Everything Now, the Skateboard Edition
To celebrate the release of Everything Now by TMN co-founder Rosecrans Baldwin, we're partnering with his publisher to give away a skateboard.
Andrew Womack
Black Market Dub and an Alternate History of Popular Music
Turns out that reimagining the music you know and love through a dub filter makes you love it even more.
The Top Albums of 2019
Ninety-three albums that sounded like this year.
The Top Albums of 2018
Following a mid-year checkpoint, catching up on the rest of 2018 with picks from the year in music.
The Top Albums of 2018 (So Far)
With 2018 a little more than half over, a check-in on the year's best long-player recordings.
The Top Albums of 2017
This is the way the year ends: with a fade-out.
The Top Albums of 2016
The best music from 2016 meant more than usual this year.
The Top Albums of 2015
Why we like the music we do is a matter of personal history—and in at least one case, a profound experience of hearing David Bowie.
The Top Albums of 2014
Music writing and music enthusiasm don't mix—let's change that. With the help of an army of YouTube commenters, we gush over our selections for the 31 best albums of the year.
The Top Albums of 2013
A full calendar year of only listening to music that was released in 2013 comes down to this: The Morning News Editor's Choice Awards for the 19 best albums of the year.
The Top 10 Albums of 2012
A year's worth of music listening, whittled down to the core. Because in the end, there can be only 10.
Explaining My Alertness
Right now I am drinking Nespresso. A cup—a very little cup—of the Dulsão de Brasil, currently my favorite variety. And I am about to make some more Nespresso. I’m finding it’s the rare coffee person who knows what I’m talking about when I say I
The Top 10 Albums of 2010
It's the end of the year, and time to sum it up: Ten albums, all great, no filler.
The Top 10 Albums of 2009
The past 10 years have upturned the music world, and we're all better for it. A countdown of the year's best music, and the artist of the decade is named.
What Are Your Past Year's Solutions?
The end of the year is nigh and perhaps too the world. Forget new year's resolutions; we want to pause, take stock, and celebrate this past year's solutions. December's Of Recent Note celebrates the good things of your 2009. What minor achievement, what big
What Are Your Nontraditional Traditions?
We want to hear about the unique, unusual, creative, strange, interesting ways you and your family, friends, and household pets celebrate the holidays. Is there an accidental custom your family has turned into a time-honored tradition? A special meal? A sibling-only field trip to the roller derby? Tell us all
Is Rapper Kanye West Dead?
Suspicious lyrics and other clues suggest something may be amiss among the hip-hop royalty.
What Was Your First Horror Movie?
Let's celebrate the age-old art of scaring yourself silly. This month, we're wondering: What was your first scary cinema experience like--in theaters or at home, eagerly anticipated or forced into viewing by your much heartier friends/evil older siblings? For this month's Of Recent
What Is Your Most Beloved Children's Book?
With the imminent release of the movie version of Where the Wild Things Are, we're caught up in a wave of nostalgia, and our thoughts turn to the bookshelves of our youth. For this month's Of Recent Note we want you to tell us: What is
What Is Your Superpower?
Maybe it's fitting all the luggage into the trunk of the car, or picking the right time in the movie to go to the bathroom, or knowing when fruit is ripe, or getting a great deal on car insurance. For this month's Of Recent Note we
Where Were You on August 14, 2003?
Six years ago this Friday, a major power grid failed and a stripe of Northeastern North America was plunged into darkness. For a special anniversary Of Recent Note we want you to tell us: What are your memories of the 2003 blackout? Email your story to bridget@themorningnews.org by
What Is Your Favorite Conspiracy Theory?
From our president's citizenship to the moon landing to rent control, conspiracy theories are eating up headlines. For this month's Of Recent Note we want you to tell us: What is your favorite conspiracy theory? Maybe your uncle told you about it, maybe it was Fox
What Are Your Favorite Worst Movies?
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Road House is no Citizen Kane (though some may argue it's a poor man's Casablanca), but we both know which one you're going to stop to watch when you're channel-surfing past TNT. (Swayze, of course.
How Are You Coping With the Recession?
This month's Of Recent Note topic is: Recession Confessions Are you stealing paper as well as pens from the office? Furnishing your apartment with castoffs? Attending parties you wouldn't normally attend just for the free food? Have you become a coupon clipper? Maybe you're
What have you been paranoid about lately?
This month's Of Recent Note topic is: What have you been paranoid about lately? There's always job loss and pandemics to worry about, and zoo carousels that go much faster than a zoo carousel ought to go, and two-year-old nieces who can run up and down
Tell Us Your Favorite Print Periodicals
This month's Of Recent Note topic is: Your Favorite Print Periodicals The ones you love--whether thriving, surviving, or recently defunct. Tell us about your morning coffee with the New York Sun, your favorite section of the Seattle P-I, the vice-like grip you have on the last Washington Post
Tell Us Your Favorite Thing About the Recession
This month's Of Recent Note topic is: Your Favorite Thing About the Recession Maybe it's that you're suddenly thankful for your thankless job. Maybe it's that Restaurant Week turned into Restaurant Month and then Restaurant Forever. Maybe it's your shiny
Your Would-Be Acquaintances
This month's Of Recent Note topic is: People I Wish I Knew. They're your would-be acquaintances, your potential best friends, your maybe-someday muses. They're the person you don't know that you'd like to go out to dinner with. They'
TMN Annual Now for Sale in New York
Attention New Yorkers: Our limited-edition TMN Annual 2008 is now for sale at one of our favorite bookstores, the Strand in Manhattan (828 Broadway, between 12th and 13th Streets). Will our shrink-wrapped volume suffer the same lustful attacks as the erotica collections just five feet away? Only you can decide.
Broken Resolutions
It's that time of year again. The time of year when you get to feel like a failure because you did not stick to your pre-appointed resolution. Perhaps because you drunkenly blurted it out at 12:03 a.m., right before lighting another cigarette. Perhaps because it'
The Top 10 Albums of 2008
After 12 months of listening, only 10 records remain.
Of Recent Note: 2008
Here it is, the final Of Recent Note of 2008: What's the best thing you discovered this year? It could be the Fleet Foxes album, it could be tweed moccasins, it could be "change." It could be something that makes you think about what 2008 has
Guilty Favorites
Tell us about your favorite, semi-secret, slightly (or mostly) guilty genre of books and a couple of recent favorites in said genre. You know: crime, romance, sci-fi, founding father biographies, New York Review of Books titles, vampire lore, cats who solve mysteries, etc. If you hoard philosophy textbooks in a
Fall Food
It's fall, which means many things. You know: New England scenery, school buses, the crippling inability to get out of a warm bed on a cool morning. One more wonderful thing about fall is the food. Give us a pumpkin anything, an apple whatever, a baked good or
Behind the Times
It’s time for our latest Of Recent Note. This month’s theme is: Stuff You Should've Gotten Into Before Now You ignored the critical acclaim and the praise heaped upon it by your friends, and stayed in the dark on that TV show/album/book/etc. But
The Hot _______ of the Summer
August’s Of Recent Note is upon us. This month, we are handing over an inordinate level of control. The theme is: “The Hot _______ of the Summer” Meaning: First you fill in the blank, and then write about the thing that you think deserves the most buzz of the season.
Re-Digested
Three times a week since 2006, we’ve been publishing our Digest features with the goal of bringing TMN readers the latest in our favorite books (Mondays), mp3s (Wednesdays), and videos (Fridays). This morning we’re dismantling that calendar with our revamped Digest, a blog (because every magazine should have
Summer Staycations
This month’s Of Recent Note is already here, and we’d love for you to take part. This month’s assignment is: “Summer Staycations” You missed the boat to the Bahamas, declined the road trip to the Grand Canyon, and that means you're right at home—right
The Top 10 Albums of 1989
Because album lists shouldn't happen only once a year. Rounding out the '80s, music from the year America chose wrong.
Todd Osborn
Hometown: Wayne, Mich. Occupation: Music producer, tinkerer I love the short video Ghostly posted about you. One unexpected bit shows you polishing off a plane. I’ve been flying for maybe 15 years but it was really sporadic. I like the flying, of course, but I also really enjoy the
Ways We're Saving Money
Hail! Another Of Recent Note is upon us, and we’re inviting you to take part. This month’s assignment is: “Ways We’re Saving Money” The economy is doomed, the price of everything is going up: So how are you preparing? Maybe you’re brownbagging your lunches, cutting back
Introducing Our Summer 2008 Interns
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our Summer 2008 interns, who by right of even being interns in the first place are more of overachievers than we ever were. Do the old eat the young? The young eat the old? It's one or the other, and we forget. Good
The Top 10 Albums of 1988
Because album lists shouldn't happen only once a year. Now arriving within two decades of the present day.
What are we denying ourselves?
Next week we’ll be publishing our monthly installment of Of Recent Note; and just like last month, we’re inviting you to participate. Here’s this month’s assignment: “Things We’re Denying Ourselves” What have you been holding back on, holding out on, holding yourself up to? Ideals
What's the last great thing you downloaded?
We're trying a new thing here. We'd like you to tell us your most recent, favorite download--a song, a movie, a piece of software, anything at all that you downloaded from the internet to your computer or whatever you compute on. Please send us your 75-100-word
The Top 10 Albums of 1987
Because year-end album lists shouldn't happen just once a year. In this installment: The lists and timeline converge.
Astoria: Andrea Reese
Name: Andrea Reese Hometown: Washington, D.C. Occupation: Writer/Actress/Artist/Singer/Career Counselor How did you break into acting? Both of my grandmothers were in the arts, so I grew up in an environment that was very supportive of my creative sides. In college, I focused on classical singing.
The Top 10 Albums of 2007
In the past 12 months thousands of albums were released, but there are only 10 you'll need to remember.
The Top 10 Albums of 1986
Emptying out a storage space in Houston means judging sentimental value against what fits in the car.
Catching Up With T-Pain
Almost exclusively, I listen to the song “Bartender” by T-Pain. When I moved back to Texas, my grandfather gave me his old car. It’s just turned 10 and in the two months I’ve had it, things are declining at a worrisome rate. A taillight jumped ship in the
The Top 10 Albums of 1985
Even though it wasn't an election year, in 1985 Alex P. Keaton could have run for president--and won.
The Top 10 Albums of 1984
It was no Orwellian nightmare; to have nightmares you need to sleep, and you can't sleep when you lay awake terrified about nuclear war.
