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  • 217. The Human Shield

    Now that I was a big time union apprentice film editor I was bringing home enough cash that Jody could quit her job. “Do you think I should?” she asked. “Why not?” “Because who knows if you’ll get another movie after this,” she said. “I will. We didn’t come all the way out here for…

  • On Diffuser: 28 Years Ago: Jane’s Addiction Release Self-Titled Indie Debut

    The only thing that ages a person more than children is pop culture. Also, time. Time ages people.

  • From the Stacks: The Shaggs – Philosophy of the World

    Here we have RCA’s 1999 CD reprint of The Shaggs’ Philosophy of the World. Why not feature the original 1969 album? Because it’s pricey, and I don’t have a copy in my stacks.

  • Throw Beck Thursday: 5 Nice Things You Can Do Today

    A few nice gestures might not change the world, but what a great place to start.   Changing the world is big business. The world is a big place, after all, at least 100 miles across and populated by upwards of 1,000 people, but I’m no scientist. How the heck can any of us make…

  • On Diffuser: ‘Heaven Adores You’ — A Difficult Film on Elliott Smith

    Elliott Smith’s story is sad, happy, compelling, and complex. Does Heaven Adores You capture that? The best way to answer that is to go see the film, the next best way is to read my review on Diffuser.

  • On Diffuser: 21 Years Ago: Weezer Make Their Debut With the ‘Blue Album’

    Hey, look who’s all growed up! Weezer as a recording band just turned 21. Can you believe it’s been that long since “Buddy Holly” and “Undone”? Pour yourself an “I feel old” drink and relive the fun with this Diffuser article. Oh, and Al says try the fish. Yep….yep yep yep yep.

  • On Diffuser: 25 Years Ago: Sub Pop Releases Soundgarden’s ‘Screaming Life/Fopp’

    My biggest disappointment with this article: I couldn’t find my old Screaming Life/Fopp cassette to use for the cover art. I had this whole “Hey look at me, I was an early adopter” vignette in mind, with my beaten up tape sticking out of a Walkman. Hey, what are you going to do. Anyway, this…

  • My Ambivalent Relationship With Kurt Cobain

    I watched Montage of Heck, the Kurt Cobain documentary, over the weekend. The film is well done,  but I didn’t leave feeling like I learned anything new about its subject. I may have learned a little bit about myself, though.

  • From the Stacks: Nine Inch Nails – ‘Scary Monsters’

    Here we have a CD bootleg of a September 20, 1995 Nine Inch Nails show at Toronto’s Skydome. It’s a great recording, right off the board, and if you’re into Nine Inch Nails I’m sure you’ll dig it. Me? I’m not in it for the NIN. For me it’s all about the last three tracks,…

  • On Diffuser: Hey Ma! Here’s You Mother’s Day Playlist!

    One of the fun things about working for Diffuser is the opportunity to tailor my pretty broad musical tastes to fit their slightly narrower editorial sensibilities. There are lots of great songs for a “Mother” playlist, but picking the ones that were right for Diffuser? Therein lies the fun. In no particular order, here are…