Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart
It strikes me that the way one hears this album is very much dependent on the assumptions one brings to the holiday table. Some reviewers give Bob a pass for his charitable inclinations. And certainly donating the proceeds to charity is a noble gesture. Other reviewers have given him a pass because, hey, it’s a Christmas album. ‘Tis the season to be jolly. Still others have reveled in the contrast between the polished schlock (backing choir consisting of the heavenly host) and the gruff bark of Dylan’s “singing.”... read more
The 20 Worst Sequels to Good Movies
Lest we forget that movie-making is a business, and a lucrative one at that, all we need to do is look at the list of terrible sequels that have been made to cash in on the success of good movies. There are a lot of them. In fact, a good sequel is such a rarity that it’s an easier critical task to cite the ones that worked as opposed to the long list of those that don’t. Here, we list the 20 worst sequels that followed up good (or, at least, entertaining) original films, and there are literally dozens more... read more
Ten Delightfully Creepy Etsy Finds for Halloween and All Year 'Round
With less than one week until Halloween, our minds are turning to tricks and treats—but really, why shouldn't we be able to keep a bit of this holiday's spirit in our lives all year? In the bleak mornings of January, the pollen-heavy afternoons of March and the sweltering evenings of July, couldn't we all use a little more mischief and mayhem in our lives? If you play it right, every day can boast a little of the eerie, late-October weirdness of Halloween—and here are ten delightfully creepy Etsy finds to help.... read more
Ten Songs Inspired by Movies
Movies are inspiring. Not just to the average Joe on the street, but also to the average (and not-so-average) songwriter. Here is a list of songs inspired by elements by the cinema:... read more
CMJ 2009: Alec Ounsworth, YACHT, The XX, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Roadside Graves and More
Over the course of a properly executed CMJ Music Marathon, the participant will begin to believe that all life occurs in a dingy-bar basement, sustenance equals falafel stands, and that a 9-to-5-er cares about the plight of an orange lanyard-clad nimwit who attends concerts around the clock but can’t be bothered to charge their cell phone. Credit YACHT for a dose of alternative unreality to skew the focus yet again during a Thursday that also featured essential indie blog Aquarium Drunkard’s well-curated showcase, the XX at the Apple Store, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s frontman breaking loose, and Cymbals Eat... read more
20 Most Awesomely Bad Moments in the "We Are the World" video
When all these music superstars got together, their hearts were in the right place, their cause as sound as ever, and, over the years, their epic song has raised over $63 million to aid Africa. But that doesn't mean we can't make fun of them... read more
CMJ 2009: Wild Yaks, Still Flyin', The Black Hollies, Title Tracks
Today’s CMJ Music Marathon tip jar is tied up with a piece of elastic, gold lamé ribbon for absolutely no reason at all. After spending Tuesday’s post mostly covering Paste’s showcase in lower-east Manhattan, your correspondent hit shows closer to home in Brooklyn last night. That’s right, the borough where dudes stow their orange lanyards for fear of snagging them on their unkempt beards.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - 10/16/09 - Louisville, KY
I spent a lot of time in Screwyville 97-99 when Sebadoh were more or less based here. We had a practice space downtown that we shared with Pavement for awhile. It’s a cool place. It’s got a cosmopolitan vibe mixed with the kinda Kentucky you may expect, shotgun shacks and anti-abortion billboards.... read more
Kanye West is Dead, Long Live Kanye West: Is 2009 the Year of the Celebrity Death Hoax?