The Haçienda Must Be Built
From “Formulary for a New Urbanism” by Ivan Chtcheglov (Internationale Situationniste, October 1953): AndyouforgottenyourmemoriesravagedbyalltheconsternationsoftwohemispheresstrandedintheRedCellarsofPali-Kaowithoutmusicandwithoutgeographynolongersettingoutforthehaciendawhere the roots think of the child and where the wine is finished off with fables from an old almanac.Nowthat’sfinishedYou’llneverseethehaciendaItdoesn’texist The hacienda must be built. Before—A Factory Documentary During
Video Digest: August 10, 2007
Not until somebody gets a drumstick through the throat, will drum aficionados cease debating who’s the superior stickman: Neal Peart or Phil Collins. But one argument is still unexplored: Is Peart’s favoring of do-rags an attempt to mimic Collins’s hairless pate? Doubtful, but drummers are unpredictable—as
Mp3 Digest: July 25, 2007
Apparently Daft Punk is currently touring the U.S. with what some are calling “the best show they’ve been to in their ENTIRE LIFE.” (Emphasis Daft Punk nut.) Since just about the rest of the tour is sold out, however, your best chance to catch them may be in
"This Ain't No Fado Part II," guest-edited by Philip Graham
Did you know the Portuguese Empire lasted from 1415 to 1999? I sure didn’t. I sure do miss the Portuguese Empire. Philip Graham will too, as his year abroad in Lisbon will soon be coming to an end. And of the many things he’ll need to declare at
The Top 10 Albums of 1983
Because album lists shouldn't happen only once a year. In this installment: The New Wave was drying up and the New Romantics were taking hold. But tell that to a Cub Scout in 1983 and you'll get a blank stare.
Sacrifice
From choosing a mousetrap to moving across the country, parenting requires tough decisions.
Driving Me Backwards
Riding New York subways for so long, I long to drive cars again. I love the part in Raising Arizona when John Goodman’s convict character, behind the wheel and having just kidnapped Nathan Jr., turns to his little brother and says, “I loooove to drive,” to which his brother
The Top 10 Albums of 1982
MTV was shaking up the airwaves, but if it was happening during an episode of Diff'rent Strokes. Ten favorite albums from the year the '80s really began.
"This Ain't No Fado," guest-edited by Philip Graham
My roommate my first year of college had spent the preceding summer traveling across Europe and buying albums by artists who never had a hope of getting distribution in the U.S. Was this invisible blockade yet another example of American cultural imperialism? Of the closed-mindedness of Western audiences? Yes,
The Top 10 Albums of 1981
Because album lists shouldn't happen only once a year. In this installment: Iran's taking hostages, Pat Sajak’s still on the air, and all of a sudden 1981 doesn’t feel like so long ago.
A Misplaced Comeuppance? Part Two
Dear friends at TMN, TMN is my homepage. I consider myself a fan of your work. Does that give me the liberty to be critical? Probably not, but you’re gracious enough to have a feedback link, so I’ll just bite the bullet and use it. For what it’
A Misplaced Comeuppance? Part One
Dear TMN, What is up with that bullshit piece by James McManus? It’s one thing to point out the inconsistencies between a person’s not supporting stem-cell research and the fact that her father might have been helped by that very research. Point taken, although it’s also notable
Band Bashing and Guitar Smashing
That new Arcade Fire album sure does suck. Like you, I got it when it leaked, downloaded it while I was listening to other leaked music. (The next Arcade Fire album sucks as well, by the way.) So yeah, I listened to it in my iTunes a couple of times,
The Top 10 Albums of 1980
Because album lists shouldn't happen only once a year. In this installment: The dawn of a new decade saw punk rock fading away, or at least saving up to buy a synthesizer.
The Top 10 Albums of 1979
Because album lists shouldn't happen only once a year. In this installment, times were good: Every album came with a poster, disco was dying, and actors weren't Presidents.
The Top 10 Albums of 1978
Year-end album lists shouldn't happen only once a year. Inaugurating a new series, Andrew Womack raids his music collection to rank his favorite albums from every year, year after year, starting with as far back as he can recollect.
Terrified of New Music
Right now there are a number of upcoming albums that have the mp3 bloggers blogging up their lunches in excitement. And anticipation-wise, I’m no exception; however, ever since the Stone Roses’ Second Coming let down the entire world (I’ve reversed my position) and played no small role in
More on the Prison on the Park
A friend of mine just sent me the article you published about the history of the Lincoln Correctional Facility on 110th Street and Central Park West. I was so thrilled and fascinated to read it. I went to the New Lincoln school for 15 years, graduating in 1975. My mother
The Top 10 Albums of 2006
The "record" industry is dead and 99-cent singles are now the rule, and yet terrific, cohesive rock LPs kept appearing every week.
Name That Congress
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we reveal how George W. Bush will nickname every one of his new, non-Republican buddies in Congress.
Choosing Music for Storms and Whatever Comes After
It’s November, and it’s raining in Brooklyn. Unlike almost every other day, music didn’t feel quite right on the way to the subway. At least none of what I scrolled through on my iPod. Of its many extrasensory qualities, something profound about music is its ability to
Everything But the Music
When Peter Saville created the artwork for Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasureshe’d never even heard the album now wrapped in what is arguably the work for which he is best known. He also claims he’d only heard a couple of their songs prior to that—and didn’t
Employees Must Double-Wash Hands
The recent E. Coli scare sent many bags of spinach into the trashbin. Now that the FDA says the outbreak is over, how will restaurants assure us what they're serving is safe to eat?
A Response From John Warner
I am writing in regards to your article of July 15, 1977, titled “Gender-Bending Grade-Schooler Attracts Notice,” which reported on my emergence as a leading androgynous figure in the fashion world. I would have written sooner and not allowed the record to stand uncorrected for almost 30 years, but at
Prog (Not Prog)
If you lived in Austin right now, you’d have every right to be angry. The reason: last weekend’s Austin City Limits Music Festival, which must be something like the opposite of South by Southwest, given its more mainstream lineup. (Howdy, John Mayer!) As a former Austin resident, I
Seeking the Jam of the Summer
Now that Labor Day has come and gone, and summertime is officially over, and you’re regaling your friends with tales of Canadian girlfriends and Mexican boyfriends and getting tiny coffins sent to you in the mail, it’s time to ask: What was the jam of the summer? First
Mp3 Digest: August 23, 2006
Every Christmas morning, my mother would construct elaborate treasure hunts—one for me and one for my brother. We’d get a riddle whose solution would lead us to another spot in the house (or when she got elaborate, the subdivision), where we’d find an envelope that contained another
Funeral Rider
Available at the service to all attendees must be a compilation of the below songs, as specified by the deceased. The music should be distributed in whatever format is deemed appropriate in that era of technology. On a space tape, or whatever. » Hear “Time Thief” by the Pale Saints at
Not-Quite Cover Versions
Would the opening sequence in The Royal Tenenbaums have been as effective set to the Beatles original recording of “Hey Jude?”—as Wes Anderson first imagined it? I’d say no way: Mark Mothersbaugh’s instrumental version, prepared especially for the movie, though very much like the original, engineers a
Truth in Advertising
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show a reader concerned about television's wasteland how advertisers could create more socially aware campaigns.
Mp3 Digest: June 28, 2006
Austinist has an excellent interview with Red Hunter of Peter and the Wolf, which may or may not comprise 18 members. For those OK with the informal thing, it’s a musical collective, and that means they all shower together. Hey, that’s where you write your best songs, isn’
Rachael Ray's Secret Travel Tips
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we help a reader combine travel and eating--with knowledge cribbed from the Food Network star.
Mp3 Digest: June 14, 2006
It was Bauhaus’s cover of “Ziggy Stardust” that turned me (and I suspect many others) into a David Bowie fanatic. I’d heard their version of the song long before Bowie’s, and in fact still prefer it to the original. The urgency in their pacing, the extra push
Stage Directions
Pornography Soap Operas Movies for the Lifetime Network Voiceovers & Commercials Reality Shows Movies for Other Cable Networks Television Hosts (Most) ↑ OUTSIDE THE ACTOR'S STUDIO ↑···································································· ↓ INSIDE THE ACTOR'S STUDIO ↓ Television Hosts (Very Few) Movies for Network Television Prime-Time Television Show Voiceovers (Fortune 500) & Commercials (Japan)
Am I a Hypochondriac?
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we introduce a paranoid reader to our personal physician, Dr. Google, who has induced paranoia in more patients than anyone.
Mp3 Digest: May 31, 2006
It’s well known how you blow up a computer: You give it conflicting information until it can no longer process what you’re saying, until its motherboard eventually fries up and explodes. “Ain’t Nobody Straight in LA” does the very same thing, only to the human mind—see,
Mp3 Digest: May 17, 2006
Canada’s Bedouin Soundclash should be the bearers of a new wave of pop reggae, but that’s not a wave we’re going to see anytime soon, is it? That doesn’t change how terrific their newest work is; note, in particular, the wildly off-kilter bass lines that wrap
Back Off, Man, I'm a Scientist
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we help a forlorn scientist understand why his friend and co-worker chose to quit her job and leave the state.
Coachella, MySpace & the Octopus Project
The single greatest problem our country faced throughout the 1990s, the summer music festival, was responsible not only for 90 percent of infections in 18-24 year-olds, but also for Live’s Throwing Copper going platinum eight times. Thankfully, the vast majority of music festivals are now confined to the Chicagoland
Piping Hot
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show a tenant how to beat the heat that's still pouring out of the radiator.
Menacing Chamber Blues
Sometimes I just have to gush. I don’t know much about the Candy Bars (MySpace page), but I do know they’re a new-ish trio from Tampa. I’ve never read an article about them, I’ve only heard that they were great at SXSW. What I have heard
Not Getting all Dewey-Eyed
In “Doozy of a Decimal System,” published April 5, 2006, Anthony Doerr admits that his half-serious censure of library borrowing is “silly.” I’d like to argue that not only is it silly to suggest that libraries make it harder for writers to get published, it is also wrong. Libraries
On Morrissey and Career Arcs
This month it’s been 18 years since Viva Hate, Morrissey’s initial solo foray. That’s right—and that means it’s been over 18 years since the breakup of the Smiths, one of the two most important guitar bands of the 20th century (next to the Beatles), the
Attention Screenwriters
I've noticed an abundance of horror films over the past few years, the premises of which involve a thing that somehow somebody gets a hold of that winds up killing them. Like The Ring, where a videocassette is traded around, and whomever sees it is later dies. Or
How My Chemical Romance Will Save the Record Industry
Depending on whom you ask, the business of buying and selling music is or is not in the toilet. I propose that not only is it down there, but that we go ahead and yank the handle. The argument goes that many people treat file-sharing services as listening stations, and
On the Secret Machines' New Album
Since their 2002 debut EP Brooklyn-via-outer space-via-Texas rock trio the Secret Machines have led a charmed life. The group’s rise has been meteoric: rescued from seedy Williamsburg loft parties, knighted by Warner Bros., and anointed in Hedi Slimane suits, the Secret Machines appear in every aspect to be here
New Reviews
If it's true that opinions are like assholes, and that the internet is full of both, then please tell us why aren't we a natural part of that? Which is exactly what we asked ourselves, and which is why, beginning today with Robert Birnbaum's
Itchy
On the subway this morning, I saw somebody reading one of the free dailies. The cover headline, referring to the Cheney hunting accident, read, "Triggy Dick." Ah, so they mean "triggy" as in "trigger," as in, "itchy trigger finger," which is how
Way to Go
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we have your answer for the next time somebody asks you how, when your number is finally up, you want to go.
Blur, Blur
When Blur effectively defeated Oasis in the Britpop wars, it was because of its self-titled album. In the years leading up to its 1997 release, the two bands had traded numerous barbs in interviews--criticizing each other's for-realness, letting loose accusations of having repackaged yet another era of British
The Top 10 Albums of 2005
After a year of music, thousands of hours of listening time, and one worn-out iPod, Andrew Womack brings us his picks for the very best music this year.
