I really, really dislike rap music. It has nothing to do with it being a hugely successful genre, or with it being enjoyed by friends in High School. I just can’t align…

Hanging out with Sam Tuesday night reminded me that I haven’t reviewed but two of the several black metal albums he gifted me as an introduction to the genre. Since my brain…

There’s nothing quite like finishing work early. It gives me the opportunity to spend a large portion of my day doing things I love—like watching the cinematic event known as Stick It…

What the hell do I know about black metal? Right. Nothing. That’s not stopping me from trying, though. Sam offered to introduce me to the genre (because I can never discover enough…

Sure, free music is nice (even if it is starting to piss off more lobbyists). But what about free free music. You know like Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come,…

Every so often, I come across an item that genuinely freaks me out. Two examples off the top of my head would be: the old cemetery that developers built around when constructing…

When I was in Chicago in April, I called Jason Molina and asked him if he wanted to meet up for drinks and chat about Chicago for the book I’m writing. Our…

Last night Nat invited Ilya, Z and I to the New York premiere of Brothers of the Head, which is a film about conjoined twins sold by their father to a music…

Hey, you’ve got money, right? That’s the stuff they give you when you have a job, right? Good! Now you can buy my stuff. Overpay for it too, why dontcha! Last night…