I’m not sure, but I think, that we’re entering a time of year now when a forest of genius typically matriculates up onto canvas — from the dregs and doldrums of still, stultified and scene-less winters. Realities have to exist in a person’s own mind in these environs, and so the imagination necessarily, and defensively, … Read more“Dolby’s Top 10 Songs about Paintings or Painting”
We’re sort of in a paradoxical time now in music, because on one hand, while there are more people in the world than ever, it makes evermore sense for the main message of music to feature and revolve around spoken diction. At the same time, our increasing reliance on technology obviates the appropriateness of electronic … Read more“Lyrics as Poetry”
Moving west is pretty common in America. It’s just kind of what you do. But if you move out west and hate it, or if your parents moved you to the overcrowded yuppie city of San Francisco and you hate it, then you rock out. Punk rock is the opposite of America. [1] It does … Read more“Punk Mix”
Ok, here’s a snapshot of me in the ’00’s, 2005: my friend is making fun of me because I’m sitting in my room smoking weed and listening to Muddy Waters’ His Best: 1947-1953. Most of the songs are just Waters with his guitar, playing perfect blues licks, and VERY scant percussion: I’m talking like rain … Read more“Dolby’s Top 10 Mainstream Radio Hits from the ’00’s”
It’s a shaaaame that this is necessary, but ambition has eclipsed evaluation in certain arenas here, and it’s time to take a stand. .. 10 Robert Frodeman/Adam Briggle – “When Philosophy Lost its Way” (New York Times) . “Before (philosophy’s) migration to the university,” argue Frodeman and Briggle, “Philosophers could be found anywhere — serving … Read more“Dolby’s Not-Top-10 of 2015.”
10 Wu-Tang Clan – Forever . Polymorphousness, polymorphousness, polymorphousness. Hell, your double LP BETTER have it. “It’s Yourz” follows heroically the world-concerned, mucky “A Better Tomorrow,” and synopsizes things into a nice anthemic chorus of success: “It’s yourz the world in the palm of your hand / It’s yourz 23 million on useful land / … Read more“Dolby’s 10 Most Underrated Albums of All Time”
* “The world is collapsing around our ears I turned up the radio I can’t hear it” – R.E.M. . I HATE when music conversations turn to the mainstream. But my first encounter with “indie rock,” in the ’90’s, was with Sleater-Kinney, whom I hated at the time: their music sounded like women giving childbirth. … Read more“Dolby’s Top 25 Musical Acts to Never Have a Hit Single”
Ah, it’s not easy being ’90’s dance music. It’s like being an old lady in a tattoo parlor. We had FINALLY defeated carnal paganism in music, or so we thought, musicians like Pearl Jam and R.E.M. were vegan and/or socially conscious, and “alternative” rock, as proffered by Nirvana which bashed he-man misogynist types who would … Read more“’90’s Dance Mix”
* There are people who won’t let you be happy, And people who won’t you be sad, And in between, Hopefully, Some sense, Or something better. .. It’s funny: in 2014, I thought albums were a joke, an antiquated assembly line product through which to feign false inspiration. This year, I felt like they were … Read more“Dolby’s Top 20 Albums of 2015.”
What with all the atrocity going on in the world as of late, I wanted to keep things upbeat and light here. This list celebrates the genesis of recording, all the way up through its current perfection. So it’s a luxury of this day and age: we can’t escape reality, but in a sense we … Read more“Dolby’s 100 Years of Rock and Roll (by the Decade)”