The Esher Demos
In 1968, back from their disastrous confab with the Maharishi, the Beatles took their acoustic guitars to George's house in Esher and set down what has since come to be known as the Esher Demos. Most of the songs were later rerecorded for the White Album, but it&
Merchandising Your Very Heart and Soul
We used to offer T-shirts around here. You may have noticed. Hey, maybe you even bought one. And thank you if you did. If you wanted to but didn't, it was probably because our shirts were lost in the mail (seriously) for about six months, and when we
Work
For a couple of years now, Sound Team has been issuing cassette releases from its Austin recording studio. Whether to make it difficult on file sharers (doubtful) or easy on those with car tape decks (a nice thought), the band's impressive early work was only a warm-up for
Diane...
In 1990, Twin Peaks followers wanted to know who killed Laura Palmer. The producers of the show, on the other hand, may have wanted to know how to make a killing on Twin Peaks. Enter Diane.... Read by Kyle MacLachlan, this audiobook is a fascinating chronology of Agent Cooper'
Coles Corner
In Sheffield, England, Richard Hawley's hometown, Coles Corner is the place where lovers meet before an evening of romance. No other word could come as close to describing what his newest album, Coles Corner, feels like: romance. As a guitarist Hawley is an an ex-Longpig and ex-Pulp, but
Mastermind
Mastermind, less a magazine than it is a slim book, combines photography, writing, social commentary, and a heck of a lot of art direction. In the second issue, what at first looks like an ad is actually quite the opposite, and it's quickly apparent that equal parts humor
Raised by Wolves
You cannot listen to Voxtrot without thinking of the Smiths or Belle & Sebastian--distinct echoes of each are all over this Austin quartet's Raised by Wolves EP. But when you hear their heights of soulful melancholy in treats like "Long Haul" and "Wrecking Force,"
Troubleshooting Your Déjà Vu
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain how you can tell if what you're experiencing is déjà vu or not, and how best to proceed when it is.
News About Three Writers, Two of Whom Are Really Real, Really
Last night’s Gary Benchley party for recently, author-ially outedPaul Ford was a complete success. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it. And thank you also to Spike Hill in Williamsburg for accommodating us and reminding everyone in attendance why we didn’t hold the thing at
How to Defuse an Atomic Bomb
What a tangled web we weave.
The Comeback
If it's not careful, Ratatat the band (otherwise known as Evan Mast and Mike Stroud) may find suddenly find out it's Ratatat, the star production team. With their dizzying "Big Slippa" remix of the Shout Out Louds' "The Comeback," the pair
Clear and Present Danger
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we help a reader preparing for a trip to New York get over anxieties about terrorism, including tips on how to keep his Labor Day jihad-free.
A Moving Story
Moving is backbreaking work that's best done by somebody else, by professionals--or at least by people you can trust. If all else fails, hire movers.
New Writers, an Employment Opportunity, More
We're very pleased to announce the addition of two new contributing writers: Jessica Francis Kane, whose gardening column here at TMN, Notes from the Lawn, is a constant source of distress for those of us who have been branded as plant murderers. You know who we are--you can
Fabled Again
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week: An overstuffed mailbag means a lot of questions are begging to be answered, and we know the only way to satisfy those hungry for knowledge--goats.
Listen/Now
Only once Roxy Music went on hiatus in 1976 did guitar virtuoso Phil Manzanera finally find the time to recruit a cavalcade of musicians and record Listen/Now, his second solo album. Manzanera's guitar playing here is more eloquent than most vocalists' lyrics, and on "Island&
The New American Music
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. From 2005, rather than Yankee-Doodling every Fourth of July, here are some patriotic melodies that are more fun to sing and easier to remember.
Planning
I am surrounded by so many to-do lists that it seems like I always have a lot more to do than I’d prefer to believe. In fact, as soon as I cross something off—or, in my case, because I keep my lists in text files on my computer,
Gentrify! Gentrify!
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show how you can fight New York's soaring real-estate costs when you invade an unfamiliar neighborhood. Making friends will never be so hard.
Boxed-In
On the right side of my computer desktop I have a number of folders, each of which contains files that I have something to do with right now. Previously, these files would stay in my email inbox, which acted as my to-do list. But now the computer desktop folders are
Dreams and How to Dress for Them
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we help analyze your dreams, or maybe just his own, and offer a handy chart that tells you what to wear depending on the temperature. Yes: "handy."
Fabled
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain why it's best to avoid serial threesomers, where the West Village begins and ends, how to build your résumé, and why you shouldn't drive. All using goats.
Life Hacks for the Rest of Us
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain the well-traveled secrets and tricks that really can make your life a little bit easier, even while they fail to improve you in any way.
The More You Earn, the Less You Learn
Entering day two of working at home, I recognize there are a lot of things that magically happen, without your recognizing it, when you’re regularly going into an office. One of which is coffee: There’s always a pot ready. It may not be fresh (it isn’t), it
New Order, Waiting for the Sirens’ Call
Except for 1985’s Low-Life and 1986’s Brotherhood, New Order has never been a band to release albums too frequently. Since their last proper release in fact—2001’s Get Ready—it’s been about three-and-a-half years. And before that? 1993 and Republic, before which they hadn’t brought
British Sea Power, Open Season
In 2003 the boys in pith helmets released their debut album, The Decline and Fall of British Sea Power, which, in this reviewer’s opinion, was the finest album of that year. Naturally, this has had some of us a little antsy about what might show up as their follow-up
The Unwritten Code of Subway Performers, Written
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we reveal the unspoken rules that govern the work, relationships, and processes that take place every day amongst the city's many subway musicians, ventriloquists, acrobats, and the like.
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Worlds Apart
This review is two weeks late. And I know that there could be many very believable reasons for this, but this is the truth: Typically, when reviewing a record, I’ll listen to it as I compose the review. It’s an obvious thing to do, really, but in the
Recent Holiday Travel
A frazzled woman struggles to keep her three children from running wild through the magazine shop, and finally screams, “Tyler! Jackson! Monroe! Front and center, now!” A man, presumably her husband, looks on sheepishly, mismatched carry-on bags jumbled at his feet. He looks like a very confused Government teacher. * * * There
The Tears, Live in Heaven
In 1992 Suede was hailed by the notoriously excitable Melody Maker magazine as “The Best Band in Britain”—before they even had a legitimate single out. The appraisal, almost unbelievably, was frighteningly accurate. They were extraordinary to see, thrilling to hear. Not since the Smiths had a band combined such
A New, Old House
It's true: You can never go home again. Watching a construction team renovate the house you grew up in, and understanding why your parents wanted a new place to live.
The Top 10 Albums of 2004
There were thousands of albums released by thousands of artists in 2004, so it must be hard to determine which were the 10 greatest, right? No, not really.
Many Miscellaneous Concerns
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we answer reader concerns, including the business with mattress tags and why, when in Greece, you might not want to signal to your waiter that you're ready for the check.
Sonoma Aero, Sonoma Aero EP
This stunning debut EP from new-ish New York Band Sonoma Aero features waves of tough, confident guitar-bass-drum combos reminiscent of Swervedriver and Unwound, but they’re obviously onto something altogether their own—there’s something very special here. Deft, lazy vocals waft over a cauldron of intense rhythm-driven melodies, to
Saying Grace
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show how saying grace before a holiday meal doesn't have to be a chore, and how if you know what to say, your thoughtful words may make the holidays more special. And then sometimes not.
You Should Not Reach ______
Over the sneeze guard, in line ahead of me, at the burrito place, to indicate you want salsa verde, after I saw you wipe your armpit Between the car seats, with both hands, at 120 miles per hour, to find some loose change, to pay your friend the dollar, from
Roommate
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show a reader how to get even the most troublesome of roommates to move out.
The Plotlines Against America
Philip Roth’s bestselling new novel, The Plot Against America, depicts a U.S. that elects Charles Lindbergh over F.D.R. in the 1940 presidential election. Lindbergh’s documented anti-Semitic stance is put into action, and the book goes great distances to retain believability. How? As always—with top
Art is Everywhere
In line to pay for lunch. The woman in front of me hands a credit card to the clerk. The clerk looks at the card, which has an image of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” on it. “‘Starry Night!’ That’s my favorite painting!” The woman smiles. “I’ve even
Hackery Smackery Doo
Have you heard enough about Jon Stewart’s appearance on Crossfire yet? Yes? Well I’m sorry, because here’s one more opinion, and I really want to share. Jon Stewart’s position is that Crossfire and its hosts, Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala, do a poor job of contributing
Dance
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we describe many of today's most enduring and popular dance steps, and include helpful illustrations that show you how to dance them.
The Arcade Fire, Funeral
A predictable choice? Fine. It’s the name on everybody’s lips…even the band’s own: Lead singer Win Butler quipped, “Hi, we’re Flavor of the Month,” at the band’s show last week at Mercury Lounge. So everyone’s currently nuts over the Arcade Fire, and with
Fall
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we tell you how to recover after taking a really nasty spill in public. And yes, they're all laughing at you.
Bolivian Brain Rot
Signs that you got sick by talking to that person in line at the ATM, even if you’re not totally convinced you’re coming down with something: —Sweat, both warm and cold —Dropping-off of fingernails —Miasma —The sniffles —Your unquestioning interest in the day-long Battlestar Galactica marathon —A table
Hipster
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain how being a hipster is not necessarily a bad thing, and show how to determine if you are, in fact, really one of them.
Every Day, Yesterday, and Today
The Starbucks has outdoor seating. Every day a man, presumably homeless, sits in the chair closest to the door. He smokes, giggling constantly, full-out laughing in spurts. Yesterday a different man was seated in his chair. He was smoking and giggling and laughing in the exact same way. The homeless
Computers
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain what's inside a computer and how it works, how you can determine if you need a laptop model or a desktop, and the true difference between PCs and Macs.
Punchlines: Lost & Found
I spent Labor Day weekend by a lake upstate with friends. One afternoon we were lying on a dock, when a duck swam by and disappeared around the bow of a boat. “Heh,” I said. “What?” “I don’t know. I was just trying to make up a joke.” “What
Memo From Warner
From TMN Contributing Writer John Warner… As a liberal, I never thought I’d say this, but here it is: I feel sorry for President Bush. Politicians lie. We know this. It’s a given, a part of the bargain required to achieve elective office. Even John McCain, that famously
Diet
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we answer a reader's question about how to find the right diet.
Perplexing Figures
So I’ve noticed a puzzling link that seems to be doing the rounds lately, and it’s a mind-boggler, based on what I’ve seen. And “seen,” as it turns out, really is the operative word. Puzzled, out of answers, checked the pockets, nothing of help to be found
Places of Worship
An after-dinner call from a friend on Thursday evening. I pick up the phone. “Hello?” “Hey, what’s up?” “Nothing much.” “Well, there’s a new bar that just opened. And it’s only three blocks from your house and it’s gorgeous.” “Really?” “Yes. I have no idea what
Olympian
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we look to this month's Olympic Games and give an overview of the athletic events involved and pick the sports you simply don't want to miss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hello? Are you there? How are you? What? Sorry? What’s up? Excuse me? Pardon me? When? Come again? What’s going on? Where? What do you mean? What’d you say? Huh? What’s that? Who? Why? How much?
