This is a reader-supported blog. If you like what you read, consider buying me a coffee! This is not how I planned it — I didn’t expect to be publishing something about Bluey so soon. The thing is, I’ve been meaning to write an essay about the series for a couple of years. I’ve outlined it, … Continue reading The many delights — and the disappointment — of the epic Bluey episode “The Sign”
I published the first of my year-end best-albums lists in early March of 2022, and sheepishly titled it “A belated list.” The next one was a little less late, landing in late February, and so that one was “A (somewhat less) belated list.” Well, the third edition is later than ever. It’s mid-March, 2023 has … Continue reading A belated (as usual) list of the best albums of 2023
I write about film all the time, but not all of it gets published here. When I see a film or a series, whether old or new, and decide I have something to say about it, there are, broadly speaking, two things that might happen. The first possibility is that I’m so obsessed with this … Continue reading A compilation of my short-form film reviews of 2023
Those of you who follow this blog may have noticed it’s been a bit quiet around here for the last few months. There’s a specific reason for this: almost all of my extra attention and energy has been consumed by following and protesting the war and genocide in Gaza. I haven’t really been able to … Continue reading Elia Suleiman’s Palestine trilogy: The tragic absurdity of occupation
This essay is divided into two sections: an introduction, with a brief overview of the album’s history and a defense of its greatness; followed by a longer (and quite obsessive) track-by-track breakdown of all 13 songs. Just so what you know what you’re getting into going in. And by the way, if you like the … Continue reading The greatness of Everything, the Bangles’ melancholy, masterful breakup album
Wednesday’s fifth album, Rat Saw God, contains an unreasonable amount of awesomeness. The Asheville, North Carolina quintet does so many things so well on their breakout LP it’s almost not fair. I’ve heard their sound referred to as “country shoegaze” or “if Sonic Youth were from the South,” and those are apt descriptions. They play … Continue reading Wednesday’s Rat Saw God: Southern Gothic country shoegaze played with exhilarating intensity
Quick note about the music in this post: I have several classic rave tracks and mixtapes from the 1992–94 era embedded throughout, and others linked in the text. I also made a Spotify playlist of the records I played in that era, embedded at the bottom of this article, but here’s the link if you … Continue reading On the 30th anniversary of my marginal DJ career
This is a reader-supported blog. If you like what you read, consider buying me a coffee! I don’t know how to break this to you, but one of the most interesting and cinematically adventurous films of the year is a franchise IP blockbuster that was made explicitly to sell dolls. I didn’t intend to write about … Continue reading Notes on the politics of Barbie
I learned of Sinéad O’Connor’s death at four in the morning here in Sydney, in the midst of a bout of insomnia, a common occurrence for me. It struck me like a blow, knocking the wind out of me. I scrolled in shock through the headlines and posts for a bit, then sat on the … Continue reading “Remember what I told you”: Sinéad O’Connor’s incomparable life of rebellion
If you follow Susanna Hoffs for any length of time, the overriding impression is one of restlessness. The singer, guitarist and co-founding Bangle is someone who can never be still or do just one thing for very long. She’s constantly in motion in her wonderfully charming TikTok and Instagram videos. She shows off her dance … Continue reading With a new covers LP and a delightful debut novel out at the same time, Susanna Hoffs is thriving
Under the Paving Stones 