“Rock and Roll and Commercial Chasm, Notes”

Rock and roll reaches the tips of the fingers of those who have been forgotten, neglected: from slavery in the old South, to New Jersey, to Seattle, pre-1991. Heavy metal is basically with the keyboard taken out. True bands, though, should have a keyboardist, like The Doors, Beach House and Cave. Amazingly, The Doors were … Read more“Rock and Roll and Commercial Chasm, Notes”

“In a Numbed State, The Mind Drifts to Optimism: An Examination of Phish and Their Fans”

Summer is coming, and so, in America, Phish will always be a relevant topic. I’ve seen two Phish shows, and, appropriately enough, I scantily remember either of them, though I remember the histrionics leading up to their onset more vividly, swallowing a chocolate candy drug, thinking it was acid, discovering it was mescaline, seeing the … Read more“In a Numbed State, The Mind Drifts to Optimism: An Examination of Phish and Their Fans”

“I Migrate to Where Smiling is the Default”

Because Smiles are earned through autonomy And are beautiful, Of heaven   That’s what is forgotten In the documented, The crestfallen Stabs at containment   The fact is, It’s raining too hard For stasis It’s raining need, Which is voluptuous, vituperative rage, It’s raining confusion, Change, with heads swiveling round, And finally, It’s raining smiles, … Read more“I Migrate to Where Smiling is the Default”

“Dolby’s Top 10 All-Time Funniest Moments in Entertainment (In No Particular Order)”

The skit/interlude in the Beastie Boys’ “B-Boys Makin’ wit’ the Freak Freak”   It’s a black dude going, “Sh**, if it’s gonna be that kinda party I’m-a stick my di** in the mashed potatoes!” Nobody, NOBODY, I’ve ever been around listening to Ill Communication with, has ever failed to laugh at this one, and you … Read more“Dolby’s Top 10 All-Time Funniest Moments in Entertainment (In No Particular Order)”

“Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World: The Much Maligned Odd Couple of Late-’90’s Pop/Punk”

Ok, there are a lot of layers to this, so let me be begin by commenting that “Bleed American,” the opener on Jimmy Eat World’s fourth album which was ONCE called just that, is one of the headiest, steady-handed jabs at reclusive modern culture in rock. Because I know everybody’s going to be saying, with … Read more“Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World: The Much Maligned Odd Couple of Late-’90’s Pop/Punk”

“Album Spotlight: Billy Squier – Emotions in Motion.”

Capitol/1982 … I used to dishwash at this bar/burger joint down the street from where I went to high school, down the street from where I live now. The radio would constantly be on the oldies station, which used to play stuff like Motown and “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane,” but now is more the … Read more“Album Spotlight: Billy Squier – Emotions in Motion.”

“Defending the Coalition against Blaxploitation”

Not that they need much defense, seeing as the “Coalition against Blaxploitation” page was deleted from wikipedia. It seems that fat white people, by way of gavels literal and figurative, have effectively, partially through blaxploitation, completely removed the concept of the black artist from the ’60’s/rock and roll movement. We’ve come to associate African Americans … Read more“Defending the Coalition against Blaxploitation”