Two Lone Swordsmen, From the Double Gone Chapel
Isn’t this supposed to be techno? Er, electronica or whatever? And yet it sounds so un-manufactured. So handmade and crafted, these dark, brooding anthems that seem (intentionally) barely held together by tinny wire and sheer concentration. Throbbing digi-bass riffs and paralyzed vocals recall something Joy Division-y or Bauhaus-esque playing
More Miscellaneous Concerns
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we answer questions about how to avoid getting sick of and at the office, being sunburned while traveling at the speed of light, and the origins of the Spanish-American War.
Clear Cut Press
Editor Matthew Stadler and publisher Richard Jensen talk about turning books they love into beautiful publications, finding inspiration from distant sources, and how to recognize pomposity.
Heligoland, Shift These Thoughts
If you are one of the people who can imagine music that’s a precise combination of His Name is Alive, the Cocteau Twins, and It’ll End in Tears-era This Mortal Coil, then there’s a good chance you have a 1993 Vaughan Oliver calendar on your bedroom wall
Dogs
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we cover the many different kinds of canine companions you could choose to collar as "your best friend." Except for schnauzers.
Rendezvous Houston
—The flight out of New York has been delayed because “We’re sorry, our plane hasn’t shown up yet! Grab yourself something to eat and sit tight! But don’t go far!” I’m slumped in a bucket-seated terminal bench, watching the newsdump via the CNN monitor parked two
The Cure, The Cure
After a decade in the wilderness, mired in irrelevance, the Cure, at last? After misconceived covers of Bowie and the Doors, after multiple flits through a revolving door of band members, after so many questions from fans of whatever happened to them…where did it all drop so suddenly away?
Introducing Claire Miccio
After spending the past school year abroad in Scotland, where she learned how to fall asleep during a drum ‘n’ bass marathon, how to appreciate football, and how to stop and look around, Claire Miccio has returned home to the U.S., where she is now both a contributing writer
Removing
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show the proper way to dispose of a trashcan, then explain how to remove food smells that repel your significant other. Also: the problem with toaster ovens.
The Thermals, Fuckin A
Punk rock, though its definitions vary, can be seen wherever a message determines its music. If that’s true, then the Thermals are very, very punk rock—which is hardly to say the tunes themselves suffer for it. In fact, the guitar-bass-drums-voice instrumentation is as gorgeous and melodic as ever,
Zodiac
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we enter the astrological realm to reveal the meanings behind your birth sign, and explain why everyone finds Scorpios annoying.
Rhythm of Black Lines, Human Hand, Animal Band
From a world borne of one part heretofore-unimagined prog beauty and a little bit of Austin, Tex., comes the latest release from Rhythm of Black Lines. This isn’t prog that’s simply been Relay-ed, either; it’s a redefinition of progressive music that transports like truly nothing else can.
Swim
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we instruct you on the basics of swimming, with many of the most popular strokes explained in detail. Except for the double-trudgen--because come on.
We are Mainly Ians & Ans
Last week we published a link in our headlines wherein we used the word “Indianaian” to describe a person from Indiana. This, according to our eagle-eyed copy editor, Kate Schlegel, was a misspelling; we should have actually used “Indianian.” (The default dictionary in Microsoft Word, on a third hand, insists
Home Surgery
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show you how to mend common household wounds with a handful of band-aids, a bottle of ipecac, and a healthy dose of resolve.
Hugs Without Love
Saturday, 3:00 p.m., Washington Square Park [clean-looking man wearing a tight T-shirt rushes over; he’s not making eye contact] “Would you like a hug today?” “No thanks.” [he rushes off, still no eye contact, approaches other passersby with the same offer] [a woman zips out, directly in
The Charlatans, Up at the Lake
The lead singer of the U.K.-based Charlatans, Tim Burgess, has lived in L.A. since 1998. The band’s two most recent albums have met a lukewarm reception by both critics and the public alike. It’s long been rumored that the steam’s gone, the momentum’s
The Deli After Work
‘Listen, I gave you a twenty!’ The clerk takes a step backwards. ‘No, you didn’t. You gave me a ten. This is it right here.’ ‘No, you switched it out. You took my twenty, and now you’re showing me a ten!’ the guy shot back. ‘You pocketed it!
Online Loving & Andy Kaufman
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we show how to turn online friendship into internet love, and expose the truth behind Andy Kaufman's return.
Assorted Randomness
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain why it's not a good idea to name your baby after a month, what the opposite of brown is, and exactly who that is wandering the bike path.
Morrissey, You are the Quarry
Morrissey has never seemed more relevant. The glory days of the Smiths are long, long gone, in fact are a preferred distant memory for the Moz himself, given recent court battles with ex-bandmates Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke. And as we all know: When bands hit the barrister’s,
English
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we illustrate, exhibit, and display how proper editing makes English all that more the understandable.
Past Due
New Yorker
Xiu Xiu, Fabulous Muscles
Known as much for its abject refusal to bend to the rules of pop music as for its ability to so easily create wonderful ‘pop,’ Xiu Xiu has always presented a conundrum, a mystery to expectant listeners around the world. With its latest release, Xiu Xiu may have redefined what
Houseplants
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we catalog many popular houseplants, from bulbs to succulents, explaining which would be the best choices for your particular interior décor and style.
Ratatat, Ratatat
A two-man dueling-guitar and beats instrumental combo, Mike Stroud and Evan Mast (who’s also known and loved as electronic percussion wunderkind E*Vax), have finally released their long-lusted-after debut album. And their technical brilliance, sense of bravado, and solid songwriting skills will ensure their name is heard wide and
Big Loser
After one too many Pepsis and a rash of difficulty choosing a song to download from iTunes, I decided to post my second winning cap number here, free, for anyone who wanted it. I only asked that whoever redeemed it tell me what song they downloaded, and why. Fun for
More on Winning
Despite my hopes of collecting enough free iTunes songs to score a full album, I simply can’t drink that much Pepsi. I half-gave up after browsing for albums I might want, and eventually settled on a single song to trade my cap number for: Cheap Trick’s ‘Auf Wiedersehen.
Lansing-Dreiden, The Incomplete Triangle
Considering Important Geometry Or so says the packaging for Lansing-Dreiden’s incredible debut album, The Incomplete Triangle, a title that may be as much a riddle as the ‘band’ itself. Not just musicians, but also an art collective, a publishing house, and a ‘company that sees no distinction between art
Big Winner
At long last, with Diet Pepsi stained teeth and a week of trouble sleeping, I’ve bought (and consumed) enough bottles to finally win an iTunes song. ‘One in three wins,’ right. That may be true when they leave the factory, but my personal calculations tell a far sadder story.
Phoenix, Alphabetical
Four years ago Phoenix released their debut album United, a partly ironic, partly dance-y, altogether fascinating Gallic amalgam of funk, pop, and electronica (three gross music words that go well together) that impressed everyone from critics to trainspotters to heshers alike. The sheer range of musical styles seemed more like
Short-Term Memory
Recently I was faced with a crisis. Not a major crisis, but one where skill and memory were of utmost importance. This steak is supposed to be cooked to temperature, but the thermometer reads 40 degrees, though it’s cooked, ready, even, even edible, possibly. What! What? The thermometer is
24 Hours of Weird
I’ve never, ever, ever had a 24-hour stomach flu. At least not that I can recall. I’ve heard about them, sure, and always thought, hey, what a lucky break. I mean, sick for 24 hours, that’s it? What a joke. Ha. Ha. Ha. Until I learned that
Tulsa Drone, No Wake
The instrumental explorations of Richmond’s Tulsa Drone spread across a stark, moody landscape that equally recalls the prog rock of the mid-’90s Chicago scene and the later moments of Dead Can Dance—the hammered dulcimer playing as large a part as it does. That said, Tulsa Drone are
Bootlegging
Those DVDs you see all over New York, the ones the guys sell on the sidewalk – with the Xeroxed covers and all that – the ones you walk by and wonder, How do they already have Starsky & Hutch on DVD? You know those. They work, you should know. Bet that
Limericks with Texas City Names in Them
There was a girl who moved to Corpus Christi Who told everyone, ‘Call me Misty’ Which wasn’t her name But it was all just the same Since last week she was a man in Poughkeepsie * * * There once was an architect in Dallas Who built his fiancée a whole palace
The Elected, Me First
The Elected makes a kind of beautiful, traditional pop music that jumps deep into your heart and lives with you, maybe forever, with delirious Beatlesque melodies, all heavily rouged with Elliott Smith-ness. (An interesting side-note: The band recorded the album on leftover, free time at Smith’s Van Nuys, Calif.
The Weekend Never Comes
Sometimes the hope for the weekend seems just around a corner you’ll never turn. Likewise, the weather in New York has been bumpy, up and down, leaving everyone without a clue to go on. When I first woke up this morning, the sun shone brightly through my bedroom window,
The City is Smarter Than We
Last night I stepped onto the platform at 14th Street, ready to be on my way home to Brooklyn after a long day in the city. So were the other 2,000 people who were waiting for an eastbound train that would be – inevitably – packed full of passengers when it
Decibully, City of Festivals
Formed from parts of The Promise Ring and Camden, and with a history that’s too confusing to even attempt recounting, Milwaukee’s Decibully oozes the kind of damaged beauty that would be right at home at the end of a dark cul-de-sac, late Big Star and Elliott Smith the
Obsessive Groceries
At the grocery store around the corner, Saturday afternoon. There are four stacks of baskets. No clear contender, since each of the baskets on top contains a piece of trash: a wadded plastic produce bag (used?), a scrap of red-leaf lettuce, a damp paper towel, and a twist-tie. I pick
Urban Furnishing
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we lead you on a safe shopping excursion through all that discarded furniture on the sidewalks of New York.
The Secret Machines, Now Here is Nowhere
Crunching and pulsing with some sort of covert messages from a cold, dead star, The Secret Machines are back. What they wrought forth on their 2000 debut EP, September 000, would give anyone a difficult reputation to outshine. The band, once prone to extended psychedelic jams—the best you could
Happy Endings
With today’s final taping of Friends, fans across the country wonder what’s in store for TV’s six pals. Will Rachel and Ross finally find romance? Will Joey’s career take off? Our writer is ready with spoilers for the final episode in May.
Living the Lifetime
What better way to spend a long winter weekend inside, terrified to leave your home because your snow boots still haven’t arrived in the mail and your front sidewalk is awash in an ice floe, than to watch cable TV? I never found out, that’s for sure. But
Suede, Dog Man Star Live at the I.C.A.
Though not an official release, last September’s shows in London were so spectacular that they deserve to be. Until these tracks are tacked onto a box set or some-such, we’ll just have to make do with what we have. One-time Britpoppers and glam-rock revivalists, and according to Melody
Lying in States, Most Every Night
The debut LP from this Chicago quintet reveals a band with more than a fair share of ability tucked under its wing. And all over Most Every Night they use it to maximum effect, inspired in their hooks, devastating in their compact, intense syncopation. Rock riffs abound in the vein
Belle and Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress
One could be forgiven for missing out on Dear Catastrophe Waitress. After all, it seemed Belle and Sebastian’s star had set for good; their last formal effort (disregarding the 2002 soundtrack for Storytelling) was 2000’s Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, the main drawback of
Holiday Thanks
Of all the great gifts I received over the holidays, many of the best didn’t arrive wrapped in colorful paper, or inside cards with weird Christmas-y sexual innuendo (‘Mrs. Claus wants to know if you’re ready for your holiday surprise…’). And though I still haven’t even written
The Top 10 Albums of 2003
The iPod got a lot of use this year. After hundreds of albums and thousands of hours of listening to music, Andrew Womack narrows it all down to his top 10 albums of 2003. Here are his findings.
