blog riley

NPR's On Point with Tom Ashbrook (from WBUR Boston) Rock 'n Gender Roles Aired: Friday, September 17, 2004 8-9PM ET RA | WMA | QT … [Read more...]

My appearance on today's Here and Now, with Robin Young, promoting Fever. Click here for the direct RA link. … [Read more...]

Owen Gleiberman weighs in on a lot of things at rockcritics.com, including this comment on pop in the movies: I've always lived for those moments in movies that are musical-dramatic epiphanies. The form, if that's what it is, was really born in Kenneth Anger's Scorpio Rising--both Scorsese and … [Read more...]

Jeff Jacobi ("Where is the Muslim outrage?"), meet the New York Times ("Massacre Draws Self-Criticism in the Muslim Press"). … [Read more...]

Back from another Goshen Fair, rich with carbs. Late into the night after rescreening some BAND OF BROS, which holds up nicely, I listened to the Fiery Furnaces's BLUEBERRY BOAT, which blew my mind instead of lulling me off to sleep. I mean this in a good way. The lyrics veer between offhanded … [Read more...]

David Thomson on Robert Redford. introducing FANTASY COVERS: Max Cleland doing Johnny Paycheck's "It Ain't Over Til the Triple Paraplegic Vet Sings" GLOSSED IN TRANSLATION: "I listened to Richard Nixon... and I decided to be a Republican..." Arnold Schwarzenegger. READ: "That one guy looked richer … [Read more...]

Suffering the slings and arrows of cramped housework, camping in the attic WITH TWO KIDS, and trails of LEAD DUST, it's been a blog-free week. MEA CRAPPA CULPA. But here's what we've been listening to: Toscannini GREATEST CONDUCTOR series, Brahms Fourth; Beastie Boys CHECK YOUR HEAD (organ! … [Read more...]

This from Bagnews Notes (referred by First Draft and the mighty Atrios): In his Arts (and Politics) column in the NYTimes about a half year ago, Frank Rich speculated that the biggest reelection blind spot for Bush had to do with his ignorance of popular culture. This article was written just as the … [Read more...]

Wisconsin Public Radio Tuesday, August 10, 2004  at  10:00 AM Veronica Rueckert's guest, after ten, says that, contrary to what conservative critics say, rock'n roll has helped baby boomers and later generations become better friends, better parents, and better citizens. Guest: Tim Riley, pop … [Read more...]

Still trying to make sense of what I saw at the DNC on Wednesday night and how it got covered. The Fleet center was abuzz with scads of bright, young, energetic, active, idea-driven, hard-working people, and the journalists I saw on TV the day after were tired, cynical, self-obsessed, patronizing … [Read more...]

It's almost like there's too much noise around FAHRENHEIT 9/11 to watch it with a clear head, and I still wonder whether it will change minds. Bush is such an easy, wide-ass target by now that as his defenders grow more shrill, his critics seem to carp in vain. I wish Moore was more responsible with … [Read more...]

Freddie Mercury Nesting Eggs … [Read more...]

Is it me? Feels like I've taken crazy pills: "...hedonism, as expressed by rock, is playing center stage in our culture. But being 'out front' doesn’t have to mean 'better than the rest.' More influential? Sure. More perfect? No.'" I tried very hard to make the case that rock figures symbolized … [Read more...]

Mr. Riley, Fever limits its discussion of country music’s influence to Johnny Cash (starting on page 9). With that, you seem to suggest that rock, following Elvis, completely overshadowed any other manly ideal, especially the one you associate with John Wayne and Johnny Cash. Is that what you meant? … [Read more...]

Some very worthy-ass lists from McSweeney's. We gravitated towards Dick Cheney's iPod playlists, Wasploitation flicks, and Alcoholics Anonymous Slogans as Eleven Murder Mystery Titles and One Spy Thriller Title, but we didn't have all day. Irresistible. This alone is a site waiting to happen. And … [Read more...]