Back Stories (Birthday Edition) | My Unedited 2010 Interview With Neil Diamond
I just noticed that today is Neil Diamond’s birthday. That reminded me that I was lucky enough to speak to the legendary singer-songwriter back in 2010, when he was...
Back Stories (Birthday Edition) | My Unedited 2016 Interview With Robin Zander
Happy birthday to Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander, who turns 71 years old today. A few years ago, I interviewed him just before he and his bandmates were inducted...
Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel | The Match Game
When The Beatles were playing their asses off in Hamburg in the early 1960s, the raucous German crowds repeatedly demanded the young men to "Mach schau, mach schau!" Putting...
Thunder Pie | Mossy Oak Steering Wheel
Tuesday morning, talking to Charlie on the couch, I coughed and heard a rib pop. It was on my left side, a rib I’d already managed to bruise severely...
Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel | I Cast Thee Out!
It used to be that "getting cancelled" was something that only happened to the likes of Manimal, My So-Called Life, The Green Hornet, Archive 81 and The Tick. But...
Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel | Rockin’ Royalty
When it comes to rockin' royalty, the men way outnumber the women. Not only that, but many of the women are actually men.
At first I was a little surprised,...
Thunder Pie | Tiny Essays About Loving Books
“I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books.”
— Jorge Luis Borges
The Pure Joy of Holding Wonderful Books Hostage from the World Until One Dies
I spend too much time...
Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel | What You Talkin’ ’Bout, Willis?
I grew up a fan of Elton John, and while most people just love to blather on about what a brilliant lyricist Bernie Taupin is, I've always found his...
Classic DVD Review: Snoop Dogg | Bo$$ Playa
This came out in 2004 – or at least that's when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
This Snoop Dogg DVD...
Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel | No, No Studio
I remember getting Wings Over America out for weeks at a time from the Pembroke Public Library's AV section — because eight year-old me could never afford the triple-record...
Thunder Pie | The Ballad of Parking Lot Bronchitis
I like the dirty world after the holidays.
When the new year winter is grime/filth, I like to get off on the melancholia. Here, I spot the leftover signs of...
Book Review: Britney Spears: The Woman In Me by Britney Spears
When I'm not listening to an album, watching a video or posting something about music, I'm probably reading about it in a memoir or biography. Like this one:
Britney Spears:...
Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel | My Initial Column of 2024
I was going to write something about stage names, but I decided to get a little more specific. It is, after all, my initial Stylus Counsel offering of 2024,...
Book Review | Lou Reed: The King Of New York by Will Hermes
When I'm not listening to an album, watching a video or posting something about music, I'm probably reading about it in a memoir or biography. Like this one:
Lou Reed:...
Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel | Baby, Can You Drive My Car?
One thing which complicates my own band practices is our bass player doesn't drive. In fairness, it doesn't really complicate things for me — the guitarist drives him. Still,...
