“Can a Song Be Your Favorite on the Album Because of its Positioning within it?: Popaganda.”

Once upon a time, there was a band called Head Automatica. And they were… well, what were they? They were loud, pretty much, if that narrows it down. They were a dance-pop sextet with a lead singer, Darryl Palumbo, whose other band was the hardcore-leaning Jawbox, who’d employ iconic hip-hop producer Dan the Automator for … Read more“Can a Song Be Your Favorite on the Album Because of its Positioning within it?: Popaganda.”

Supermarket: The Novel to End All Novels (Or So Logic Hopes)”

I just got done with the novel written by Logic, the rapper, or Bobby Hall, entitled Supermarket. I have to say — it retained my interest for the whole way. It’s written in a very clear, simple style (like a novel written by a rapper would theoretically be), there’s a lot of plot content, violence, … Read moreSupermarket: The Novel to End All Novels (Or So Logic Hopes)”

“Things Have Shifted from ‘What Kind of Music do You Like?’ to ‘Do You Have Music Taste?’”

You know Matt Pinfield doesn’t run the world anymore, you might say, when you come across a girl who “can’t think of a song.” Yes, that’s right — and this was in 2011, sadly enough — our Spanish instructor asked us each to name a song and this one girl goes, “I can’t think of … Read more“Things Have Shifted from ‘What Kind of Music do You Like?’ to ‘Do You Have Music Taste?’”

“I Don’t Think Sinead O’Connor Belongs in the RRHOF but I Still Might Not Be an A**hole”

We’ve come around again to what’s typically a pretty painful endeavor, the nomination enlistments for the annual rock and roll hall of fame induction. I don’t have anything against the rock hall existing, mind you, as some people do, and I don’t even think hip-hop should be disallowed, either, for that matter. If I know … Read more“I Don’t Think Sinead O’Connor Belongs in the RRHOF but I Still Might Not Be an A**hole”

“How Gangsta Rap Could Usher in a Post-Musical Age: My ‘2pac Toggling List’”

A couple weeks ago, I was sitting around my motel room, eating, listening to music and waiting for the Michigan game to start. I had my “2pac Toggling List” on, which is a bunch of ‘Pac and a bunch of other really violent, uncompromising gangsta rap. We all know the drill on this stuff by … Read more“How Gangsta Rap Could Usher in a Post-Musical Age: My ‘2pac Toggling List’”

“It Looks Like Green Day Has Finally Taken the Logical Progression and Released a Fall out Boy Record”

If only for the sheer mass of cultural pressure administered by women in their 20s or 30s craving more music to drive to prom to, Green Day has released a record that sounds like it could be by Fall out Boy. Gone are all of the stylistic flares and forays that made Father of All… … Read more“It Looks Like Green Day Has Finally Taken the Logical Progression and Released a Fall out Boy Record”

“Cream’s Cover of ‘Sitting on Top of the World’ by Howlin’ Wolf is a Good Litmus Test for Old vs. New Music Taste”

There are things the new generation does that are just different. Let’s face it. They’d be loath before the idea of going into a Pizza Hut, ordering, and then sitting there for 10 minutes without a smart phone, while the stuff’s getting cooked. This would be my comfort zone, as it were.  Recently, anyway, this … Read more“Cream’s Cover of ‘Sitting on Top of the World’ by Howlin’ Wolf is a Good Litmus Test for Old vs. New Music Taste”

“‘Hail to the Nixers’: A Brief Snapshot of Michigan’s Alternate Fight Song Permutation, from a Theoretical Standpoint”

First of all I must say congratulations to my Michigan Wolverines on securing the national championship in college football, hence violating what in the prior 25 years had been our serious policy against winning the championship in any sport. (I think we made something like eight final fours in that time between football, basketball, hockey … Read more“‘Hail to the Nixers’: A Brief Snapshot of Michigan’s Alternate Fight Song Permutation, from a Theoretical Standpoint”