Snowmen
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we welcome the beginning of winter with helpful advice for those who want their snowmen to survive into spring.
The Charlatans, Tellin’ Stories
Rob Collins, 1963–1996. That’s what this album meant to a lot of people. That organ sound, it’s what made The Charlatans at the beginning. It’s the sounds that defined them. That organ. And the death of organist Rob Collins signaled what for the band? They’d
So, I Understand You Have a New Book?
Friday evening, November 14, 2003, kitchen ‘Hey there, welcome! Glad you could make it.’ ‘Glad to be here, thanks!’ ‘Well, the pleasure’s all ours, really.’ ‘Think nothing of it. No problem at all.’ ‘Good, just great. So, this little contraption here–’ ‘Yes, that’s my corkscrew.’ ‘Right, so you
Rollercoaster
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we teach you everything you'll need to know when you finally build that rollercoaster in your backyard.
Explosions in the Sky, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
Austin’s Explosions in the Sky continue their foray into intricate, driving instrumental mayhem and glory with The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, their third full-length, and with a title that seems abbreviated in comparison to 2001’s extraordinary Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who
Winfred E. Eye, The Dirt Tier
This is the kind of music the punk-rock farmhands make when they head back to their quarters for late-night jams, tall tales, and corn whiskey. It’s slow, grinding, Depression-era rock. Tin Pan Alley with a Hammond organ. Things that shouldn’t match up, but really do. And it’s,
The Commuter’s Apology
To the woman on the train wearing flip-flops: I’m sorry I almost stepped on your toes. I understand that the danger may have warranted the mock look of pain, a mouthed ‘ouch!’ and a little hop-skip on your part. But flip-flops when it’s 48 degrees out? You should
The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
Oh, oh, oh, Oh, Inverted World was nothing short of mind-blowing, which means the follow-up from The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow, is going to be under some pretty serious scrutiny. Does it deliver? Oh, oh, oh, yes. Track by track, note for note, each song is magnificent: ‘Kissing the Lipless’
Carson Ellis
Illustrator, artist, and all-around winner Carson Ellis tells us about her work with the Decemberists, collapsed mining towns in Montana, and what’s stuck in her head.
TRS-80, Shake Hands With Danger
Part One TRS-80 is a band, not a computer! Part Two Actually, it used to be a computer, and it looked like this. Prior to hearing this album, my primary experience with anything at all called ‘TRS-80’ was pretty bad. It was at computer camp one summer sometime in the
Fab?
I was too late, and it was such a good idea for a story. Sorry, everybody. There could’ve been massive laughs, if done properly – at least a few chuckles, if even done alright. Here’s the premise: It’s 1962, and Brian Epstein is giving the Beatles a new
The Badger King, Break Up + The Showering Dragons
The Badger King broke up? Nope, but they got four new songs along with two new remixes of songs off last year’s triumphant Tongue and Tooth EP. The new songs stay the pretty much the same course you already know and love, albeit much shorter (not a one comes
Gene Mirabelli
The author of five novels—including some very sexy covers—as well as numerous short stories, book reviews, and journalistic pieces, Gene Mirabelli is "over 70 and probably the least known man of letters since Hawthorne."
The Emerald Down, Aquarium EP; A Study in Her, Auto-Amputation
Not in Oxford (OX4, for some of you), not in Reading, not anywhere in the U.K., in fact, but in Toledo, Ohio, is the where the new shoegazing (Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, et al) movement lives, courtesy of T-Town record label Honest in Secret, well-proven Ohio s’gazers
Big Decision
The decision has been made. It’s a step into the unknown, the mysterious. But it’s time. IT IS TIME. Goodbye Hotmail, farewell Spam-City. I’ve been considering this drastic move for months now, and after being told that both of my email inboxes are pretty much diaper bins
Colder, Again
Colder is Marc Nguyen Tan, a Parisian producer and designer who, yes, probably has every single Factory Records album in his record collection. You guessed it – this stuff sounds a lot like Joy Division et al. But instead of being yet another love letter to Ian Curtis and post-punk stylings,
Makeover Madness!
Never fear: Television can change your life when there’s a makeover show specially designed to do just that. ANDREW WOMACK follows two guests and learns.
Gags I’d Like to See in Movies/TV
Sometimes all you’ve got is a gag, and no plot. And that’s exactly what I’m providing to you here (no charge) with some guesswork as to the surrounding circumstances that could be cooked up, were you to actually write something that had one of these. Some guy
Stars, Heart
‘I am Evan and this is my heart.’ ‘I am Amy and this is my heart.’ ‘I am Chris, this is my heart.’ ‘I am Torq, this is my heart.’ And that’s how Heart, the newest album from Montreal’s Stars, begins. The overall effect of the album could
Later, Summer
Summer wasn’t all it could have been cracked up to be, is the way I’m looking at it now. I hate to poo-poo it, since it’s hardly ever worth true criticism, but it must be said: Summer 2003 never really came together. Or did it? Let’s
Blackout!
The lights flickered, the computer blinked out (but not before I saved my Word doc! Ha!) there was a weird ‘chirping’ sound coming from outside the building. Something was definitely amiss. What was happening, however, was impossible to tell. What was pretty clear, however, was that I was going to
Guys Near My Work
Near my work there are these two parking lots. Well, one’s a lot and the other’s a garage, actually. But still, they’re in competition for any passing vehicles looking for a place to park. Both the lot and the garage employ a guy each who wears dungarees
Mascots
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we dig into some heavy research to tell you what your school mascot really says about you.
T-minus Band, Four Legs to Three
T-minus Band is known for three things: 1) that it’s a true DIY project if ever there were one; 2) that it’s all done by one guy in Alabama named Troy T.; and 3) that nobody’s actually heard of T-minus Band. The only reason we know about
Getting Warmer with John Warner
As we continue the staffing additions around here, we are happy to announce that John Warner, the inimitable, intimidating, and intransigent writer of this lot here (and about fourteen-billion other things everywhere else), has accepted our offer (mainly store coupons) and has signed on to be a contributing writer at
Loving the Yeti
It is with no small amount of joy that I introduce our new contributing writer: he of Defective Yeti fame, and writer of these fine stories here, Matthew Baldwin. Here you can read a little about him and see a photo of a guy wiping out on a bike, which
Feats of Strength
As many of you must already know, Rosecrans is getting married soon. So soon, in fact, that his bachelor party was last night. Though we avoided getting a woman to jump out of a cake (Paul Ford and I discussed the unappetizing ramifications of forgetting to take her out before
Dead Meadow, Shivering King and Others
Dead Meadow is dirty, dirty psychedelic rock of the Blue Cheer variety. In fact, so much of the sound is so authentic that you’d swear it was snaked straight out of a ‘60s acid burnout’s record collection. To take the metaphor to more extravagant frontiers, we’ll have
Mercury Rev, Deserter’s Songs
I’ve long held a belief in the twin, astral spirits of Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips. Maybe it’s not real, but I’ve always perceived this direct line between the two bands. And, certainly, why not? They share a producer, the visionary Dave Fridmann. And Jonathan Donahue
You Are My Best Friendster
Um, Friendster? No, I haven’t heard of it. Oh, I see. Well, obviously this is just some online dating thing. I don’t get it – why do you want me to sign up? I’m married, you know. And happily, thanks. Yes, I know, I received your invitation to
Sterling, Sterling
Chicago’s Sterling is a maelstrom of wonderfully technical, instrumental rock. Oh my, a ‘maelstrom.’ Yes, that’s what I said. But, seriously, that’s no kidding around. Across eight untitled tracks and a wealth of soundscapes, Sterling develops a mood that is positively otherworldly and powerful. Hardly soothing, there’
Al Burian
Musician and author of Burn Collector Al Burian talks about people’s preoccupation with occupation, a fantastical night of siege, and what happens when punk rock and sports injuries collide.
Maybe, Just Maybe
It’s finally spring in Brooklyn. Which means it’s a good time to brew up a pitcher of iced tea. I like five bags, mainly hot water (for the steeping, not for the drinking), and no sugar – no sugar. That window unit is about to get a lot of
Men's Odor
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we cover the basics on choosing a cologne while everyone else covers their noses.
The Stone Roses, Second Coming
‘It sounds like tree frogs.’ ‘It sucks.’ ‘Did Ian Brown just spend the last five years making field recordings?’ ‘It sounds like they’ve been recording in a rainforest.’ That was me and my friends and our general mumblings about the then-new Stone Roses album. We, along with everyone else
Queue And Not You
I am a poor manager of my Netflix queue. I realized this yesterday, when I received two emails from Netflix telling me that they’d received the last two films I’d sent back, and that I should go rate them now! What I should have done, however, was check
Juror No. 4
Last week I was called up for jury duty. It was not at all unexpected. I’d already been sent the cheerful pink-and-white card twice over. Both times I’d postponed. And truthfully so, even. Although I do recall that when postponing the second time I asked why you just
Dif Juz, Soundpool
Dif Juz, however you’re meant to pronounce it, is music for music dorks such as myself. Soundpool presents the quartet’s first two EPs, Huremics and Vibrating Air, with their excellent contribution to the Lonely Is An Eyesore 4AD compilation, ‘No Motion’ (which may, although I have no proof
Inspiration
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain why people are perpetually fascinated with inspirational quotes. Like that "Vince Lombardi shit."
The Thermals, More Parts Per Million
The Thermals are from Portland, Oregon. The Thermals are Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster (Hutch & Kathy, the All-Girl Summer Fun Band), Ben Barnett (Kind of Like Spitting), and Jordan Hudson (Operacycle). The Thermals are on Sub Pop. The Thermals are a punk-rock supergroup, you could say. Like Blind Faith
Seven Pounds, One-and-a-Half Ounces
Anna Blakney Sutton, friend, artist, illustrator for The Morning News, and now: Mom. We are excited beyond belief to introduce her daughter Iris, born today, March 1, 2003, at 5:37 a.m. Many, many congratulations to her and beaming father Jack Featherly on such a beautiful addition to their
Slush
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, following the largest snowstorm ever, we explain how to travel to work without ruining your shoes.
Red House Painters, Retrospective
Mark Kozelek is arguably one of the greatest songwriters of all time. And most humorously self-effacing. Which may be why this two-disc retrospective of his band, the Red House Painters, features – not one – but two cover versions of KISS’s ‘Shock Me.’ I mean, whoa. But Retrospective will be a
The Pale Saints, The Comforts of Madness
The Pale Saints: they were kind of like a cross between My Bloody Valentine and the Wedding Present. No, maybe more like a mix of Cocteau Twins with, um…who is it? No, it’s the Cocteau Twins because of the voice and all. Yeah, except it’s a guy
Party Jokes
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we offer some jokes for awkward moments at your next party, safe for children, drunks, and pets.
