Christmas pinnacles
You had to know it was coming. Jimmy Fallon hosting Saturday Night Live the WEEK before Christmas? You had to know that the show, at some point, would feature the wacky little ditty “I Wish It Was Christmas.” Many years ago the number, written by Fallon and Horatio Sanz, was premiered before the 30 Rock … Continue reading
The war against Christmas music, part 2
In all the time that I worked in a record store there was generally one genre of music that we never really looked forward to playing: Christmas Music. Well, that isn’t really true. There were lots of things we never looked forward to playing and rarely did, but Christmas music always felt like such a … Continue reading
The shadow of the 90s
Last Friday, while waiting for one of my kid’s PBS programs to begin I saw a commercial for that evening’s American Masters program. I was surprised to find that the ad was for Cameron Crowe’s documentary about Pearl Jam Twenty. I set the DVR with plans to watch the show either in real time or … Continue reading
Missing in action
Greetings readers (both of you). Due to recent schedule wackiness I have been stuck on a few items these past few weeks. I hope to get my mind out of this downward spiral in the next few days but thought I would offer up a small video sample (with article text) of what I’m working … Continue reading
Radio gaga
In the Winter of 2004, at the behest of our store’s promotions coordinator I participated in my first radio show. In Lansing there is a local city newspaper named City Pulse, founded and edited by a fellow named Berl Schwartz. I was asked to call in on a Saturday morning to comment on something, in … Continue reading
Uncover version
On any given night, in any given bar across the globe, one can find a band, onstage, playing the music of another artist. Many years ago I stopped for a drink at a local establishment. Four lads were on stage and as I nursed my drink long since lost to the sands of time, they … Continue reading
Nor do I
Ok, I’m stuck on this song. Writing about Serge Gainsbourg for the past two weeks has me stuck on this, his famous-est song and filthiest song, “Je T’aime Moi Non Plus.” I’ve dedicated space to the song as sung by Gainsbourg with Bardot and with Birkin and I’ve spoken of Nick Cave’s version of the … Continue reading
Family tree
I first became aware of Charlotte Gainsbourg while dipping in the river of her father, Serge Gainsbourg. On the cover of his 1971 masterpiece, Historie de Melody Nelson, the cover girl is Mrs. Jane Birkin, Mr. Gainsbourg’s wife. What many don’t know is the fact that while Mrs. Birkin was portraying a sort of Lolita … Continue reading
Dysphonia: year one
1. What was your first column? My first column was not as much a column as a diatribe against the writer Neal Pollack. I’m not sure that my style has mellowed, but I think the first column stinks: clunky, short, and sort of pointless really. I don’t know if it is the best first thing … Continue reading
