An as-always untimely list of the best albums of 2025
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
Andor season 2 and the problem of prequelitis
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
Andor season 2 is revolutionary TV
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
A painfully sincere tribute to the genius of Jenny Nicholson
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
A reasonably timely list of the best albums of 2024
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
The only 5 Christmas albums I can stand
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
Joker and the problem of identity
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
30 years of hating Oasis
In case you’ve been exploring the outer moons of Neptune and missed the news, Britpop icons and perennial bad boys Oasis have reformed and are set to embark on a massive, ridiculously hyped, and highly lucrative world tour in 2025. Here are a bunch of reasons why you won’t find me queuing up for tickets.… Continue reading 30 years of hating Oasis
The spectacular rise and depressing demise of Charli XCX’s Brat Summer
It was inevitable that I would end up writing about Charli XCX’s Brat — without question not only the album of the year but the pop-culture event of the year. But the crazy thing is how the nature of this essay changed so dramatically several times in the course of just a few days, from… Continue reading The spectacular rise and depressing demise of Charli XCX’s Brat Summer
The 15 best Hey Duggee badges
If you’ve been around both a young child and a TV at any point in the past nine years, you probably know that Hey Duggee is one of the best, most intelligent, and most consistently delightful shows out there for the little ones — and us parents too. Produced by the BBC’s kids’ channel, CBeebies… Continue reading The 15 best Hey Duggee badges
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Under the Paving Stones 