A critical evaluation of Noise Uprising: The Audiopolitics of a World Musical Revolution by Michael Denning. A blurb on the back of Noise Uprising states “Any future attempt to analyze the sounds and politics of international music industry will need to reckon with this powerful book.†I think that such a claim might be a fantastic over-estimation. There is no doubt that Noise Uprising deals with some interesting and important aspects regarding the birth of recorded music, but it’s almost...
A critical evaluation of ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew MacLean. I know ApocalyptiGirl has gotten some very positive feedback, and I love Dark Horse comics (maybe the biggest comics publisher right now still putting out good titles), but is it OK to say that I was simply unimpressed by this comic? It certainly has lots going for it: cool setting (post-apocalypse survival), cool art (crude-like character designs, and dim colors make for a perfect way to...
A critical evaluation of The Recording Angel: Music, Records and Culture from Aristotle to Zappa by Evan Eisenberg. See if you can process this statement: the Recording Angel reads like I wished I would sound when I talk about music. In other words, this book is a complete nerd-out on music but at an in-depth academic level. We never find out just what Eisenberg’s background is in music (is he just a fan?), but he sure knows how to put...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into a vinyl copy of Distortland by The Dandy Warhols. It might seem silly to entertain the idea that The Dandy Warhols could be suffering from a mid-life crisis but, listening to Distortland, that appears to be the case. The emotional state of the band is particularly evident in listening to the vinyl pressing of the album as the five-per-side running of it gently divides the running into two separate movements which lead...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Bum City Saints’ self-titled LP. While some critics may claim that an album or artist being “derivative†is a negative trait, that’s not always true – in the right context. Sometimes, the right sequence of sonic elements can align and instantly throw listeners listener back into the mindset which they had perceived to have long forgotten; it can be exhilarating and comforting all at the same time, no matter how aggressive the...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Means LP by Fews. Even at first sight – before a note of music is heard from the Means LP – those who happen upon Fews’ debut full-length will get the sense that they’re about to bear witness to an important musical event. The front cover poses a bunch of very tantalizing questions; on it, a camera captures a stolen frame of the bandmembers with a brick wall as a backdrop....
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the diecut “Carry On” single by Booze & Glory The catch about the genre that’s affectionately known as “street punk†is that those who make the music often do not make it for very long. The reason for that is simple: street punk is impoverished by nature – the best of the genre is made by penniless players who are making music either to entertain themselves or their friends – and loses...
Ollie Ottoman delves into the new Blu-Ray release of Hail Caesar! by the Coen Brothers.

 Ever noticed how Coen brothers movies tend to alternate in the impact they make? The Big Lebowski didn’t really catch on when it was released, but O Brother Where Art Thou is one of the most celebrated films in moviedom. No one really talks about the follow-up Intolerable Cruelty after that, but No Country For Old Men was highly visible at the Oscars. Same with...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into a vinyl copy of Lost Time by Tacocat. Although Tacocat has gained a reputation as our lovable party garage punk band, I think of them as “Oh, that band.” You see, I have this split 7-inch of Ghost Mice and Tacocat that I think about every time I think about this band. I got this 7-inch years ago because I really like the Ghost Mice. Tacocat was a lovely inclusion and their...
A critical evaluation of Apocrypha Now! by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler. The folks over at Top Shelf Comix know what the comics-reading public wants, and that’s a witty retelling of the Apocryphal writings of the bible. You know these Apocrypha and Gnostic books? They were the stories of the bible that history deemed unworthy to include in the official cannon, for some reason. They were considered redundant, or false, or their authorship doubted. Whatever the case may be, they’re...