I know it sounds kinda scary to say, but Halloween is my favorite American holiday. Or at least it tops the list of Holidays-With-No-Purpose — that is, celebrations that we all celebrate for no reason other than celebrating something. I mean, does anybody really care what Halloween’s all about? I realize there are lots of… Continue reading No Tricking: Here's an Altogether Ooky Grab-bag of Treats for Your Halloween
Tag: indie music
Are You Heart of Hearing?
It’s the middle of February, and you know what that means: Valentine’s Day, one of the year’s most controversial holidays, is upon us. Similarly celebrated and hated, fussed over or made fun of, this all-sorts saint’s day is nonetheless an inexorability of our buy-or-die culture. Everywhere, from the corner grocery store to the gas station… Continue reading Are You Heart of Hearing?
Glancing Backward to Look Forward
Because the month of January (named for the two-headed ancient god, Janus) teeters on the fence between the old year and the new, it offers a distinct vantage point for glancing backward at what has been, as a way to predict what may be lurking up ahead. In other words, it’s a time for deciding whether… Continue reading Glancing Backward to Look Forward
A Triple Trifecta of Trivial Treats
Scribbleskiff is sitting in dry-dock for a spell. We’re taking some time away from the business of busyness to rest and clear out the scuppers, so to speak, to restock our supplies, chart new courses, and ready ourselves for the next adventure. For instance, we’re keeping our weather eye trained on the approaching, unusually large waves… Continue reading A Triple Trifecta of Trivial Treats
In January, We Say Hello & Goodbye
January is named for Janus, the Roman god of gates and doors, beginnings and endings. Often depicted with two heads — or, more unnervingly, with one head and two faces — Janus had the ability to look forward and backward at the same time. Which seems a fitting namesake for a month that straddles the… Continue reading In January, We Say Hello & Goodbye
Lifting My ‘Rule of Two’ to Buy Elvish, Bordello Music That’s Out of This World
Rarely do I purchase full-lengths anymore. It’s become necessary (and, well, funner) to simply cherry-pluck a few songs from amid the muckle of platters on the market. Being on a limited budget is, of course, the main contributing factor to this behavior. I download as many (legitimately) free mp3s as I can; most record labels these… Continue reading Lifting My ‘Rule of Two’ to Buy Elvish, Bordello Music That’s Out of This World
A Bouquet of 10 New Songs for Spring
When is a selection of new music like a flower garden? Right now, actually. With the year barely one-quarter old and the ravages of winter not quite a distant memory, there is plenty of budding already occurring, on the stem and in the ears. New songs are cropping up with the same frequency and intensity… Continue reading A Bouquet of 10 New Songs for Spring
Nine New Songs for Old Number Seven
Knowledge, as they say, is power. (Well, by “they” I mean Sir Francis Bacon and everyone who came along after him and used or, likely, misused, his concise little phrase.) Sometimes, though, I think having just a little bit of knowledge can generate too much power — can be overpowering, even — especially when what… Continue reading Nine New Songs for Old Number Seven
Wild Sweet Revenge
July 29 marked the official release date for the first full-length from Wild Sweet Orange. Normally, that’s not a big deal. But in the case of this Birmingham, Ala.-based quartet, delivering a new record into listeners’ hands has been anything but easy-squeezy. Now signed to Canvasback Music, which is part of Columbia Records (and which also… Continue reading Wild Sweet Revenge
Indie Summer Songs
Port O’Brien, Throw Me the Statue, and Fleet Foxes. Three unlikely names for rock bands that are making some of the most promising, interesting, and enjoyable music I’ve heard in awhile. It’s great laid-back, loose, wild, indie rock for a warm summer afternoon. Port O’Brien, who hail from San Francisco, serve up a world-music-influenced sound that shares an aural… Continue reading Indie Summer Songs