Rumors of Kanye West’s death by car crash began spreading online just hours after he, followed by label Island/Def Jam, took down a public stream of We Were Once A Fairytale, a Spike Jonze short film starring the rapper himself.... read more
CMJ 2009: Warpaint, My Jerusalem, John Forté and More
CMJ’s annual Music Marathon is upon us. Unlike Austin, New York is always crowded and filled with idiots wearing orange lanyards, so the city barely lifts an eyebrow when overrun with however many thousand bands with names (Surfer Blood, Best Coast, Holiday Shores, etc.) that sound like they were yanked straight out of a Dick Dale tribute night.... read more
Leonard Cohen Live (Awesome of the Day)
Who’s the Boss? Seventy-five-year-old Leonard Cohen did everything he could to steal Bruce Springsteen’s moniker last night at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, playing for over three hours, skipping on and off the stage and dropping to his knees whenever a song reached an emotional climax. It’s a good thing, too, with ticket prices topping $200 for a rare performance from the Sixth Best Living Songwriter. More than I can remember at a concert, I hung on every lyric, and the spoken-word pieces were as good as the songs. When a guy writes lines like, “There is a crack in everything /... read more
Country Music in the Aughts
I don’t follow mainstream country, so I have no idea what’s happening in Nashville. That said, I think there are many artists in the aughts who have made stellar country music. “Country,” in this case, refers to any music that has a twang, and that roughly falls into the general categories of country, alt-country, and roots music. If it sounds like country to me, it is, regardless of marketing demographics. Favorite/Best Artist of the Decade Buddy Miller, without a doubt. He’s been consistently excellent, whether recording solo albums, recording duets with wife Julie, or contributing as a sideman to the... read more
Songs For Sweater Weather
Sweater weather is upon us! Here, a list of songs to wear whilst bundling up for those blustery fall days.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - 10/15/09 - Chicago, IL
Back at the vic theater. Last time I was here was a Sebadoh show in '96 (?) in which we alienated the big commercial station that sponsored the show, Q101, when a friend ripped down their banner. The promo people at Sub Pop begged me to write a letter of apology. Don't remember if I did or not. I hope i didn't.... read more
"A Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing" Video (Awesome of the Day)
Chicago cellist Alison Chesley has recorded with artists like Bob Mould, Disturbed, Anthrax and Broken Social Scene, so it’s no surprise that she’s tackled a Minutemen classic like “A Political Song For Michael Jackson to Sing” under her moniker Helen Money.... read more
Shannon Wright - Atlanta, GA - The EARL - 9/23/09
Photos taken by Mike White at The EARL... read more
Ten Photographers to Follow on Twitter
If a picture is worth a thousand words, than photographers have an unfair advantage to those of us limited to 140 characters. The photographers listed here don’t just Tweet images, but when they do they’re worth the click. They also Tweet all about photography and link to stories to help aspiring photographers. All rights to all photos I’ve included here belong to the photographers. Here are some of the best photographers on Twitter:... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - 10/14/09 - St. Louis, MO
Been on tour for well over a week. In St. Louis now: a good place to start a tour diary as any, the gateway city. Sebadoh played our 2nd turbo acoustic (Jason Loewenstein on bass, me on guitar, drums on a boombox) show here six years ago. We sold 50 t-shirts from the stage and a woman was trying on t-shirts, on the stage. Sexy chaos, and one of my favorite shows of all time. This time, dinosaur is greeted by a series of threatening phone calls to the club from a man vowing to “kick our mother fucking asses”... read more
Download Echo and the Bunnymen's "Life of 1,000 Crimes"
Download Echo and the Bunnymen's "Life of 1,000 Crimes" here.Echo and the Bunnymen's The Fountain comes out Nov. 10 on Ocean Rain Records.... read more
A Few More Thoughts about Where The Wild Things Are
After work on Friday, I took my kids to Where the Wild Things Are. I’d read effusive reviews, like the one from New York Times critic Manohla Dargis, who wrote, “Jonze has made a work of art that stands up to its source and, in some instances, surpasses it.” I’d read pans like the one from Paste‘s Andy Beta, who wrote, “we find ourselves burdened with mopey, emotionally needy, and temper tantrum-prone creatures, both human and monstrous.” It’s interesting that of the 36 reviews on Metacritic today, a dozen are 50 or below and a dozen are 88 and above.... read more
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 20 Best Live Acts of the…
The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
B.O.B. - Put Me On
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
Kim Taylor - Days Like this
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Stay Zombie…
David Bazan - Hard To Be
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
