Friday afternoon music update
Mp3s from Bruce Springsteen, Twin Shadow, and Mindy Misty; dirt-cheap, fantastic records from Twin Shadow and Night Minutes; reviews of Interpol’s latest, the Bear Quartet/the Skull Defekts split 7″, Thieves Like Us, Rasmus Kellerman (of Tiger Lou), and Night Minutes (featuring Anna Knutson of We Live in Trenches and Max J Hansson of Cut City).
From “Death Panels” to “Don’t Retreat… Reload!”: The rise and fall of Sarah Palin?
“How can anyone — let alone a prominent Republican figure — think that defending Dr. Laura in the wake of her ignorant comments is a good idea? And why is Palin even defending Dr. Laura? The radio host was not fired, she made the decision to step down, so Palin’s bizarre need to make this a Constitutional matter (‘watch out Constitutional obstructionists’) is not only unnecessary, but demonstrates how little Palin grasps about what is actually going on.”
Record Review: Candy Claws, “Hidden Lands”
“It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can find a way into ‘Hidden Lands,’ it’s an interesting and often rewarding journey.”
Film Review: “Touch of Evil” (1958)
“‘Touch of Evil’ is Hank Quinlan’s film and Orson Welles’ performance alone is enough to make the film worth sitting through. While it’s not of the same caliber as his depiction of Harry Lime in ‘The Third Man,’ Welles’ turn as Quinlan is quite something. Add this performance to a story that periodically meanders, but is compelling enough, and a visually striking rendering of the Mexican-American border, and you have an interesting take on film noir towards the end of the genre’s era.”
How Albert Haynesworth helped me find my way back to American football
If you are a fan of professional football and spend any significant amount of time living near Washington, D.C., you become interested (to some degree) in the Redskins, even if you find the name of the team needlessly offensive1. As a Jersey-born drifter who has spent almost half his life outside of the United States, … Read more
Will the failings of “The Great Society” also be the undoing of “A More Perfect Nation”?
“Obama finds himself in a similar position to that of Lyndon Johnson, slipping in public esteem and at the helm of two unpopular wars, one that in recent days has regained the moniker ‘Obama’s Vietnam.’ If these parallels continue, the 2012 presidential election may be a far tougher campaign than expected, despite Obama’s legislative accomplishments.”
Friday evening music update
Robyn teams up with Snoop Dogg on “U Should Know Better,” Basement Jaxx remixes Vampire Weekend’s “White Sky,” Cut City’s “The Sound and the Sore” is posted as a free mp3 download, and my review of Far From Tellus’ self-titled album.
Were extraterrestrials in league with Hitler?
“There’s nothing quite like the combination of brutally manifested Nazi aggression and the lingering terror of an imminent extraterrestrial invasion to shake one’s belief in God.”
Tuesday afternoon music update
“Amazon offers Arcade Fire’s ‘The Suburbs’ for $3.99 today, free mp3 from Night Minutes (featuring Max J Hansson of Cut City), and my review of Anna Von Hausswolff’s ‘Singing from the Grave.’”
“Departure in Particular”
“It’s a bittersweet feeling being both excited for Cut City’s upcoming record and knowing it’s probably their last, but seeing how much their previous releases affected me, even their less assured, yet still intriguing debut ‘Exit Decades,’ I’m confident that Cut City’s departure from the world of music will not coincide with their departure from my esteem.”
