THIS is a CLOSE-UP?

A few months back, I got this phrase stuck in my head: stuffed-up noses / Walmart roses In my head, this sounded like the germinal stage of a country song, perhaps something that Kacey Musgraves might have as a b-side to her third single. (Do people even make b-sides anymore? God, I'm a relic.) But as I'm neither a singer nor songwriter, it sat in my email. no divisions and development possible from that digital perch. Yesterday was a snow day at NCMC. ("Snow day" as an adult means "Stay at home and spend just under four hours grading 100+ writing assignments from six online sections," so it's a bit different from when I wuz a kiddo.) As I was grading and listening to '70s and '80s songs through the cable, a well-worn tune popped up that sparked me to shit out a sorta-kinda-actual song from the aforementioned words. And once I pictured singing it in the lugubrious baritone of John Grant, the lyric came pretty easy. You’re the new kid in t...

It's everywhere I need it to be. It's a Bluetooth speaker in the shower, it's the radio and an iPod (remember those?) in the car, it's iTunes and Groove Music in my office, and it's in my media players in the living room and the basement and in my hand (if it's an iPad). If I want to hear something, I can hear it in many different places in many different ways. Does ubiquity breed a weakening of desire? Not in my case. I had some good music experiences this year, from albums to songs to whatever we're calling an EP these days. And yes, I still bought a lot of CD's, because somebody has to. Spin After Spin: My Favorite Records John Grant – Love Is Magic  U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited  Cold Cave – You & Me & Infinity EP  The Soft Moon – Criminal  Tracey Thorn – Record  Jon Hopkins – Singularity  Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer  Mitski – Be The Cowboy  boygenius – boygenius EP  Spin Me 'Round: My Almost-Favorite Re...

Now and again, I ponder as to what this incessant listing is for. Is it a means to place order onto a chaotic world? Do I list to help relieve my sieve-like memory of the pressure of remembering shit? And what does it mean to have a "Best Of 2018!" list when there are a few films from this year that I haven't seen yet, films that will undoubtedly plop onto this list? Do I help reinforce the ideas that people have about me with my choices? So many questions. Here are some answers as to my favorite (and not-so-favorite) movies that I saw this year. I'd Buy That For A Dollar (the faves of the favorites) Mandy  Annihilation  Mission: Impossible – Fallout  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse  Paddington 2  First Reformed  Upgrade  For those who know me even a little bit, you'll know why at least half these titles are the tip of the top, so I shouldn't have to keep banging on as to why these movies are just as awesome as can be. But while I'm here...

For a large chunk of 2018, I had a pretty staid daily pattern: I engaged briefly with the news of the outside world, and once the incredulity and nausea reached a certain threshold, I would immediately retreat into the largely imaginary landscapes offered up by Netflix. This isn't to say that my time wasn't occupied with other pursuits, from reading comics and books to watching movies and sports, but after looking at my viewing history for the year, it was clear that Netflix had a hold on my time. I also worked and slept. Keep that in mind when you see the following list: Adamantium Status (in that it is bonded to my bones now and forevermore) Springsteen on Broadway Let me first say that I'm not the world's biggest Bruce Springsteen fan. To me, that means that I love his work from pretty much every period of his career, but I'm not a trading-bootlegs deep-cut sort of fellow. I first saw him in '96 on a solo tour, and I last saw him in an all-star grea...

2012 was supposed to be the year of the Mayan apocalypse, but instead, we got the Presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney, who went on to lose to Obama (but by a smaller margin than predicted). It was also the year where I thought my friend Graham would be hired by NCMC (he wasn't), and it was my last full year as a single white male. So I also plugged my ears and went to some shows: Cinematic Titanic Early Show [Royal Oak Music Theatre 2.25.12] There's just something about a live MST3K-ish experience, surrounded by infectious laughter and giggle pros at the top of their games. This was about the time where the CT gang were winding down the live show, so it was nice to get another one in. The Black Keys wsg Arctic Monkeys [Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids 3.10.12] It's always nice when the opener is a band you'd like to see, and so it was at this show. In fact, as much as I like the Black Keys, they just don't have the advantage of a natural-born and battle-h...

It's taken me a long time to get on the John Grant train, but now that I'm officially on it, I'm staying. Later this evening, John Grant will be playing at the El Club on the outskirts of Detroit, and while it's killing me not to go, listening to my favorite tracks on his new album Love Is Magic will help soften the blow. If you're not familiar with John Grant, you can go here to get some background on what appears to be a rather interesting life. (We have some minor similarities in that we were both born in Michigan and we both moved to Colorado -- and we both have vocal ranges that approximate nicely when I'm bleating his songs in my car -- but that's largely where the connection points end.) His work isn't for everyone, which most certainly appeals to the contrarian in me. Love Is Magic starts off with the song "Metamorphosis," which blends affected seemingly non sequitir verses with his more familiar smooth crooning on the chorus, an...

Now and again, I enjoy spending some time in this Tumblr featuring a slice of the esoteric weirdness of Russia. I'm sure that there are robust Tumblr collections of American eccentricities -- hell, Florida alone would be nightmare fodder for years -- but there's just something about the former U.S.S.R. that really makes me feel warm and cold inside. Here's a few highlights: The real fun, of course, is to take these photographs in sequence and tell a story of human remains from a land far, far away. Hope you find some gems, too.