Smackdown: Picaresque vs. the Crane Wife.
Several people will probably want to crucify me for saying this, but I greatly, greatly disliked Picaresque. I would go so far as to say that I hate it, except that there are two songs on it that are quite glorious. The Decemberists: “We Both Go Down Together” (download) The Decemberists: “The Engine Driver” (download)...
Moving!
Lil’ Kim: “Lighters Up (Welcome To Brooklyn)” (download) Maserati: “Moving With Heavy Hearts” (download) The Cars: “Moving In Stereo” (download) Hello, faithful readers! If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard from me in awhile, it’s because I’m moving. I put a deposit on an apartment this past weekend, and signed the lease this week. I’m...
I Know it’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll, but I Like it…
When I’m trying to recall something from my life thus far, there are generally two points of reference that I use: 1) what band I was listening to the most and 2) who I had a crush on at the time. As I’ve gotten older, it’s become harder to categorize things this way, because my...
CNN Reports on Indie Rock.
I’ve just been alerted to a CNN Special Report all about the Indie Scene. This special report includes a story defining indie and the history of indie culture (“If it’s cool, creative and different, it’s indie” — oh really?), as well as a quiz: “How indie are you?” I scored an 8 out of 10,...
Sorry!
Hall & Oates: “I’m Sorry” (download) Red House Painters: “I’m Sorry (John Denver Cover)” (download) I’m going to go back through my entries to add Technorati tags and category tags to each one. I apologize in advance if this screws things up for those of you who are reading T-Sides through feeds. For those of...
Link Love, Part Two.
1. Jeff of Jefitoblog has a really wonderful Friday mixtape series going on every week. I missed the one from Friday before last, but I’m still listening to the first two, and the most recent is surely good, as it features Stars, Buckingham Nicks, Aretha Franklin & Steely Dan. Also, it’s Jefitoblog, and Jeff’s posts...
Science of Gondry’s Sleep.
Welcome, friends, to another T-Sides movie review! I meant to follow my last one up with a review of Factotum, but life happens and one gets distracted. (If you like Bukowski, you’ll probably like it, if you don’t, you probably won’t. How’s that?) Now there are newer films in our theaters, and so shall I...
2 Nights at Madison Square Garden.
I know, I know. It’s been ages, my friends. I was on a good roll there, too. But there is this whole interning thing, and looking for a job thing, and looking for an apartment thing. Then I got ambushed by a sinus infection. I know everyone hates an excuse-giver, but I couldn’t help but...
Putting the Summer to Bed and Preparing for a Long Winter(s).
It’s fitting that, on their third full-length EP, the Long Winters have a song titled “(It’s A) Departure,” because on the first listen, it sounds like exactly that. Compared to memories of their first two releases, Putting The Days To Bed sounds faster, harder, more… well, rock. What happened to the band that became known...
No Partying at this Beach House.
Beach House: “Apple Orchard” (download) Beach House: “Master Of None” (download) I have a love-hate relationship with pop music. At least half of the time, I find pop music too sickly sweet, too annoying, too generic and/or too boring. but on other occasions, my heart has been known to pitter-patter for the right catchy hook,...
Impossible Shapes: “Horus”
The Impossible Shapes: “Bombs” (download) The Impossible Shapes: “Putrefaction” (download) The Impossible Shapes: “Demon Love” (download) I don’t like making lists of my top albums for each year. I’m always interested to read others’ lists, but I don’t like making my own. I’ll probably make one for this year, anyhow, since I’ve got this here...
Soapbox