I give just about everything in R&B at least a listen. Rihanna, Keyshia Cole, Chris Brown, Usher, whatever; most of it lately has been varying degrees of crud. It’s been hard to really nail down what modern R&B should sound like because so much of it is basically watered down house or rap beats and… Read More R&B as it should be: Miguel “Kaleidoscope Dream”
This guy Joshua Tillman, aka Father John Misty, apparently played drums for so-hot-right-now folkish band Fleet Foxes for a while. But after listening to his latest solo album, “Fear Fun,” available now wherever cool records are sold, I must say putting this hairy, contemplative, angel-voiced fellow behind the drum kit is something of a waste. The… Read More Father John Misty: A saint of new folk
“If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” – Master Lin Chi “I won’t let love disrupt, corrupt or interrupt me.” – Jack White Buddhism, at its root, is all about love. Love yourself, love everyone, love everything. Do no harm. Help others. But there is, ultimately, a point where that love transmogrifies… Read More Jack White: Still a favorite
A lot of times bands that are dubbed “SXSW/Coachella/other-indieish-festival darlings” annoy me. Actually, their new fans annoy me, because I’m a snob and by the time everyone and their hipster sister is hyping a band or act (see: Arcade Fire, Alabama Shakes, Lana Del Rey, etc.), I’m already sick of hearing about them and, let’s… Read More Vacationer: Refresh yourself aurally
We’re one episode out from the first season finale on AMC’s new post-Civil War tale of revenge on the railroad, “Hell on Wheels,” and like any great show, it continues to surprise and entertain on an upward slope with every new episode. The man at the center of the story, a former slaveholder and Rebel… Read More Common double feature: “Hell on Wheels” and “The Dreamer, The Believer”
I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve enjoyed more of Sean Combs’ career work than I’ve not enjoyed it. I enjoy his colognes, I enjoy most of his music, I even enjoy his Tweets. But I am ashamed to say I completely missed the clumsily named Diddy-Dirty Money’s debut album in 2010, “Last Train to… Read More Diddy’s latest victory: Dirty Money “Last Train to Paris”
This was a long, good year. So long, in fact that I completely forgot several of my favorite albums of the last 12 months or so were, in fact, released in the last 12 months. So long, in fact that I completely forgot to write in my blog most days/weeks. But it was a good… Read More The best of times, the BLURST of times: ATR Music 2010
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