By tom | February 14, 2009
This is somewhat dated by blog standards, such as they are, but it struck me as an opportunity not to be missed.
Karl Rove, writing in the The Wall Street Journal, reminisces about his friendly “contest” with the then-incumbent President of the United States of America. For the final three years of the Dubyah administration, from [...]
Also posted in books, critique, writing | Tagged books, dubyah |
You know the old series of cartoons with the boy and girl that led with “Love is …” (They have a site here)? Well, I have an original to contribute.
Love is … remembering that Tom once mentioned The Posies 8 months ago in a meaningless conversation and reminding him that they will be playing this [...]
Posted in music | Tagged the posies |
By tom | November 23, 2005
These Elliott Smith-esque days are coming thick and fast. There are many more reasons to detest the ubiqutous iPod than there are seasons in the sun, the least of which is the overturning of conventional punctuation which results in Steve Jobs iCon (sic) biography. The more glaring one is that, for most, for the recent [...]
By tom | October 18, 2005
This month’s haul of new music had the feel of a “looking back”, the look of a nostalgic bent.
Big Star’s return, Posies in tow, “In Space” prompted a belated airing of the late Chris Bell’s “I Am The Cosmos”. Maybe the two will mesh to create a cosmic Big Star, a divine reunion of aural [...]
By tom | October 13, 2005
I’ve been to Paradise but I’ve never been to me (Charlene)
Is this the lyrics of a “so-bad-its-good” 80s disco song, or does it question the incongruence between the Good Life and self-reflection, the non-identity of the Divine and subject?
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Following on from my infatuation with Buffalo Tom comes Bill Janovitz’s “Fireworks On TV”. For old times’ sake, Maria Mckee came “Peddlin’ Dreams”: best served moody blue. The three Matthew Sweet-related discs were thoroughly disparate, not surprising given the years that span them. Finally, the way Ryan Adams “borrow” from Neil Young and the rest [...]
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros’ Streetcore offering is a blast: the vibes of “Midnight Jam” is as mellow it is surprising. The opener’s melody stays in your head. Cat Power’s Moon Pix was a shot at redemption.
Elliott Smith’s eponymous 1995 disc and Either/Or continues the recent burrowing into this guy’s torrid creativity. John Coltrane’s Meditations [...]
By tom | January 12, 2005
this week’s batch of randomly selected music: Buffalo Tom’s “Asides”, Grant Hart’s undeservedly little known “Good News For Modern Man” and The Kropotkins’ “5 Points Crawl”. They wouldn’t sound half as good if you heard them played on MTV.
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By tom | December 22, 2004
Memphis Cat has this classic from 20 years ago (!?) streaming online and guess what: Capitol have released a deluxe edition, with 18 demos and rarities. I actually saw Mr. Cole perform (sans Commotions) in Wolverhampton one autumn evening in 1991. The boy could sing.
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By tom | December 15, 2004
A bootleg (in the truest sense of the word) recording of their September 1982 show in New York’s “Peppermint Lounge”. This is punk at its best: and there is the tender “You can’t put your arms around a memory”.
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