Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits by Bertrand Russell Look, we love Bertrand Russell, OK? And that love is easy to find on Ground Control. Every year we take a chance to read and discuss his books and we’re pleasantly surprised at how they’re unique, witty, and enlightening. The man hardly ever does wrong (like he does on his Autobiography). That’s why Human Knowledge, his last “big book” dealing with epistemology, is such a surprise. We’re sure more in-depth studies...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into No Joy / Sonic Boom’s self-titled 12” EP. Ever had one of those moments when you heard or read about a new musical project being entered by a couple of established musicians, got excited as your imagination began to run wild with the possibilities of what may come from the endeavor and then learned that you couldn’t have been more right when you got a taste of the music? It’s gratifying, isn’t...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Suffrage LP by Fucked and Bound. Full disclosure: on my first play through Suffrage, I accidentally had my turntable set to the incorrect speed. Because of that, my first judgement was that the band’s sound was thick, dark, sludgy and imposing – but it definitely piqued my interest and curiosity. I was fascinated by the hulking, demonic voice which dominated the song (“Similar to that of Roger Miret,” I thought) and...
In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays by Bertrand Russell This is the good ol’ Bertrand Russell I know and love. It’s such a joy to read In Praise of Idleness because these essays are some of the most fun, relevant, and readable essays I’ve encountered. Russell’s books aren’t always everyone’s cup of tea. I will go on record and say that his Autobiography was a bit of a letdown, focusing heavily on letters and not on his personal accounts,...
Edge Of Tomorrow – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack LP By Christophe Beck It might be time for us to rehabilitate Tom Cruise. He’s long reigned supreme as America’s favorite weirdo actor celebrity, and it’s his own fault. Who could forget that appearance on Oprah years ago when we all realized just how strange of a bubble the man lives in. That just opened up a pandora’s box of oddness that directly relates to the shady organizations the man associates himself...
The Monsieurs Deux I could go on and talk about the Monsieurs in a historical and topographical context: who their members are, what led them to the Monsieurs or how much they’re contributing to the music scene in Boston. But, I’m not going to do that here. I just want to talk about how much Deux rocks. Because this album is a stand-alone firecracker and should be respected as such. If you didn’t already know, the Monsieurs play loud, snotty,...
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick, Ursula K. Le Guin (Introduction), Shan Jiang (Illustrator) I like to consider myself a sci-fi nerd but my knowledge of sci-fi books is laughable at best. As such, I’m always trying to boost my bookish database so I can namedrop the classics with the best of them. If you’re into sci-fi and you’re serious about expanding your horizons in the field, you can do much worse than a...
St. Vincent Masseduction Every now and then I get really excited to talk about an album and right now it’s St. Vincent’s Masseduction. Of course, it’s a really good album that everyone should hear, but it’s also an album that I wasn’t sure about at first. On the first few listens I was, quite honestly, a bit disappointed at what I was hearing. But I’m someone who trusts Annie Clarke’s music, so I persisted, and now I...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Sluff LP by Naked Giants. Upon first glance at Naked Giants’ New West Records debut album, Sluff, those who pick the record up might assume that they’re staring into a time warp; the awkward poses that the three-piece band’s members strike combined with their clothing and the garish color scheme as well as the decor in the image look like something which might have originated in the Eighties. Conversely, the melange...
Circle Jerks Wonderful I’m ready to make some enemies on this column and I think I can start a significant amount of shit by saying that the Circle Jerks were a better band than Black Flag. I’ve tried for years to find some sort of solidarity along these lines and have come up empty handed every time. It’s not that I don’t like Black Flag – I like them just fine – but there’s something about Circle Jerks...