The Rolling Stones, Aftermath
Last year’s Rolling Stones remasters gave much more than just an improved audio experience, they also showed stateside listeners the real difference meddling U.S. record execs made in altering audiences’ perception of the band’s U.K. output. While both the U.S. and U.K. version of
Calla, Televise
It’s only January and already there’s a contender for Album of the Year. And, yes, this is it. What does it sound like? Yes, a cross between Nick Cave and My Bloody Valentine wouldn’t be totally off. But in the interest of science and because that wouldn’
A New Career in a New Town
I recently took a new job in Lower Manhattan, which is, in my belief, one of the most extraordinary Manhattan locales. An area totally unknown to me (I still can’t navigate it to save my life), I’m constantly taken aback by its dramatic landscape, harsh wind currents, and
Hair Growth
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain how different hairs on the body grow at different speeds, i.e., get ahead of one another, all puns intended.
The Malarkies, 10,000 Back Doors
‘The packaging of each CD is unique. Hand-printed with linoleum block lettering, each step of the printing process took several days. The last step of the assembly was affixing a 4 1/2" square of red felt inside each cover.’ Source: press release for The Malarkies’ new album, 10,
Barry Lewis
Historian from the acclaimed Walk Around New York series and New York-expert, Barry Lewis tells us about the city he loves, the people who make it work, and peace.
Snow Day
It’s been snowing all day in New York. And real snow this time: not all that business the meteorologists kept on about in the past few weeks. ‘Get ready, folks: It’s gonna be a white Thanksgiving. Isn’t that right, Chuck?’ or ‘It’s gonna be a c-o-o-o-o-l-d
Ride, Nowhere
shoegazing (n): to stare at one’s shoes, typically while (whilst) playing loud, effects-laden guitar pop; coined to describe the stage presence of early-’90s British band Chapterhouse, whose tendency to stare at their feet instead of the audience was for some reason notable. Ride never really stared at their
Good Things Come in Small Packages
I love holiday shopping. Picking out presents, crossing the names off the list, wrapping all the gifts. Every year it seems an insurmountable task. Every year it’s accomplished far too easily. And every year is more satisfying than the last. This year it seemed there might even be time
Life
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we look into the immortal question--what do I do with my life?--and find the obvious answer.
Boys
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, having already had the issue of girls settled for us, we tackle boys and their puppy-dog tails.
Beck, Sea Change
‘I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t board the ship now.’ ‘What do you mean? I have a ticket.’ ‘Very good, sir, but I’m still afraid you’re too late. You’ll have to wait for the next one.’ ‘But it hasn’t even left yet. Come on—
Wed
I married in Texas on 5 October 2002. If I can remember that date, I’ll do alright come anniversary time. But that’s jumping too far ahead for now. It was, by all accounts, a beautiful wedding. There were speeches, there were toasts, there was even a poem. There
Juice
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we give you a few pointers on how to embark on a three-day juice fast. Bottoms up.
The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
My brother, easily the most knowledgeable scholar of Beatle lore I’ve ever known, introduced me to Pet Sounds long, long ago. And this under the pretense that the Beach Boys’ 1966 album was what inspired the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Paul McCartney, apparently, saw in
The Kinks, Something Else By The Kinks
‘Waterloo Sunset’ is one of the best songs ever recorded by anyone ever. And of course that’s an overstatement. Nevertheless, it fizzles in as you’re scanning the radio stations, its number comes up on the jukebox, it swirls overhead in its Muzak-ified incarnation at the grocery store—and
Three Mile Pilot, Another Desert, Another Sea
Pete: And how do you take your coffee, Agent Cooper? Cooper: Black as midnight on a moonless night. Pete: Pret-ty black. It’s an exchange from an episode of Twin Peaks, if you didn’t already guess. And it’s a pretty good descriptor of this album, too: Black as
Interpol, Turn On The Bright Lights
Four terms this column will not use to describe the album: ‘Joy Division,’ ‘Ian Curtis,’ ‘New Wave,’ ‘Eighties.’ One that it will: ‘one of the finest albums of the year.’ Yes, Interpol may never shirk its reputation. After all, there’s that voice. It’s a strong, booming voice singing
No Place Special
I don’t leave New York all that much. Last week I went to California. I’ll just say: I didn’t fare so well. And I really do think there was something wrong, perhaps even deadly, about that hotel. I also had a layover in Phoenix. Here are photos.
The Badger King, The Tongue and Tooth
Don’t be fooled: yes, the first track of the EP, ‘The She Trilogy,’ begins just like The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley.’ It’s got all those synthesizer arpeggios. You know the bit. This sounds just like ‘Baba O’Riley,’ you’ll say. And then—GOOD GOD—this voice.
To California! To the Future!
The seat’s a little on the small side, but you get a personal television screen on Jet Blue. This is, I believe, about the only good thing about the airline. Doubly good since they carry channels I don’t have at home. And here I’m referring specifically to
David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The 30th anniversary of the release of David Bowie’s glam-rock magnum opus—and the album that defined the genre—is commemorated with this two-disc special edition, released last week. The album proper, should you have not heard by now, is required listening. It’s everything everyone’s ever said
Jamie Stewart
Jamie Stewart is the lead singer of the much-loved Xiu Xiu, whose new album, Knife Play, is one of the most unique, memorable records to hit our stereos in years. DOB: 03/02/72, but if I was anywhere else in the world it would be 02/03/72 Occupational
Superwad
Wad Gets Shirt.
Hot Snakes, Suicide Invoice
Full-throttle, straight-up Rock and Roll. Blow-your-mind, wreck-your-house Rock and Roll. This is Rock and Roll. At least, what we think of when we say ‘Rock and Roll’ these days. That’s to say, no—it’s not Elvis. Nevertheless, if I put this album on and looked over at you,
Sonic Youth, Murray Street
Sonic Youth’s new album—their sixteenth—is named after the block in Lower Manhattan where their studio is located. Murray Street is also where a jet engine landed on September 11. This album, however, seems to have little to do with any of that. Produced by Jim O’Rourke
Redesign
It’s always had the headlines. That was how it started. That was really why it started. And, naturally, it had to have a nice design. Blogger was our first publishing tool. This site’s first design was a three-column ditty pulled straight from the Blogger stock templates. Had a
DJ Shadow, Private Press
This, the long-awaited follow-up to 1996’s monumental Endtroducing…, was worth it. Worth every month, worth every day. It’s catchy, it’s spontaneous, it’s gorgeous. (Again) Shadow generates tracks that utterly defy categorization. It’s definitely more mature and there are a number of instances where the genres
Xiu Xiu, Knife Play
This is a very personal album. A look at singer Jamie Stewart’s message on the cover sticker says it immediately: ‘When my mom died I listened to Henry Cowell, Joy Division, Detroit techno, the Smiths, Takemitsu, Sabbath, Gamelan, ‘Black Angels’ and Cecil Taylor.’ Nothing held back here. No real
Shy Child
New York City ‘Synth-rock’ duo Shy Child makes a unique type of music, an amalgam of synthesizer and live drums, with energy and precision. They spoke with ANDREW WOMACK about what’s happened, what’s next, and what’s in a genre.
Interpol, Interpol EP
Three new songs from New York City’s Interpol. Their recent signing to Matador has definitely given them access to higher production values, and it’s immediately apparent, right from the first track—the re-recorded ‘PDA.’ A well-written song any way you cut it, it’s had new life breathed
John Vanderslice
John Vanderslice—Tiny Telephone studio and MP3 hub owner, ex-MK Ultra lead singer, current solo artist behind the very beautiful Life and Death of an American Fourtracker—answers our questions.
The Mere, The Mere
Athens, Georgia’s The Mere is Jacob Flint. Oh, the name? It’s because he ‘wanted a band name that was short and said nothing about him at all.’ The Mere? Yes, and it’s among the best new music you’ve likely never heard. The Mere sounds like a
The Secret Machines
The very extraordinary Secret Machines, en masse, spoke to ANDREW WOMACK about scaring the audience, the recording of September 000, and potluck dinners.
Justin Sinkovich
The co-founder of the best MP3 site on the Internet, Epitonic, and member of bands Atombombpocketknife, Poison Arrows, Tranquil Eyes, and Thumbnail praises hard work and recalls getting electrocuted on stage.
Moviola, Rumors of the Faithful
Dirty, soulful pop reminiscent of Alex Chilton, The Byrds, and Neil Young. Kind of. Okay, no—here’s what it’s like: all of Big Star and Crosby, Stills, & Nash get liquored up and go out to the country for the weekend. Wait, maybe Jeff Tweedy’s along for
Skywave, Don’t Say Slow
Soaring, searing noise-pop reminiscent of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s best moments, this EP from up-and-coming Virginia band Skywave is eminently listenable and ultimately rewarding for those willing to dig deeper into the sound. The lead-off, title track grinds steadily along beneath a riff of pure distortion. The vocals
Plants I Have Killed
Not all destruction is intentional. TMN editor ANDREW WOMACK has laid waste to some of this planet’s finest vegetation. Don’t let him visit the rainforest.
Inside Looking Out
A new graduate knows everything. What could the real world teach that hasn't already been learned in those four long, grueling years? Out of college, ANDREW WOMACK goes to Dallas, tries not to get a job, gets one anyway, and learns something new. And then quits his job.
Unwound, Leaves Turn Inside You
This, the most recent Unwound record, is among their finest work—and that’s saying a lot, given their history of creating challenging, enthralling music. This two-disc tour de force is almost unthinkably brilliant, and surprises at every turn, all the while bursting through the carefully constructed wall of—not
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Source Tags & Codes
Long renowned for their incendiary live shows and penchant for violently, physically tearing through the perceived wall between stage and audience, the Trail of Dead offer the future, not of rock ‘n’ roll, but of something altogether more inspirational and engaging in Source Tags & Codes. Every track is extraordinary.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Boatman’s Call
‘Poignant’ may be an overused word. Poignant books, poignant movies, poignant moments. But nothing is as poignant as this album, its ability to pierce your soul, so directly, with its unrelenting simplicity and forthrightness. The whole of the album is a full, horrible, beautiful experience. A somber invective against a
Power
A mispronunciation by President Bush in Japan today caused the yen to lose value against the dollar. White House officials quickly said Mr. Bush had ‘mis-spoken’ and he had meant to say they had talked about deflation. The U.S. President told reporters that he and Japan’s premier had
Marceline Smith
The five questions for editor and music lover Marceline Smith.
Cocteau Twins, Heaven or Las Vegas
Crisp, ethereal beauty, from the masters of the field. The Cocteau Twins’ so often take great steps in differing their sound from whatever its previous incarnation may have been, while still retaining an aesthetic that was always and only theirs: gibberish lyrics (poor diction mixed with made-up words, according to
Dinty W. Moore
The five questions for professor, writer, and editor Dinty Moore, who cites Steve Martin as a hero.
