran a record-review website called Pillowfight. It was the pre-Pitchfork pulse of Indie-rock. I contributed quite a lot of reviews to the site during its end-of-the-millennium reign, and along with reviews, come year-end top ten lists. Roy ChristopherI marshal the middle between Mathers and McLuhan. Editor of… Continue reading Year End Top Ten, Ten Years Ago
With its focus on graffiti and a lackluster storyline, Bomb the System (Palm Pictures) can be described fairly accurately as an update of the 80s graffiti classic Wild Style, which also rode a thin plot through the streets and walls of New York City. Its real value is in the visuals. From the nighttime shots… Continue reading Bomb the System Directed by Adam Bhala Lough
“Big wheel, big spin, big money, no whammies Don’t save me a seat when you get to the Grammys” — nomadboy So, against my better judgment, I watched the Grammys the other night. This viewing experiment reminded me both of how much I love music and how far away my tastes are from “Grammy material.”… Continue reading Underground Sounds
