There’s plenty to be said for a good pop song. It’s not the musical genre that usually resonates deepest with me (Prince aside). If it’s not hip-hop, classic R&B, or movie scores, I tend to prefer musicians who are or who sound like old souls — Johnny Cash, Springsteen, Sinatra, Iggy Pop, Cat Power, Nina Simone. Pop music, [...]
Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
This song, this music, it isn’t for everybody. It’s discordant, and loud, and kind of obnoxious, and I love that about it. It’ll probably annoy all the right kinds of people. Death Grips is an experimental hip-hop outfit out of California, and that, and this song, are about all I know about them so far. This song, “I’ve [...]
Whitney Houston: August 9th, 1963 – February 11th, 2012.
Posted: February 12, 2012 in Music, TributesThis one is harder than most. Growing up in my house, there were several records that were on steady rotation and became the foundation of my love of music and popular culture. Michael Jackson’s Thriller. New Edition’s self-titled second album. The Ghostbusters soundtrack. And this one: I remember this cover better than any of them, mainly because of [...]
While the name “The Horrible Crowes” may sound like more appropriate nomenclature for Russell Crowe’s band, it isn’t that. It’s instead a side project of Brian Fallon, who is the frontman of The Gaslight Anthem, a band that blends the sounds of Springsteen and Social Distortion and rapidly fading youth in equal measure. I am, most [...]
Song Of The Day: Social Distortion, “Down On The World Again.”
Posted: January 26, 2012 in Music, Skeletons.This is where I’m at today. Hell, it may as well be the song of the week. @jonnyabomb
Never claimed to know fuck-all about what makes good music good, but having ears, I’m as equipped as anybody to know great guitar licks when I hear ‘em. I like the stomping drum sound too. Stomping is good on a Friday. Impatient energy ain’t all bad. Let’s get through this day. I also really [...]
Been hearing about this Bon Iver album from all kinds of places, yet throughout all of it, no one managed to mention that there’s a song on here that sounds EXACTLY like 1980s Don Henley solo records. Not saying I don’t like it either. Just prefer a little advance warning, or else what good is the internet? @jonnyabomb
Movie Review: DRIVE (2011).
Posted: September 28, 2011 in Action., Awesomeness, Badass Old Guys, Cars, Crime, Cult Classics, Film Noir, Horror, Los Angeles, Michael Mann, Movies, Movies (D), Music, Romance, ViolenceI’ve been thinking about something lately, and seeing Drive recently turned out to be a bit of synchronicity since, in its own way, Drive is largely an illustration of the concept: Just because something isn’t true doesn’t mean it isn’t real. And vice versa. Drive isn’t something that happened. It started as a terrific, mean little novel by James Sallis, and was [...]
From The Archives: MIAMI VICE (2006).
Posted: September 11, 2011 in Action., Boats, Cars, Crime, Explosions, Miami, Michael Mann, Movies (M), Music, Pretty Girls, Reality, Romance, Truth#10. Miami Vice (2006) I’m sure that there are people who will roll their eyes or sneer at my inclusion of Michael Mann’s Miami Vice feature in my top ten of the entire decade, but that’s fine. I never started compiling this list with the intention of sounding smarter or cooler than anyone else. These [...]
From The Archives: DAVE CHAPPELLE’S BLOCK PARTY (2006).
Posted: September 11, 2011 in Comedy, Documentary, Movies (B), Movies (D), Music#8. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party (2006) Unquestionably, the greatest comedic voice of the past decade was the voice of Dave Chappelle. No one comedian achieved anything as successful or as influential as Chappelle’s Show (2003-2006), which Dave created with writing partner Neal Brennan. No one – no one! – was better at merging genuinely transgressive [...]
