I wish I had time for this to be a proper and thorough-going appreciation for Dan Bejar (New Pornographers, Swan Lake, Hello Blue Roses) and his solo outfit, Destroyer, which E. Tan and I saw at Bowery Ballroom a couple weeks ago.
Alas, this being the end of the semester I’m afraid you’ll get little more [...]
My first impulse was to approach this playlist in the same way I’ve approached reading list requests for various magazines. You’re certain (when you agree to do it) that your recent intake includes Camus, Hofstaeder, and first-edition Russian novels – then are horrified when a quick look at the nightstand reveals the latest thriller by [...]
Or a few questions, at least. I’m curious about how you read (or hear) this song, performed last year by a 60-year-old singer generally regarded as the godmother of punk:
If you don’t know the song, check out the lyrics here. It closes out side one of the 1978 album Easter, which also included the top [...]
Every year, on or about April 8, I make a mixtape that I share with a few friends. First came “Mix 26” (2005), then “27 - Out with the :-(, in with the :-)” (2006), and “28 - Is It Too Late? (2007, never released). Now, as I turn 30 (and to show my appreciation [...]
It’s 10 p.m. on Monday. I thought about writing a post on the agony of chronic indecision, but couldn’t make up my mind (ba dum bum). Instead, I offer the following diversions and bemusements.
1. The Awareness Test.
I failed. Will you?
Do The Test.
2. Sidewalk art.
What does this chalk drawing depict?
Viewed from the opposite direction, it produces [...]