Massive Attack’s sold-out show in Sydney in August was my first time seeing them — long overdue, as I’ve been a fan for over 30 years. As if I were being rewarded for waiting all that time, it was absolutely stunning, unlike anything I’ve seen before. Twenty-thousand of us at the unfortunately named Afterpay Arena … Continue reading Massive Attack’s unparalleled live fusion of music, cinema, and politics
I don’t mind admitting I’m writing this through tears. My first thought when I saw the news of Dolly Parton’s passing last week is that 80 is too young. She was only four years older than my mom when she passed last year, and that was way too young. I’m sure her family is feeling … Continue reading Blessed are the poor: Dolly Parton’s life of solidarity and giving
I was a fan of Toy Story long before I became a dad. In 1996, at the age of 25, I rented the original on VHS one night and watched it by myself over a six-pack of blackberry porter. I loved it! In 1999 my sister and I went to see the sequel on the … Continue reading Toy Story’s “villain” Sid did nothing wrong
This is a list of my favorite albums of 2025! It’s my fifth-annual end-of-year list and if you’re a regular reader, you know they’re always late! So let’s get right into it without a long intro! Several of my new and old favorite artists dropped new albums in 2025, including three who’ve been the subjects … Continue reading An as-always untimely list of the best albums of 2025
This is the second part of my two-part deep dive into Andor season 2. The first part, which I posted last year, covered the cinema and politics of the latest and final season over two sections or “arcs” (named after the show’s unique three-episode narrative blocs). Here, in the third arc, I take a look … Continue reading Andor season 2 and the problem of prequelitis
Star Wars will never be better: A look at the cinematic and political power of Tony Gilroy’s masterpiece So here I am with my third piece about Andor, and a fourth on the way. Having already written two long essays about season 1 (the first piece a broader review of the show and its excellent … Continue reading Andor season 2 is revolutionary TV
I have to preface this by admitting that among Jenny Nicholson fans, demographically speaking I’m an outlier. I’m in my 50s, significantly older than the younger millennials and older zoomers who make up most of the audience of her Youtube channel. I was older than Nicholson is now (33) when Youtube was launched in 2005. … Continue reading A painfully sincere tribute to the genius of Jenny Nicholson
I won’t spend too many words introducing this list — I’ve already explained my taste and methodology several times on my previous year-end lists, dating back to 2021. The overarching themes here are shoegaze, hyperpop, ambient, electronic, and psychedelia, as usual; with a big helping of skewed folk and country this time around. This was … Continue reading A reasonably timely list of the best albums of 2024
A thing about me is that I love Christmas, but for the most part I hate Christmas music. I realize this may sound strange. Trust me, I really do go nuts for the holiday season — lights, decorations, baking, holiday movies, Santa hats, showering my 10-year-old with gifts, the whole nine. But the music isn’t … Continue reading The only 5 Christmas albums I can stand
I wrote this essay about the politics of Todd Phillips’s Joker almost five years ago, and posted it to my Facebook page. That was a turning point in my decision to start this site. It wasn’t the first time I’d posted lengthy and detailed thoughts about a film and its politics, but I worked especially … Continue reading Joker and the problem of identity
