20. “The Doomsday Machine” “Vulcans never bluff.” – Spock After receiving a garbled distress signal that could be a starship’s disaster beacon, the U.S.S. Enterprise enters a solar system of decimated planets. Entering a nearby system, they find the same… Read More
13. The Cure (2004) Somehow, Robert Smith got into his head the notion that it would be a good idea to work with producer Ross Robinson, known for his collaborations with Korn, Slipknot and, Gods help us, Limp Bizkit. Robinson tried to… Read More
A crossdressing tragicomedy considerably ahead of its time, George Cukor’s Sylvia Scarlett notoriously flopped at the box office when first released in 1935. Even more than Mary of Scotland (1936) and Bringing Up Baby (1938)—the latter enjoying little initial success… Read More
There’s a passage in music historian Peter Guralnick’s new anthology Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing that rings bells with me. It has nothing to do with music. In a profile of the English novelist Henry Green… Read More
11. The Cranberries – “Stars” (Stars: The Best of 1992-2002, 2002) The Cranberries are one of those bands where people actually know more songs from them than they’d expect. Their greatest hits compilation opens up with that trifecta of radio… Read More
1. “Southern Accents” – Southern Accents (1985) For many fans Southern Accents is a mixed bag of song quality, as it contains some of Petty’s work as well as songs muddied by ’80s overproduction. “Southern Accents” and “Rebels” are both… Read More
Over the past 15 years, New York outfit the Reign of Kindo have risen to be one of the most reliable and remarkable acts in rock music. By infusing bits of funk, jazz, and synthpop into their art-rock DNA, the… Read More
Animotion – “Obsession” (1984) Singer/songwriter Holly Knight, who enjoyed substantial success in the ’80s writing hits for other artists like Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield”, “Never” by Heart, and “The Warrior” by Scandal just to name a few, first… Read More
Considering its rhythmic complexities and instrumental demands, at first glance funk music would appear to make for an unlikely partner for punk rock. Add its focus on the bass and drums, its mostly mid-to-slow tempos, and its African-American roots, and… Read More
Like foodies or vinylphiles, blues fans are a passionate lot. Go to any blues club and—between sets—you’re sure to find a group of aficionados debating over the greatest musicians and albums. It’s a time-honored tradition. While it’s unlikely that a… Read More