All Art Is Propaganda: Critical Essays by George Orwell I think it’s often missed that George Orwell was primarily a journalist and essayist, not a novelist. I didn’t forget that, I just didn’t know. I owe Orwell quite a bit, because it’s through reading 1984 that the floodgates of my voracious reading were opened. Before, I had been forced to read books, but now it became a hobby. Chomsky has lauded Orwell for his Homage to Catalonia and how well...
Why Bad Governments Happen to Good People by Danny Katch Danny Katch had already won me over with his book Socialism…Seriously. Not just because of what he writes, but how he writes. When we reviewed this book last year, we made sure to note that Socialism…Seriously was important for how Katch was trying to communicate complicated and frequently misrepresented ideas clearly and simply to the masses. Also, with a dose of humor to lighten the mood a little bit. Whenever...
Courtesy of Ben Stas / Noise...
Seeing Ted Leo play live is not something I take lightly. It’s deeply embedded in my DNA at this point. It’s something I started doing over 10 years ago with people who would go on to become some of my closest friends. Seeing Ted Leo and listening to him is more than just the music: it’s a walk down memory lane. And as the man took a break from music, I took a break from that connection. Ted Leo has...
David Cross has been a busy person. It’s not enough that he helped birth “Alternative Comedy” to the world in the 90s, but he’s gone from indie darling to now starring in Oscar-winning movies. Still sticking to his comedy roots, he’s back on tour with a fresh hour of stand-up material and you can probably catch him at a date near you on his Oh Come On tour. Bring the kids. We caught up with David Cross on his Boston...
Thoroughbreds Of all the movies I’ve seen so far this year, Thoroughbreds has managed to rank near the top. Forget about those garbage rehashed superhero movies. In this environment, it’s originality that matters. And Thoroughbreds has plenty of that. There’s an immediate appeal to this movie from the look alone. Thoroughbreds looks meticulously shot with Wes Anderson-esque attention to detail. It’s a perfect depiction of the prim, proper, and sterile environment that these two protagonists live in, and are...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the 12” picture-disc reissue of Old Firm Casuals’ self-titled debut EP. By the time Lars Frederiksen unveiled Old Firm Casuals in 2010, the singer/guitarist was already very well exposed in the punk rock community. He had already cut his teeth with U.K. Subs in 1991, gained pop (and pop-punk) stardom with Rancid beginning in 1993 and “gone solo” with The Bastards in addition to taking a seat in the producer’s chair at...
Thee Oh Sees An Odd Entrances There comes a point when we just have to draw a line in the sand and say, “This is too much!” I used to think John Dwyer’s Thee Oh Sees was such a prolific band that they’re not giving their audience enough time to properly digest their musical output. I have my favorites in the catalog, of course, like Floating Coffin and Castlemania, but that’s only because those were some of my first tastes...
OCS Memory of a Cut Off Head Let’s talk about Thee Oh Sees… sorry I mean Oh Sees… sorry I mean OCS. If you haven’t heard of them, you should. Not just because they’re scary prolific, but because they’re also responsible for some damn fine music. Not hurting things also is their DIY approach to their craft: all albums are recorded by and put out on frontman John Dwyer’s Castle Face records. And not that it matters, but Dwyer himself...
Super Troopers Comic-Con 2015 I don’t think anyone thought they’d be saying this, but Super Troopers has aged like a fine wine. And how could anyone have predicted it? This movie suffers from some obvious setbacks, like being worshipped by the fraternity community, relying too often on pot humor, and maybe not the best acting. It seems like the most vocal fans of Super Troopers are the ones that won’t stop quoting the worst lines of the film...