Iron And Wine: The Shepherd’s Dog
Sean MurphyPopMatters is doing some heavy lifting in the service of setting the historical record straight. Starting today, they are assessing the Top 100 albums of the last decade. I contributed…
Point/Counterpoint: Sean Beaudoin vs. Sean Murphy – the 90?s Edition (The Weeklings*)
Point/Counterpoint is a beloved feature that first appeared in the fall ’72 Telex edition of the Weeklings. PC/P is the product of an intellectual tradition hearkening back to storied Oxford…
How About Some Unironic Love for Emerson, Lake & Palmer?
Here are three words that strike fear in the hearts of all those allergic to prog rock: Emerson. Lake. Palmer. Popular enough to have several songs still in the regular…
The Power of Political Narrative: Part One, The GOP
i. Magical Thinking and the Memory Hole LIKE MOST EVERYONE ELSE I know, I grew up—really grew up, if I’ve ever actually grown up—in the Reagan 80’s. Take my childhood,…
A Toast, and Tribute, To Pops
When you've lost a parent, one of the remarkable things that happens is you start to act like a parent. All you think, when asked what you want, is for…
Love Is Old, Love Is New: Another Appreciation of ‘Abbey Road’ (Revisited, “New Shit” Edition)
"New shit," as the Dude said, "has come to light." I was unaware of this, but have now seen the light. Let it shine until tomorrow. Let it be. I…
No One Has Ever Done Anything as Well as John Coltrane Played the Saxophone
9/23/14: Today would have been the great one's 88th birthday. Respect. *** 5/1/2010: The question isn’t, really, about who might be interested in this documentary; it is about who might…
Bright Moments (Revisited)
Question: What’s it all about? Answer: I don’t know. But I do know a few things. I know some of the things that make me tick. While my weapons of…
The Great Gig In The Sky: An Appreciation of Rick Wright (Revisited)
Back when Pink Floyd was the first band in space, they remained mysterious, and cool, by being invisible. For being one of the biggest rock groups in the world all…
September 15, 1963 (Revisited)
On Sept. 15, 1963, four black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, in the deadliest act of the…