TITLE: I Wanna Be Literated! 092 A critical evaluation of An Outline of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell DATE: 11-05-15 WRITER: Ollie Ottoman One of the great pleasures in reading Bertrand Russell for me is when he discusses the role of philosophy in a society where science has been the approach to finding out what is real and true in our universe. As science plays a greater role in our lives, there seems to be less space for philosophy. The other...

TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 094 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Mingus Dynasty by Charles Mingus DATE: 11-03-15 WRITER: Ollie Ottoman  I really have no business reviewing or listening to jazz records. I’m a punk –  or at least I feel like one –  and it’s not that I feel too good for jazz, but that I feel like jazz is too good for me. Or maybe I’m jaded and think that music needs lyrics and artists don’t need...

TITLE: The Classics 020 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Sony Legacy vinyl reissue of Foo Fighters’ debut album.. DATE: 11-02-15 WRITER: Bill Adams It feels strange to be discussing the twentieth anniversary of Foo Fighters’ debut album now – just months after Universal Music Enterprises celebrated the same anniversary for the release of Nirvana’s In Utero album. It seems weird because, while the original releases of those albums were only twenty-two months apart, they feel as...

ARTIST: Shannon & the Clams – VENUE: Great Scott – Allston, MA – 18/10/15 DATE: 10-29-15 REVIEW BY: Ollie Ottoman How can anyone in their right mind not have a smile on their face when listening to Shannon and the Clams? I know the band gets me smiling, and it has nothing to do with their live persona, their charming low-fi sound, their heavily rockabilly-inspired music or their matching costumes. At least that’s not the case not anymore. These...

ARTIST: The Brains – DATE: 10-21-15 REVIEW BY: Bill Adams ALBUM: Out In The Dark LABEL: Stomp/Warner Music Since they first stumbled out of a Quebecois crypt ten years ago, The Brains have always attempted to reach as many ears as possible. Of course, their first introduction was made as a psychobilly band – but it didn’t take long for the group to begin reaching for more inspiration from beyond the constraints of rockabilly. With each successive album, elements...

TITLE: The Classics 019 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into a vinyl copy of Milo Goes To College by the Descendents. DATE: 10-24-15 WRITER: Bill Adams Fans and critics have been arguing which punk band has been the most influential for decades, but the decision has yet to be made. Claims have been made that The Clash are the most important group to punk because they made so many crossovers into the mainstream, while others that punk rock...

TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 093 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into a vinyl copy of Gone by the Dawn by Shannon & The Clams DATE: 10-23-15 WRITER: Ollie Ottoman Shannon and the Clams are one of the greatest gems to have come out of the garage rock/punk mine recently. I know acts like Nobunny, Black Lips and King Khan get all the attention and that’s fine with me; there’s just more Shannon and the Clams left for me to...

TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 092 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Fish & Chips EP by Harrington Saints DATE: 10-15-15 WRITER: Bill Adams The coolest thing about Harrington Saints’ new EP is the fact that, unless you were tipped off and are expecting what the band has in store (like, if you already read this review – for example), you won’t be expecting to get your mind blown or your face melted. The reason for that really is...

TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 091 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into a vinyl copy of Magick Spells by Gateway Drugs. DATE: 10-12-15 WRITER: Bill Adams The idea that a change of something as seemingly inconsequential as the format on which an album is presented (be it CD, cassette, vinyl record or mp3) can change the listening experience completely may seem unbelievable, but that does not mean it isn’t true and cannot happen. Of course the medium (format) that one...

TITLE: I Wanna Be Literated! 091 A critical evaluation of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements, edited by Walidah Imarisha and Adrienne Maree Brown DATE: 10-09-15 WRITER: Ollie Ottoman Peanut butter and jelly, gin and tonic, books and fireplaces. I couldn’t help but get excited whenOctavia’s Brood got announced because it was combining two things I love: anarchism and science fiction. So of course I had high hoped for this book, which collects short stories blending science fiction (or...