Eraser I’ve always been an Arnold guy. I don’t know why that is. Between him, Sly, and JCVD, he always came first. I loved the idea of the foreigner hero, which is why Arnold and JCVD always beat out Sly in my book. I love Sly (Rocky! Demolition Man! Judge Dredd!), but if he spoke with an accent, I think I’d be more endeared to him. And even though JCVD was pretty pretttyyyy foreign, he didn’t have the kind...
WHO: Poison Ruin WHAT: Hymn from the Hills WHY: Can sludgy metal be this catchy? Is it allowed to? Their previous EP Confrere was fine. It was pleasant but forgettable. Not forgettable enough to not give Poison Ruin another chance. I’m glad I did. Hymn from the Hills seems like a more coherent and complete work, full of hooks and, I suspect, forbidden melodies for a band of this genre. One I can’t even describe. Maybe it’s a new direction...
1984by George Orwell 1984 is an important book. Not just because it’s a great story, brilliantly constructed, incredibly revealing of its time, and a cautionary tale (much of it became true, sadly), but also because it’s the book that taught me to read books. It’s the first “real” book I read after I wasn’t forced to read them anymore. That was way back in high school. But in my twenties, I’m not sure why (inspired by punk rock, maybe?), I...
Jon SpencerSongs of Personal Loss and Protest I’ve been so excited about Jon Spencer’s music ever since he formed this new backing band. They’re youthful and bring a skill and energy to his songs I haven’t heard since the early Blues Explosion days. Add to that Spencer’s experience over these past many decades and you’re got a volatile and potent mix. Jon Spencer has never sounded better and his music has never been more needed. Luckily for me, Spencer’s work...
We Are the Clashby Mark Andersen, Ralph Heibutzki My love of the Clash runs deep. So deep that it extends to Cut the Crap. The problem here is that Cut the Crap is not a great album, but I like it, warts and all. It’s truly perplexing to think how a band who’s made such meaningful music could have such a misfire. People refer to Cut the Crap era Clash as Clash Mark 2, as a way to dismiss the...
Boogie Nights Allow me to coin a terrible phrase. Paul Thomas Anderson is a “written-in” artist for me. Anything he does, I think, is worth watching. The opposite of course, being the “written-off” artist whose work I’ll actively avoid. Like, say, Christopher Nolan. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that some people’s work I feel like I can connect with more. I just reviewed One Battle After Another and found it kind of lackluster, but still somewhat interesting. How does...
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Original Soundtrack by Mick Giacchino It’s hard to know exactly when we need to pull the plug on Star Wars or completely abandon it. I used to be a fan of the franchise, but somehow, re-watching in my old age (30s), it failed to connect with me at the level it did as a child. Had I become jaded? I know plenty of Star Wars apologists of course, but my hot take after my re-watch is...
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte We’ve all got Wuthering Heights FEVER! What’s-her-name Emerald Something is finally (FINALLY) adapting Emily Bronte’s popular book for the big screen for the 5th time and this one is finally going to be THE ONE! It’s gonna look the coolest! Cooler than any Zach Snyder movie. It’s gonna have the dopest cast: Frankestein and the naked woman from Wolf of Wall Street who’s now a serious actress. It’s gonna have music by Charlie XCX: someone...
Lord of the Fliesby William Golding I just finished this and I just gotta talk about it. I’ve always known about the Lord of the Flies allegory: a group of kids are stranded on an island and try to keep order in spite of their tribal inclinations. I think the Simpsons did it in the Camp Krusty episode. That reveal of Bart wearing the tribal head dress to the camera always struck me. So, how could I resist an old,...
Innumeracyby John Allen Paulos I was never a good student in high school, I just couldn’t pay attention. How would math, or history, or English help me beat the second racing level in Battletoads? I had priorities elsewhere, I guess. Do I feel bad about it? Of course I do. But not as bad as I do for the people I met when I moved to the US. Boy, the very idea of math scares them. I’ve always been a...