Last week the Federal Communications Commission harrumphed briefly to life, handing down one of its outrageous and seemingly arbitrary fines to a broadcast network that dared show a bit of…
You know what I miss? Novelty songs. Not just the typical “Weird Al” parodies, but wholly original works that slipped into the mainstream and became pop hits. Even crap like…
“I’m gonna tell you, in plain English — just as plain as I can — I’m gonna love you like woman,” Koko says. “But I’m also gonna fight you like…
My sophomore year at Bowling Green State University, I attended a performance by an African dance troupe. I don’t recall much of that show, save for the troupe inviting the…
Various Artists – Dragnet Original Soundtrack (1987) purchase this album (Amazon) You know, writing about cutouts in the digital age is more difficult than it looks. Not a week goes…
The poet Emily Dickinson once wrote that “Valentine’s Day sucks rocks,” and it’s easy to see why: Dickinson was known for her use of filthy geological metaphor, as well as…
The weird thing about being into music as much as I am (much to the chagrin of every girlfriend I’ve ever had) is that I still end up missing out…
Known to most Americans as the opening band on the 1992 Lollapalooza tour, Lush had a few minor Modern Rock hits in the early ’90s but never broke through in…
Coming into their first full-length, Vampire Weekend are in the precarious position of having a reputation that precedes them. Before their self-titled debut can be properly digested and enjoyed, let’s…
Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) makes two ballsy moves with her new album, Jukebox, largely considered her second covers album, though it contains two originals. She leads off with the…
Dear Chris Walla, As a longtime Death Cab for Cutie fan, I was pretty excited to hear about your solo album. By “longtime fan,” I mean longtime fan. We’re talking…
Just so you know, it’s been raining like a mofo in the Bay Area (which is where yours truly resides). And in between driving to work, or taking BART into…
If you were born in January or you fell in love in January or you got married in January or you have a child who was born or fell in…
The new Erykah Badu video for “Honey,” released Jan. 2008: [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/HNJt5ADHzIY” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] The old Morningwood video for “Nth Degree,” released Apr. 2006: [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_vhMhm9euT8″ width=”425″ height=”350″…
The first time I ever visited Sherman Oaks and saw the childhood home of my old roommate Miles (this was back when we lived in San Diego, before he got…
The first single from Rod Stewart’s album A Spanner in the Works, the Tom Petty composition “Leave Virgina Alone,” could be considered his first single in a very long time…
1982 was a banner year for former Runaway Joan Jett — “I Love Rock & Roll” was number one for a kajillion weeks, “Crimson and Clover” followed it into the…
I am not one to toss around the word “hero” lightly. It takes extraordinary courage to earn such a designation. I am also not one to write one of these…
Even since Benny Andersson and BjÁƒ¶rn Ulvaeus first realized that they had a knack for writing songs together, itÁ¢€™s been an accepted fact that thereÁ¢€™s something in the water of…
If there’s one major aspect of the rise of hipster irony (the only rule of which seems to be, basically, “so bad/ridiculous/awkward it’s good”) that I appreciate, it’s what it’s…
Here in the etherworldly state of Serious Pop Culture Fandom, Internet division, it’s traditional to set impossibly high quality standards and then smite with mighty (and snarky) blows any album/film/novel…
For all intents and purposes, Bill and Hillary Clinton should be my candidates. On the political spectrum I consider myself center-left, and the Clintons have been center-left politicians since, well,…
Clive Griffin – Commitment of the Heart (1993) Ladies and gentlemen, meet Sony’s Next Big Thing of 1993! A little explanation is in order, I can tell. You’ve never heard…
Some giving soul out there has provided something of a Holy Grail for LIT80s fans, including me — they’ve posted three full hours of MTV from 1983 (The Best Year…
I don’t get it. I simply don’t. 2007 was a pretty good year for music, all in all. Maybe not great for the actual industry of selling music, and maybe…
Those of you looking for a laugh will be pleased to know that TBS has just begun airing the second season of their workplace comedy, 10 Items or Less. Unfortunately,…
John Gorka – My Invisible Gun from Between Five and Seven (1996) Pet Shop Boys – For Your Own Good from Nightlife (1999) Andy Iona & His Islanders – Ta-hu-wa-hu-wa-i…
BOTTOM LINE: An uninspired story with mediocre music; a few decent moments and a talented cast keep it from being a total bust; only recommended for those who really like…
In response to the nearly self-fulfilling prophecy of a recession, President Bush recently announced proposals to offer tax rebates in the ballpark of $150 billion. He also proposed a kick-in…
The writer’s strike sucks. You know it, I know it, and all but the most diehard aficionados of reality TV know it. We don’t watch TV for reality, we watch…