I first saw Ghost World when it hit theaters in 2001. I had just turned 30 and going through a particularly tumultuous period, questioning my choices in pretty much every aspect of my life… like you do when you are about to turn 30.
Continue reading ‘Retro Review: Ghost World’
It’s December 15, 1939, and Atlanta is all abuzz. The film, Gone with the Wind, is set to premiere at the Loew’s Grand Theater. Dig this, kids: 300,000 people made a line seven miles long, just to watch the limousines carrying the stars of the film from the airport to the theater. That is possibly the most boring parade imaginable. Oh, look. A car. Oh, look. Another car.
Continue reading ‘Today In Pop Culture: The Premiere Of Gone With The Wind’
If you have to leave the house at any point between November 1 and Christmas Eve, chances are good that you’re going to have to hear the same, tired, annoying, and cloying holiday songs over and over again.
Don’t worry; I’m not going to tell you to cheer up or anything. I do, however, have some musical suggestions for you to put on your iPod so that you don’t have to endure the billionth repeat of “Wonderful Christmastime,” but which will still allow you to maintain that air of cool, annoyed resignation that is the only way to get through the holiday season.
Continue reading ‘Ho Ho Humbug: Christmas Music For Miscreants’
Image from Disco Demolition Night in Chicago; July 12, 1979
Today is an important, nay, pivotal day in pop culture history because of two shocking and relevant events.
Continue reading ‘Today In Pop Culture: Jive Talking, London Calling’
By Tim Murr
Graphic novelist and teacher Will Henry is coming to terms with losing the mother of his daughters to another man while trying to carve out more time in his life to be a hands-on father. And then he meets a new and wonderful woman, but with contradicting signs from his ex, he struggles with whom to pursue.
We’ve seen shades of sad-sack Will Henry in other emotionally wrenching comedies like Tree’s Lounge and Box of Moonlight, and like those films, at the heart of People Places Things there is a simple story of a man in need of a sense of peace.
Continue reading ‘Movie Review: People Places Things’
In this episode, Paul and X give their predictions for TLC 2015 and discuss the shining glory that is Jesse Ventura.
There are a lot of cooks in the band End Of Love. The press release refers to them as a collective of musicians, and from the unevenness of their album Ghosts On The Radio, it certainly seems they’re more of a collective. The players on Ghosts On The Radio read like a who’s who of college radio: Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth, Chris Stamey from the dB’s, members of Wilco and Big Star. There’s a rotating cast of vocalists, most notably Django Haskins from Old Ceremony, but also Skylar Gudasz, Karlie Bruce, and Elisa Peimer.
Continue reading ‘Music Review: End Of Love, Ghosts On The Radio’
Dusty: “What does that mean? Infamous?”
Ned: “Ah, Dusty! Infamous is when you’re more than famous! This guy El Guapo is not just famous, he’s IN-famous!”
—Three Amigos!
I’m not sure if The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is famous or infamous, so maybe it’s both. We do know that on December 11, 1968, some of the biggest rock acts in the world got together to film a concert special. The Stones were the headliners, with Mick Jagger resplendent in a ringmaster’s outfit, the master of ceremonies for a carnival-like concert film that ended up being lost for decades.
Continue reading ‘Today In Pop Culture: The Circus That Came to Town Late’
There was a time when radio was king. That was your nightly entertainment. No cable, no Internet, no television, nothing but tinny voices coming out of a vacuum-tube powered box. Weird, huh? We’re so spoiled.
Continue reading ‘Today In Pop Culture: The Grand Ole Opry Still Exists’
Less Lee Moore and Jeffery X Martin examine the wide variety of cover versions of the songs of David Bowie, focusing on Cleopatra Records’ release A Salute to the Thin White Duke, the female-fronted Spiders from Venus album, and others. The show concludes with a discussion of Bowie’s single/video release, “Blackstar.”
Links:
A Salute to the Thin White Duke
Spiders From Venus: Women Cover David Bowie
David Bowie, “Blackstar” video