Interpol, Precipitate EP
Raw, inspiring arrangements and memorable, unique methods of song development make Interpol's debut EP the finest release from an NYC band in some time. These songs are deceptively simple—in structure and instrumentation; repeated listens prove a satisfying way to discover this. The bizarre, near-brilliant lyrics are perfectly
Superbowl
Yesterday afternoon I was riding home on the subway after a fairly unsuccessful day (the day was just altogether unsuccessful), when three college students – two men, one woman – boarded the train, the two men each carrying a pot full of chili – the three of them presumably on their way to
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
I’m a bit of a cereal freak. And now I have the only guide I’ll ever need: The Empty Bowl. In addition to recipes, reviews, and ‘The Crunch Test,’ The Empty Bowl also features cereal-related interviews with such fanatics as Dan the Automator: And lastly, what [cereal] mascot
Soviet, We Are Eyes, We Are Builders
It could be argued that NYC’s Soviet are part of the city’s current fascination with all things ‘80s. And that would be a gross misevaluation, given their undeniable (and proven) ability to write really good songs and perform them really well. Over the whole of the album, the
Domestic Operating System
Last night, upon seeing the new iPhoto ad on television, Melissa looks over at me and asks, ‘Why don’t we use iPhoto?’
Neil Busch
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead member Neil Busch takes the five questions and mentions his friends’ troubled love lives.
The Emerald Down, Scream The Sound
The Emerald Down harnesses an obvious love for the shoegazer scene of the early ‘90s, matching it with more modern songwriting possibilities. Truly, these songs sound much like Slowdive, et al, but are far, far more structurally interesting and developed (see especially ‘7AM,’ which twists and morphs to utter disbelief
Death Wish/Nothing
This morning while exiting the subway terminal, a man, well-dressed – to get straight to the point, quite normal-looking – was ascending the stairs next to me. Jamming his way up as quickly as he could, he tripped halfway up the stairs and came too near permanently affixing the middle of his
Stina Nordenstam, This is Stina Nordenstam
Swedish chanteuse Stina Nordenstam surprises with an eclectic mix of musical styles and influences, aided to unforgettable effect on two tracks (‘Trainsurfing’ and ‘Keen Yellow Planet’) by Suede’s Brett Anderson. This album is a mystery: underneath each, seemingly very simple, hardly written song, is a bona-fide gem, standing solidly
Confusing Design Caught with Its Pants Down
For the second time I spent the first part of a week in D.C. and – for the first time – I rode the Amtrak Acela, perhaps best described as the Eastern seaboard’s very own Bullet Train. My thoughts of the Acela: nice seats, ho-hum lighting, (same) awful food, nice
Tarentel, The Order of Things
Disruptive, foreboding, (and mostly) instrumental, The Order of Things (a reference to French Structuralist Michel Foucault?) is often a somber affair. Taking this into account, one should not steer away from this finely crafted album, the intricateness and depth of which absolutely astounds. Transporting. Favorite tracks: ‘Adonai,’ ‘Popul Vuh,’ ‘Death
Rhythm of Black Lines, Set a Summery Table
Rhythm of Black Lines makes invigorating, sweeping Prog, as elusive as it is enchanting, with guitar, bass, and drums individually—and uniquely—pushing the limits of your comprehension. This is Prog that evokes the classic strains of Yes and Genesis, not the neo-Prog of the Thrill Jockey set: look for
Office Holiday Party
It’s that time of year again, it’s probably sometime this week, and, rest assured, you’re going to make an ass of yourself: the office holiday party. Consider these Office Party Tips from Christmas.com that range from the logical to the ludicrous. For more specialized advice, turn
David Bowie, Station to Station
Because his cocaine use at the time was so heavy, David Bowie does not remember 1976, the year this album saw release. I suppose it’s just as well, since much of Station to Station sounds like the work of someone in a very unique place, much as this album
Commute
Yesterday on my way to work I saw a man, possibly in his seventies, helping someone dressed in a full chicken costume out of the back of a van. After the ‘chicken’ was safely removed from the truck, the man looked to this teenager, presumably knowing him, said, ‘See?’ and
Polvo, Today’s Active Lifestyles
Awkward and backwards, North Carolina’s Polvo surprises at every turn. ‘Is this the part? No, wait, here it comes.’ Repeated listens won’t deter the confusion, but the songs always sounds good, and Polvo knew when to keep the good bits going, and when to cut the meaningless meanderings
Yes, Fragile
Prog rock at one of its finest moments, though perhaps not at its most ambitious (and that should probably be seen as a good thing), Fragile sees Yes expressing restraint in its endeavors, with a keen eye toward expanding the parameters of an, erm…eight-minute pop song in ‘Roundabout,’ with
Return from PA
It was a long, long trip on a long, long train back from Pennsylvania today. Got home – famished and exhausted – dropped the bags, walked deliriously to a favorite restaurant, and dined. A glass of wine in my tired brain later, I heard from an accompanying table: No, no, get this
My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
A mind-searing epic of beauty, 1991’s Loveless is an album that, in itself, spawned thousands of bands, and changed the face of music in so very many ways, in so many ways to have reached an undeniably legendary status. Songs that can somehow compress no fewer than forty separate
Noise Pollution
This morning I went to my favorite local coffee shop for a bagel and some (okay, a lot of) coffee. I was distressed to find this newly posted sign in the seating area: beside XXXX café. I love music, possibly more than anything else in the world, and I always
Claudia Brown
Fashion plate and all around artist Claudia Brown answers the five questions, liking Haruki Murkami and Thomas Friedman.
Wad
I curse, you curse, we all curse. But for the imaginative cursers out there, we offer you The Alternative Dictionaries. It’s for those special occasions when you need to know that ‘yeb vas’ means ‘fuck off’ in Russian, or that ‘da'ma'k’ means ‘asshole’ in Azerbaijani.
Bedhead, Transaction de Novo
At one point I was a fanatic for the lazy, droning sounds of Bedhead, and I went to every show they played. Then one time I saw them and decided that either they were the most boring, pathetic band imaginable or I’d just gotten a whole lot more exciting
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Relative Ways EP
The first offering from the Trail of Dead since 1999’s Madonna, the Relative Ways EP shows a band further tempering an awesome penchant for violent energy with an unmistakable pop sensibility. Tracks: ‘Relative Ways’ gives us a mature, chiming guitar riff and the catchiest Trail of Dead song to
Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth’s 1988 magnum opus is, indeed, one of the finest albums ever recorded by anyone. Not necessarily a concept album, although a strong musical theme carries across the whole of it, Daydream Nation bursts at the seams with surprisingly catchy (?), engaging songs, while never losing sight of the
The Man Inside
Overheard Sunday morning; a man on a cell phone: Indeed.
Mogwai, Young Team
This 1997 LP was the first Mogwai record I owned, given to me by a friend who bought it for the cover and then couldn’t stand the music. Four years later it sounds just as moody, crisp, and vibrant as the first time I heard it. The now-classic ‘Mogwai
Life (and Product) Fulfillment
Is your life complete? Didn’t think so. Loyal reader (and Freedom Trailer Product Positioner) Bob Bennet suggests you look into purchasing a tent-trailer from Freedom Trailer. Ref: compact tent trailer – towed by either car or motorbike. We consider distributors (and agencies) and discounts for ‘Owner’s Groups.’ Please mention
Overheard Email
Yesterday a friend of The Morning News received this random, unsolicited email: Well, Armando, I would suggest the American Standard Washbrook Junior Back Spud both for its engineering integrity and its architectural sublimity. You are very welcome.
The Prima Donnas, Drugs, Sex & Discotheques
The Austin by way of Sussex (uh, right…) Prima Donnas—Otto Matik, Niki Holiday, and Julius Seizure—took our world by storm in the late nineties with their decidedly nouveau-New-Wave pop anthems. Alas, they are now defunct, but their music has inspired an entire movement in modern music—the now-pervasive
Explosions in the Sky, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forev
Instrumental bombast, everlasting beauty: a truly unforgettable album from what will certainly be an unforgettable band. While Explosions in the Sky recreate a sound oft-explored by the likes of Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Mogwai, they choose to leave out all the soft-soft build-up—instead focusing on the loud-loud crash-in,
T-minus Band, Technostalgia
Pure, precious pop: Alabama’s T-minus Band, consisting solely of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Troy T., offers a delightful slice of all the music you've ever liked: psychedelic, electro, glam, rap, goth, arena rock, trip-hop, country, mod pop…and the list goes on. If there’s a cohesive message here,
Oof
This past summer Oof visited New York City from Osaka. Having never been here before, she spent her days exploring, camera in hand, recording a personal log of New York City with an eye to the everyday (but hardly ordinary) people and things that surround us.
Fridge, Happiness
This is delicate music—and perfect electronic/acoustic pop. A very direct comparison might be to Durutti Column, although Fridge create a more balanced, more far-reaching soundscape. Yet, somehow, it all comes across very simply; in fact, the song titles tell you exactly what to expect: e.g., ‘Melodica and
Alain de Botton
Writer Alain de Botton answers the five questions, answering against pessimism, for Stendhal.
Fugazi, Repeater
This record is highly recommended—inspiring, heartfelt, profoundly intense. Fugazi’s pleas for social responsibility and the devotion with which they approach their cause ring loud and clear on every song. Favorite tracks: ‘Turnover,’ ‘Repeater,’ ‘Sieve-Fisted Find’
New Order, Get Ready
New Order make a triumphant return with Get Ready, their first record since 1993’s Republic. They’ve definitely tweaked their setup a bit (more guitar—a lot more), but they've retained their distinctive sound and, in many ways, have improved upon it—especially in ‘Primitive Notion,’ which
The Faint, Danse Macabre
Do I hate to make another Faint album the album of the week so soon? No—not when it’s this good. Intricate, engaging songs make the follow-up to their strong Blank-Wave Arcade a thoroughly good listen, over and over again. Goth? Pish-posh. And so well-thought-out; so much to digest
Public Image Ltd., The Flowers of Romance
Tribal, synth-laden—oh, and you better believe it’s avant-garde—this 1981 release from PiL is a head-trip of violence and beauty. John Lydon’s lovely sing-song lyrics carelessly riding atop the stark instrumentation only add to the fun (?). Definitely not for everyone, but certainly a necessity for many. Favorite
I’m a Survivor
Richard Hatch, the winner of the first Survivor show, was arrested yesterday in a domestic dispute with his boyfriend. How interesting is this? Well, the answer is ‘not too.’ In fact, it’s just an excuse to show to you – once again – his weird Web site, Rich Hatch – Dynamic, Versatile
Vitesse, Chelsea 27099
Bright, persistent synth-driven pop—just what’s needed to get us all (those in New York, anyway) out of this rain-fueled slump, though the skill with which Vitesse craft these apparently simple, yet misleadingly elegant songs is reason enough to hear this album. Yes, Vitesse owes a debt to The
The Fall, This Nation’s Saving Grace
Abrasive? Anarchic? Just nuts? I don’t know and I don’t think they ever knew, either—or cared—and in that may be what makes this 1985 release such a worthwhile listen: it’s wholly original. Quite seriously, in an age of reprocessed/recycled culture and music (that being,
Marketing
I love end-of-the-world/paranoia/disaster movies – you know the ones: Planet of the Apes (the original, thanks), The Omega Man, Soylent Green (why these all have Charlton Heston in them I’ll never know…). Well, I am very disturbed to have to report this, but there is a site, Human
Chris Clark, Clarence Park
Warp Records wunderkind Chris Clark will change the way you feel about experimental electronic music. Though continually pushing the envelope, Clarence Park never loses sight of being listenable. Clark's debut album showcases his ability to run a wide gamut of emotion: sometimes bleak (‘A Laugh With Hills’), occasionally
New Order, Technique
Right now it’s really hot in New York. Really hot. Something about the vacant, tropical, acid-house sound on this album makes it perfect for what we’re all sweating through here. Recorded in (where else?) Ibiza (upon, reportedly, a legendarily massive load of drugs), this 1989 release strikes a
Ask the Audience
Richard Rosner, a former ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ contestant, is suing the show because he claims that the correct answer to the question that knocked him off the show (at the $16,000 mark, incidentally) was not among the four choices he was given. How could an asshole
The Lies, Resigned
In this album San Francisco’s The Lies have crafted an intense, lovely, soaring effort that touches so many different levels of emotion and influence that this seems almost to be in a field all of its own. Keep an eye on what they do next. Favorite tracks: ‘Accident &
Adult., Resuscitation
Detroit’s Adult. (always written with the period) is detailed, nuanced, modern, electronic music for every activity that comes to mind. Hard to describe, except in that it features pervasive vocals, extremely well-written songs, and an impeccable sense of the drama it creates. Favorite track: ‘Hand to Phone’
Air, 10,000 Hz Legend
For the stutter beat in ‘Electronic Performers.’ For the chorus of ‘How Does It Make You Feel?’ (and for the lights). And for everything about ‘Sex Born Poison,’ this, Air’s newest release, is the album of the week. This isn’t fashion music, it’s not photo-shoot music, and
Petter Ringbom
Creating Public Service Announcements to the web community, doing the work for the love of the craft, taking the fear out of facing reality: ANDREW WOMACK chatted with designer Petter Ringbom about his design, your design, and going berserk.
