Ongoing list of admirable critics with inexplicable opinions: Garry Wills thinks Oliver Stone ranks with Dostoevsky, even recommends half of his first novel... Greil Marcus has a pavlovian negative reaction to Lucinda Williams ("As great an emotional fraud as Destiny’s Child -- wins the prize … [Read more...]
EAT THE PLUTOCRATS
Garry Wills writes consistently piercing entries in his NYRB blog: Republican operatives describe this year’s presidential election in apocalyptic terms. It will determine our future. It will seal our national fate. Well, they are probably right, but not for the reason they give. They tell … [Read more...]
AIN’T IT FONK-AY: RJ SMITH ON JAMES BROWN
via truthdig: Mythic and imperious, James Brown ranks as one of the last century’s most important acts, defying musical gravity along with Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix and perhaps Ray Charles. Since his death in 2006, Brown looms over soul, funk and rap more as symbol than musician, a … [Read more...]
STEVE WASSERMAN’S AMAZON EFFECT
Steve Wasserman in The Nation: ...The inability of most traditional publishers to successfully adapt to technological change may be rooted in the retrograde editorial and marketing culture that has long characterized the publishing industry. As one prominent literary agent told me, “This is a … [Read more...]
DIE CONCERT TICKETS DIE
Infographic by: authoritytickets.com … [Read more...]
RAM DELUXE OXYMORON
Related articles Remastered McCartney Album Out Next Week, Listen Here NOW Paul McCartney to Release 'Ram' Box Set The newest release in the Paul McCartney archive collection CD Review: RAM - Paul And Linda McCartney … [Read more...]
CRAIG MOD HACKS THE DIGITAL COVER
Mod's essay on how book covers evolve on new platforms: ...my platonic goal was to evoke a classic sense of cover. Functional covers. Unrippable covers. Covers for books you can toss in a bag and not worry about. Simple covers that bleed into the bodies of books. Example: Cardon Webb's series for … [Read more...]
John Peels Record Archive
John Peel's record collection Related articles John Peel's Vault The Space where you can find John Peel's records John Peel's Virtual Museum John Peel's Record Collection - An In-Depth … [Read more...]
DETERIORATA XII:2
Source: HTMLGiant Source: Frugal dad ALSO: Ideas Illustrated » Blog Archive » Visualizing English Word Origins NEXT WEEK IN ARLINGTON Related articles Are a number of brands controlled by just 10 multinational brands? [Fraser Hay] (ecademy.com) Deteriorata Xii:1 (artsjournal.com) … [Read more...]
TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS
OR, MODERNITY'S ELEVATOR SHAFT Chiming on all the chatter about use of the Beatles in the "Lady Lazarus" episode of Mad Men last week. Most of the speculation circles around the cost of using the track, the first on a major American TV show ($250k, big whoop). But few seem interested in tying … [Read more...]
VATICAN TO NUNS: DROP DEAD, PART LCMMMXXVII
My friend Julia Lieblich (author of the new book Wounded I Am More Awake) wrote a story about the Vatican that ran in the Washington Post: So when I heard that the Vatican had ordered a crackdown on the largest umbrella group of U.S. sisters, accusing them of spending too much time “promoting … [Read more...]
Saadiq, plus Colbert on Catholicism at TIME 100 Awards
Rafael Saadiq made the Time 100 Most Influential People, here's the On Point show commentary (at 29:00) from yesterday. Colbert hosted the dinner: "Also, Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke is here tonight. Also an instant, instant feminist icon. Famously tested, testified before Congress, … [Read more...]
QUOTE OF THE WEEK, LENA DUNHAM
What were your favorite books as a child? Do you have a favorite character or hero from one of those books? Is there one book you wish all children would read? I have tattoos from children’s books all over my arms and torso. The biggest one is of Ferdinand the bull, which Elliott Smith also had, … [Read more...]
BEETHOVEN OPUS 132, III
Experience Music Project, NYU
That abject fabulist Daphne Carr sold me a three-for-ten deal on her Pop Papers singles from Feedback Press. She was pushing "Endlessly Horny for Wonder and Magic: How Jim Steinman's Bat Out of Hell Perfectly Captured the Pre-Pubescent American Id (and Nearly Ruined Me for Life)," by Tim Quirk, … [Read more...]