February 2012
3 posts
1 tag
Feb 8th
11,422 notes
2 tags
Feb 4th
2 tags
Feb 1st
595 notes
January 2012
5 posts
2 tags
Abebe: important retraction / note on camp
agrammar: The first time I wrote about Lana Del Rey, in a column, a few months back, I said I was pleased that when she invoked the name “Lolita,” she actually seemed to be talking about something like the character in the novel, and not whatever strange mincing porny thing people use that name to refer to today. Now, having heard her song “Lolita,” I would like to apologize and mostly retract...
Jan 27th
186 notes
Jan 19th
131 notes
Jan 18th
1 note
4 tags
“The collecting of cultural objects can satisfy any number of needs, among which...”
– Evan Eisenberg, from The Recording Angel, about record collecting.
Jan 11th
4 notes
4 tags
Jan 1st
1 note
December 2011
9 posts
4 tags
2011 Lists: My Favorite "Musical Things" of 2011
It’s funny how music fan-dom is often fun/rewarding/meaningful for reasons beyond the music.  Heading into this year, I was feeling a little burnt-out as a listener & collector of music.  Ostensively, we can listen to any song at any time.  Have we reached the end of music history?  In a realm where everything exists at once, is evaluation and classification moot?  The only way to break...
Dec 31st
4 notes
4 tags
Dec 30th
3 tags
Dec 30th
4 tags
Dec 28th
2 tags
“Architecture is like frozen music.”
– - Goethe in Conversations with Eckerman (1836)
Dec 26th
2 tags
Dec 22nd
3 tags
Dec 21st
1 tag
Dec 7th
1 tag
David Fridmann...
produced engineered (wink, wink) Pinkerton.  How did I not realize this until now?  :/ 
Dec 3rd
November 2011
5 posts
Nov 30th
Nov 29th
2 tags
WatchWatch
“Waltz #2” - Elliott Smith So, I was making dinner tonight (turkey soup), and I threw on VH1 for some background noise - only to find out that the classic Lucy Lawless/Elliott Smith episode from ‘98 was on.  At any given point during my sophomore year in college, it’d be a safe bet to guess that I was whistling some song from Smith’s inimitable XO, which was released...
Nov 27th
8 notes
2 tags
Nov 23rd
1 tag
Nov 9th
328 notes
October 2011
6 posts
5 tags
Oct 23rd
4 tags
A.i.R.: Cy on Aesthetics
[Editor’s Note: Tonight (Wed., Oct 12 - 9 p.m.) the second season of Bravo’s “Work of Art” premieres.  If the consideration of aesthetics below interests you, I strongly suggest you check it out.  Sure, the idea of art-as-competition may seem dirty, but that small concession to TV politics allows for an hour of artists, their thoughts, and their work to be broadcast into my...
Oct 13th
6 tags
A.i.R.: Cy's First Mix
(Editor’s Note: Below is Cy’s story of his first mix for the Den.  Click the link under the first photo to download the collection.  Tomorrow, I will post a summary/transcript of an interview with the artisan about this mix and mixes, in general.  On Friday, I will post a “listener diary” of this mix, in which I provide commentary - some of the sharp, analytical variety,...
Oct 12th
4 notes
Oct 11th
5 tags
Artisan in Residence: Cyrus Despres
My brother is an artist artisan. Cy and I are two years apart, I the elder.  Much of our childhood and early adolescence was spent just a little too close.  We did a lot together - built lego worlds in our rooms, played basketball in the driveway, completed the seemingly endless “to do” lists that dad put together (only in his head, mind you), and hung out during weekends and school...
Oct 11th
Oct 6th
3,298 notes
September 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Sep 27th
1 tag
Sep 25th
1 tag
Sep 2nd
2 notes
August 2011
7 posts
1 tag
ListenOh, man.  When I listened to this Girls track...
Aug 25th
24 notes
ListenFitted Snaps | Dane D. Lion Britt Daniel, Pete...
Aug 22nd
6 tags
Aug 22nd
12,497 notes
WatchWatch
Slow Magic - “Corvette Cassette” I don’t know much about this mysterious group, but I can confidently claim that they love alliteration. 
Aug 20th
ListenBrickbeat | Dane D. Lion Here’s an...
Aug 18th
Pitchfork: James Blake and Bon Iver Collaborate →
Alternate headline: “2 Dudes Figure Out How to Make Dane’s Wildest Music Dreams Come T”rue
Aug 18th
2 tags
Listen“Down the Lane” - Royal Headache ...
Aug 4th
July 2011
7 posts
1 tag
ALTERED ZONES - Artist Profile: John Maus →
Great interview with John Maus!
Jul 30th
1 tag
Jul 25th
2 tags
Jul 22nd
2 tags
WatchWatch
“Surfer’s Hymn” - Panda Bear Directed by Sam Fleischner Video deleted.
Jul 14th
1 tag
Waste Some Time with an Online 909 →
Jul 14th
3 tags
"Since I Left You (Stereolab Remix)" - The...
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (Stereolab Remix) by modularpeople Good god, kids.  The last minute?  Are you serious!?
Jul 7th
3 tags
WatchWatch
They Might Be Giants - “Tupthumping” (Chumbawumba cover) At first, I was surprised by how well this worked.  Then I remembered the bulk of They Might Be Giants’ oeuvre.  This is the best - so far - of the second season of AV Club’s Undercover series.  Happy Wednesday!
Jul 6th
June 2011
7 posts
2 tags
Jun 21st
2 tags
Cults Owe Props to the Shangri-Las...
In no way does this diminish my enjoyment of the Cults LP, but in the name of giving credit where it’s due, check it:
Jun 21st
The Tyranny of Distance - Ted Leo | AllMusic →
A decade of Tyranny, a desert isle pick for me!  Thanks, Ted Leo!  #Tyranny10
Jun 19th
2 tags
Darlington - "Boys" →
Summer begins in Lex Vegas.  Blast it at Rancs!  Pump it at Michelson’s!  Jam it at Prime Rib & Seafood!  Synchronize your boomboxes and parade through the farmers market!  It’s strawberry season for Darlington; they’ve got your jam!
Jun 7th
Jun 6th