Barryfest v. Wikipedia // Rotary Downs
When taking on the arduous task of editing Wikipedia, one is faced with a draconian and arbitrary editorial process, hyper-specific technological codes and an altogether baffling insider culture. If you haven’t done your research, learned how to tailor citations to meet certain ambiguous yet rigid criteria or developed a neutral voice, you might as well [...]
Exploring Empire Records // Stomach Pump
I’ve always wondered why Empire Records, a film that both impliedly embodied the climate of underground rock music in the 1990s and appeared during one of the lower morale points in modern music, found most of its charm in flighty humor and outright silliness. Though the ”Grunge Explosion” of the decade’s first half had already begun to [...]
DYRT90s? // Soundgarden: Black Hole Sun
Almost 13 years after calling it quits following a worldwide tour in support of their fifth studio album, Down On The Upside, Soundgarden announced on New Year’s Day, 2010 they were reuniting and hitting the festival circuit (including a stop at our own Voodoo Music Experience later this month). It was welcome news, not only [...]
Barryfest v. Wikipedia // Kindest Lines
When taking on the arduous task of editing Wikipedia, the largest web-based encyclopedia, one is faced with a draconian and arbitrary editorial process, hyper-specific technological codes and an altogether baffling insider culture. If you haven’t done your research, learned how to tailor citations to meet certain ambiguous yet rigid criteria or developed a neutral voice, [...]
SDIP // FM (No Static At All)
The Steely Dan Infographic Project, in which we create a chart, diagram, graph or other visual aid inspired by each and every Steely Dan song. This edition: “FM” from FM, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
DYRT90s? // Beck: Where It’s At
No matter how often I requested it, the DJ that worked my middle school dances refused to play this song, citing its alleged offensive content. I could certainly tell the song was “weird”, with the spoken word passages and an accompanying music video full of what I later found out to be homages to William [...]
Exploring “Empire Records” // XTC
For a split second in Empire Records, a philosophical Lucas can be seen contemplating his perverse victories of the day: he’s lost $9,000 of the store’s money, he’s ensured that he and his boss will get fired, and his actions will force the other employees to hatch a plan to prevent the store’s inevitable future [...]
DYRT90s? // Counting Crows: Mr. Jones
In a decade infamous for songwriters who laughably overreached in their attempts to craft earnest, deep, clever or otherwise emotionally resonant lyrics, Adam Duritz is in a class by himself. Even with stiff competition from the Edwin McCains and Jakob Dylans of the world, Duritz is the undisputed king of melancholy hyperbole, filling the Counting [...]
From The Cutting Room Floor: Anal Cunt
This weekend, Seth Putnam – ringleader of infamous shock-rock grindcore band Anal Cunt – passed away from an apparent heart attack. A few months ago, we planned to highlight the show they played at Siberia as our Live Pick of the week, but in the process of putting together our write-up, we got cold feet. [...]