Posh
The man who put up the cash to build the first New York City subway line (from City Hall to 145th Street) was one August Belmont, Jr. He so loved riding his subway line that he commissioned the building of his own private subway car… And when the car was
Lowercase, Going-Away Present
Dark, driving punk rock sewn from the same fabric as Unwound. But it’s different, mind you: this is death-wish music. Oh, yes, and then comes the screaming. Might want to make that stop, though. Favorite track: ‘The Open Sea’
The Faint, Blank-Wave Arcade
They played two shows here in New York last weekend—both sold out and I didn’t get into either one. It’s a shame, too, since I saw them last year at what was one of the most impressive shows I’d seen in a long, long time. This,
Message Board
Hershey’s has a children’s site, called Kidztown, that features a message board that allows users (presumably children) to post questions, one would guess, generally related to chocolate. Some of the questions, however, seem to stray a bit from the subject at hand. And they range from the innocent:
A Silver Mt. Zion, He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms
This Godspeed You Black Emperor! side project featuring Efrim shows a more focused version of the music for which Godspeed has become synonymous. Here you will find a much more distinct utilization of leitmotifs, the ever-present brooding, percussive strings, and, happily, vocals(!). I passed this by when it first came
Suede, Sci-Fi Lullabies
A two-disc collection of b-sides from Suede (AKA ‘The London’ Suede, for legal reasons…) is a beautiful idea, in that it could easily be argued that no band has ever put so much thought into their single b-side releases, almost treating those three-song releases (one ‘a’ song and two ‘b’
Bjork, Selmasongs
The only way to ‘get’ this album is, I would surmise, to watch the film, Dancer in the Dark, for which this music was composed. And if you like the film as much as I did, you’ll want to hear this music again and again. Especially the brilliant, orchestral
Spiritualized, Pure Phase
It is, apparently, mixed separately by channel. Which, certainly, means you should listen to it with headphones. And it’s brilliant, through heartbreaking delicateness to devastating chaos and back again. Never mind…it’s impossible to describe. Best track: ‘Feel Like Goin’ Home’
Daft Punk, Discovery
I first heard this album last week and it’s purely coincidence that this record is today’s top review on Pitchfork: really, I swear. Okay, so you don’t care, because you know what a great album this is. Anyway, I, too, think it’s a fantastic album (and
Go Away
I’m from Austin. And every year thousands of record execs and related debris descend upon the fair city in that grand tradition that is known as South by Southwest. Well, SXSW 2001 just wrapped up: oh yes, that special week when you can’t get a table at your
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Peel Sessions
In case you didn’t know, OMD is not just about ‘If You Leave.’ And this compilation of Peel Sessions from 1979 to 1983 highlights their songwriting ability, focus, and technique by stripping all the songs to their essentials…especially notable on ‘Enola Gay.’ This edition also includes their brilliant
Socio-Cultural Environment
Don’t know if you’ve seen the ads for this band ‘Crazy Town’ (what kind of a name is that? no, really?) on bus stops around town, but I just took a look at their site, in particular the ‘Who The Fuck Is Crazy Town’ section (that would be
Max Tundra, Some Best Friend You Turned Out to Be
No kidding: it takes a while to figure it out (even vaguely), but once you do there's probably little music that will make you (as in ‘persuade you to be’) as happy to hear as what Max Tundra’s put together here. It’s definitely chaotic, but not
Elliott Smith, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith’s 1995 self-titled album is the album of the week for one reason: the song ‘St. Ides Heaven.’ Yeah, the rest of the album is fantastic, classic Elliott Smith (beautiful vocals, fingerpicking, near-perfect song structures), don’t get me wrong. But it’s ‘St. Ides Heaven’…that’s
Nuclear Holocaust
The ’80s were a lot of things, and one of the things it was was (perhaps) unrealistically horrifying, what with all the movies about post-nuclear-war wastelands (hey, there was even a Tom Petty video that depicted a post-nuclear-war wasteland [see the 1982 photo here]). Well, Austin’s own (!) Radio Free
Grammy/Uh…Television
Ah, it was a Grammy Award ceremony to behold. And, yet, it was completely without point or interest. And (and yet), I watched it. Well, except for the part that was on during Temptation Island. But I think something about these Grammys (sp?) should be noted: CNN reported that Eminem,
A.R.E. WEAPONS, A.R.E. WEAPONS
New York Muscle: Equal parts Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Grandmaster Flash, and, well, A.R.E. WEAPONS, this is a gritty, challenging debut album from the much-loved DJ pair from D.C. Thick, rough synth rhythms built for dancing. [ purchase ]
The Tindersticks, Curtains
Brooding and sensual (probably not the first time those words have been used to describe this album), Curtains is magnificent, heartbreaking, and simply grandiose. The songs on the album are at once brash and delicate, sincere and crass, self-assured and insecure—but always riveting. And, I’ve always felt, somehow
Television, Marquee Moon
A perfect record from beginning to end, Marquee Moon is one of the best albums ever (ever) recorded. If you’ve heard it, you know what we’re talking about; if you haven’t, maybe it’s time you did. Soaring, woven guitar melodies from Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine,
MP3 Revolution
We heard that you like MP3s. We also heard (from the Coalition for the Future of Music) that everyone’s favorite recording industry entity ‘is forming a pool under the title SoundExchange to attempt to collect and distribute the royalties from webcasters who stream music.’ Fight back here. Also seen
The Charlatans, Up To Our Hips
This album is brilliant in the way it plainly looks you in the eye and tells you to fuck off. Few albums have ever shown so little apparent regard for anything or anyone. It’s just cool. Absolutely. And what makes this such a great album to listen to is
Mirwais
Interesting site concept (it’s faux-Mac OS (which I like), it’s scribbled, it’s hot pink, it’s neat-o), but let’s do without that banner ad, eh? I mean, we’re already on the site…why tell people to go to it? And then link to the page
Music/Economics
There’s been talk about how a suppressed economy (read: right now) will nurture a musical environment that is more focused on quality and musicianship. And the only example anyone seems to be able to provide to uphold this ‘theory’ is Nirvana. I suppose everyone’s conveniently forgotten ‘Everything I
Mirwais, Production
Production is brilliant, although we’re not sure exactly why. Every song on the album is good, that’s for sure, but a lot of the work would be difficult to call ‘groundbreaking.’ Instead, this is music that is well-crafted and studied: every beat, every sound…everything is in the
Brian Eno, Another Green World
Easily one of the most compelling, distinct (and best) albums ever recorded, Another Green World marks an important turning point in Brian Eno’s career (and, truthfully, perhaps the whole of music), showcasing the perfect glam(ish)-pop gems for which Eno had prior been known so well alongside moodier,
Depeche Mode, 101
On Saturday, June 18, 1988, Depeche Mode played the final show of their Music For The Masses tour. The show, their 101st of the tour, was played to a sold-out Rose Bowl—approximately 80,000 people—in Pasadena, California; this double album documents that night. The live renditions of such
‘Is This News?’
The Associated Press ‘reported’ the following in Salon Magazine: Cindy Crawford prefers ‘smart,’ Jennifer Lopez prefers ‘sexy’ Okay, just to keep all that straight: Lopez, Theron, Lil’ Kim – sexy; Boyle, Hatcher, Crawford – smart. But what about Matthew McConaughey? Could he want to be smart and sexy? My god, Matthew, you
Phoenix, United
This is the final album of the week for 2000 and, as such, it seems appropriate that TMN say that this album is our favorite of the whole year. No top-ten lists here, just a top-‘one.’ But what is there to say about this album? You’ve already heard
Joy Division, Substance 1977-1980
Compiling early raw material and a number of later singles and b-sides, Substance 1977-1980 is a fine, impressive collection not exclusively for Joy Division/Factory completists, but really for everyone, which is an uncommon effect in singles and b-sides collections, really; this often, in fact, seems like an intended album.
Democratic Par-tay
For anyone who saw this morning’s edition of the New York Daily News, you know that Al Gore really cut loose at his post-concession get-together. Though the event was, initially, quite somber, given the recent concession, the event soon turned into what The Morning News, had we been in
Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
The first LP was groundbreaking; the EP took that momentum and displayed a tightness that was teeth-shattering; and now (actually, last October, when this record came out) Godspeed You Black Emperor! must certainly be at the height of their powers: full-on walls of sound (that never fear veering straight into
Mercury Rev, Yerself Is Steam
It’s a far, far cry from Deserter’s Songs, most definitely, and this is where it all began for Mercury Rev. Exploding on the musical map like (and we’re quoting here) a dorm-room bong hit, Mercury Rev made no apologies and offered no explanations for an album that
Jonathan Fire*Eater, Wolf Songs for Lambs
The short, tumultuous career of the D.C. quintet Jonathan Fire*Eater culminated in the 1997 release of their debut album, the quality of which may only be surpassed by their Tremble Under Boom Lights EP. Riding high on a wave of hype that was, in every way, utterly deserved,
Echo & The Bunnymen, Ocean Rain
One of the best albums Echo & The Bunnymen recorded and, certainly, their most ambitious. Three years before finally infiltrating American shores with their Doors-esque ‘Bedbugs and Ballyhoo’ (or their cover of The Doors’ ‘People Are Strange,’ for that matter), The Bunnymen astounded the music world with this beautifully orchestrated
Doves, Lost Souls
The most obvious reference point for this album, which has, in the past week, put Morning News staffers in their rightful place (and asking themselves why they hadn’t listened to this masterpiece before and thanking our friend Victor for making us do so), is a Britain in the early