New Year’s Eve: The Vertiginous Event
Sean MurphyBefore moving forward after looking backward (getting on with 2010 after remembering and assessing the last decade, one movie, album and sporting event at a time) New Year's Eve is…
Ballast: See This Movie
Remember the last movie you saw that didn't hit a false note and managed to effortlessly convey important things that you knew (even if you didn't know that you knew…
The Narrow Path: A Tone Poem
You are alone. You are back in the city and you are alone as you emerge into the open and empty space, stepping out from the stale depths of the…
My Kind of Christmas Music
Tchaikovsky Corelli Bach John Fahey The Who Chuck Berry a two-fer from Jethro Tull! The Godfather The Boss Satchmo Ella! (An embarrassment of riches here, here, and here)…
The Verdict Is In: Top 10 of 2009
Let's do this. 1o. Mastodon: Crack The Skye Some men let their freak flags fly. Some men get tatted up and sport full arm sleeves. Other men get tattoos…
Geddy Lee: Bassist and Tobogganist
After that, the only possible chaser is a little Snow Dog. RESPECT!
The Ace of Spades
The verdict is in and was never really in doubt: Lemmy is sui generis. Sui genius, too. Lemmy who? Nevermind; if you don't know, you won't understand (you need to…
Obama’s “Mission Accomplished” Moment
Don't you dare say that Obama has not accomplished anything. He has done something no president in recent times (if ever) has come close to achieving: namely, alienating and disillusioning a huge…
Dead Lists and the Dirty Ground
Fortunately, end of decades only happen once a decade. Otherwise, trying to decide on a reasonably accurate (not to mention reasonably brief) list of "best of decade" albums, movies, books…
Cerphe Lives or, Keeping The Segue Alive!
This is less a coincidence than a revelation: the same week that Hawaii is celebrating the arrival of some epic surf, I received an e-mail from Cerphe. Anyone who grew up…