Aquaman Pity poor DC. In the superhero movie rivalry they’ve continuously been getting the short end of the stick. Sure, they’ve made some stinkers, but hasn’t Marvel as well? When you actually think about it, every superhero movie has been a success because every superhero movie has made a gazillion dollars worldwide. Marketing-wise it just seems like Marvel has won the brainwashing brand loyalty battle. They’re like Apple. We’re supposed to eagerly anticipate new product and are unable...

As a music fan, you have a job to do. I know that sounds counter intuitive but hear me out. It’s not enough to listen to music and catch up on the new stuff. You gotta go back to the source as often as possible. You have to understand the lineage and the evolution and the precursors for the music that you love in the present. Sometimes it’s hard work. But that’s just how it is: music should be fun,...

Sarah SilvermanA Speck of Dust I love Sarah Silverman for many reasons. I love her on talk shows, her outlook on human nature, and her comedy. But, what I love most about her is how her humor is meant to reach out to other audiences and tries to build a bridge between two groups of people who normally wouldn’t even share the same space. That’s rare nowadays. Most comedians getting attention these days are more concerned being on the right...

Ye vs Tay 7-inch skratch record by Mike C and AkikoLUV(photo: turntablelab.com) Every now and then we like to get weird on the Vinyl Vlog, and this entry most certainly is that. Let’s just back up a second and explain this. Skratch Snobs offer up vocal tracks for…well… scratching sampling. If you’re at a DJ-ing gig, cutting the tracks, supplying beats, and dropping the bass, there’s nothing like a well-known vocal track to spice up the dance floor. And what...

Double DragonCollector’s Edition – Blu-Ray Let me take you back to a time when movies based on video games was the hot new idea. This was the 90s. Thinking back on it, it’s surprising that it was such a trend because it wasn’t particularly a good one. None of those movies did very well, except maybe for Mortal Kombat. Maybe they were going for name recognition alone, or something kids would drag their parents to see. Remember Street...

Makaya McCravenUniversal Beings(photo: turntablelab.com) I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t get jazz. In a weird way, I’m sort of proud of it. The reason I’m so attracted to punk rock is because it’s a less heady kind of music. That’s not to say that I don’t know what I like. Maybe I don’t get jazz but I can appreciate Thelonious Monk’s Underground, Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool, and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme even if it’s only...

Stringer: A Reporter’s Journey in the Congoby Anjan Sundaram I have to keep looking at the cover of Stringer to make sure it’s not a novel. That’s the kind of vivid engrossing story Anjan Sundaram tells in this book. I took a chance on Stringer after seeing Sundaram on the Daily Show many years ago. I was captivated by his story so I thought I’d check out his book. I appreciate a good novel as much as anyone, but I...

WHO: Bob Mould WHAT: Sunshine Rock WHY: I have no clue what Bob Mould had been up to after Husker Du, but if these past two albums are any indication, it would be that the man is determined to rock himself into the stratosphere. Sunshine Rock is a perfect continuation of what made Patch the Sky so great: the songs are simple, catchy, rocking, and loud. It’s no wonder Mould had to crank his amplifiers to 11 with the high-energy...

What Went Wrong? The Nicaraguan Revolution: A Marxist Analysis by Dan La Botz Banana republics are the greatest. I don’t know what the appeal is, but there’s something cool about jungle/guerilla/revolutionary stories. Maybe it’s because anything can happen in South and Central America. The population is just fearless that way. I really should stop romanticizing the Sandinista revolution. But, then again, I’m a Clash fan, so what can I do? My initial interest in Nicaraguan history led me to Kinzer’s...

Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back)Jeff Tweedy I came late to the Wilco game. Maybe it’s because I associated them with an old girlfriend who tried getting me into them. I was just too engaged in punk rock to really care. I remember us driving from San Diego to Portland Oregon and her playing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in the car trying to impress me. Hoping it would get through to me. It wasn’t happening. On that trip she also...