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Throw Beck Thursday: Don’t Blame Me. Blame Thomas, Jefferson
The perils of grammar, and its impact on the Declaration of Independence. — Bad. Grammar. Is. Everywhere. We’ve come to accept poor punctuation, misspellings, and missing capitilization as the price of texting convenience, but it’s nothing new. Bad grammar has been with us since the Egyptian scribe Belixibus wrote “vulture, bee, fruit basket” when he…
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Deep Cuts: October 1990
Some amazing music came out in 1990. By the time those little trick-or-treaters knocked on our apartment door that night, I’d spent what little expendable income I had on some brilliant records — and thanks to MTV, a cable station that used to be focused on music, I had access to many more. And so…
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On Diffuser 26 Years Ago – Zappa’s ‘Broadway the Hard Way’ is Released on CD
A short-haired Frank in a Miami Vice suit — what the hell is this?
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218. You Know For Us These Are The Days
Ritual de lo Habitual came out that summer, and Jane’s Addiction were suddenly superstars. I skipped shows because I felt betrayed in that way that kids do when their band suddenly becomes popular. I continued my protest in absentia all the way through their last dates, thereby missing the inaugural Lollapalooza.
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My Grandfather, the War Hero
Moravia, Iowa is a small farm town. It was even smaller back in 1920, but it grew by one with arrival of a baby boy named Otis. I imagine he was a happy boy, as most babies are, perhaps even more so because he was unencumbered by the knowledge that his dear mother would be…
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On Diffuser: I Waited 31 Years to See The Waterboys (and it was worth it)
Do you have that band that you think you’ll never get to see? I have lots of them, actually, but The Waterboys were near the top of the list. These guys are definitely part of my life’s soundtrack, yet the chances of ever getting a chance to see them live seemed; well, non-existent.
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Throw Beck Thursday: Kim Jong Un Saves the Internet
With a stunning lack of geopolitical savvy, James Stafford points out what we can learn from ‘The Haircut’s’ most recent temper tantrum. —– As writers go, I make that Shades of Grey lady look like Matt Taibbi, which is to say I’m no investigative journalist. I cover such edgy topics as booze, books, movies, and…
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On Diffuser: So Long, Dave, and Thanks For the Music
Confession time: I used to skip school to watch Letterman’s morning show. Sorry, Mom.
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Deep Cuts: The Best of Not Elvis
I am not an ironic Elvis fan — I simply like Elvis. Don’t get me wrong: There are a lot of duds in the Elvis discography, but there are a lot of tasty cuts, too. Where Elvis really shined was as an interpreter of songs. When we think about Elvis songs, we’re almost always thinking…
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On Diffuser: Frank Zappa Invented Music Streaming
Here is the most fascinating music story you’ll read all week. I was reading Frank Zappa’s 1989 autobiography recently and stumbled across ample evidence that the dude came up with a completely workable idea for music streaming in — get this — 1982. What a brilliant guy. Read all about it on Diffuser.
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