The state of radio today is pretty sad (see here). One bright spot in the landscape is Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles, which plays a truly alternative blend of rock music. And the best show on the station is Jonesy’s Jukebox, hosted by Steve Jones of seminal punk band the Sex Pistols. In the past [...]
Whole Hog
Wild Hogs has become quite successful, especially for a comedy released in March, earning more than $123 million in its first three weeks. As a movie, it is what it is. If you’ve seen the trailer, you know exactly what you’re getting. But it’s worth giving the film a brief examination for what it says [...]
Crashing chords and lush strings
Following up on the songs from Manic last week, I thought I’d clarify a point. I said that some of the songs on the Floor Boards EP sounded a little like Soulwax and Blinker the Star. Here are two relevant songs for comparison. In all likelihood, you’ll listen and not recognize the similarities. Or you [...]
Feeling Manic
I like EPs. Sometimes it’s a great way for a band to start off, with a few really good songs, than a 70-minute album with a bunch of filler. Manic is an LA-based band, featuring drummer Ryan Green, guitarist/keyboardist Zane Smythe, bassist Nate Perry, and vocalist/keyboardist Paul Gross. They recently released their debut record, the [...]
“Keep on crawlin’ till the day I die…”
Writer-director Craig Brewer’s last film Hustle & Flow (2005) garnered a great deal of attention, even scoring some awards for a film that is a combo of Blaxploitation and an up-from-the-gutter music biopic. It’s hard for me to tell if he is subverting stereotypes or if they’re subverting him. (H&F was previously discussed on this [...]
Keep holding on
Tuesday night, I saw a screening of the new HBO film Life Support. I was interested to see it primarily because it was directed and co-written by Nelson George. In the end, it turned out to be worthy on its own merits. There have been a number of films about people dying of HIV/AIDS, but [...]