Birdsong

There’s these birds taken up residence outside my bedroom window and literally all they do, all day long and all night long, is MATE. Like, I get it. It’s spring. It’s a free country and it’s their prerogative and everything. But do they have to do it outside my damn bedroom window? Not like Isaac …

Top 25 Canyon Albums

In the ’60s and ’70s, young artists started coming to “the Canyon”–Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills, specifically. They recorded albums together, finding inspiration in each others’ introspection. It was a left turn from the psychedelia of the ’60s and even farther down the road from the bop of the ’50s. The artists of the …

Manners, in full effect

Is “No Diggity” the most polite rap song ever written? Sure, they’re singing about a prostitute. But respectfully. Adoringly. Very un-Dre like. “She’s got class and style, Street knowledge by the pound. Baby never act wild, very low key on the profile.” They respect her as a business woman as well. After all, “getting paid …

Captain EO: a feminist critique, 31 years later

The other day I was watching The Santa Clause 2 Captain EO and could not help feeling reaffirmed in my original assertion that this movie/music video/shameless display of self-aggrandizement is crazy sexist! There are many things that bother me about Captain EO. Right off the bat, it’s 20 f-ing minutes long. In its original context …