Real Journalism written by people
First, the good news: the Library of Congress last month added new albums to its National Recording Registry, which preserves the most important and salient examples of American audio culture. One of the new entries is Miles Davis’ monumental, complex, darkly thrilling Bitches Brew. It’s a testament to the brilliance and possibilities of this country that it produced Miles and […]
Faithful readers of this paper will remember how I discovered one the great community gems that Brooklyn has to offer (and offered for over fifty years). I what because of the late Nino Pantano that I found myself in a Sunset Park elementary school auditorium being blown away by talent that I thought was only reserved for tourists and well-heeled […]
A Critical Moment for a Beloved Brooklyn Venue On May 2nd and 3rd, The Music Matters will present a two-night indie music showcase at Our Wicked Lady (OWL)in Bushwick. What began as a grassroots blog has evolved into a platform dedicated to elevating New York City’s emerging music talent. The showcase also arrives at a turning point. OWL, one of […]
Apparitions of the Eternal Earth. On their monolithic 2022 debut, Eyes Like Predatory Wealth, the Houston, TX trio Apparitions set forth a slow burn with three tracks running, in sequence, 10, 20 and 30 minutes. The fire has been spreading ever since. In 2023, they issued the digital-only Semel, with three poundingly untitled tracks, and this month comes Volcanic Reality (CD […]
“Lost in Love”: Review of “Horse Crazy,” by Gary Indiana, introduction by Tobi Haslett, Reviewed by Michael Quinn Years ago, I fell for a recovering drug addict. I met him at a funeral for a man we had both been involved with. When he caught me looking, he smiled—a slow, disarming gesture that made my heart thump like a […]
Welcome to the March Edition of “Tits up Brooklyn!” March is reported to come in like a lion and leave like a lamb…What does that actually man for us music lovers? Does March arrive like the Stray Cats (rockabilly) and leave like Lamb of God (heavy/dark metal)? Or perhaps like Pussy Riot (punk) and leave like the Electric Sheep (female […]
“Baseball isn’t statistics,” legendary New York sports columnist Jimmy Cannon once wrote. “Baseball is DiMaggio rounding second.” I wonder if Tim Bassett, second baseman for Adler’s Paints, had that in mind when he quipped, decades later, “Is there anything more beautiful than the sun setting on a fat man stealing second base?” It’s entirely possible. Bassett, like his Adler’s teammates […]
What is the sound of being ghosted after going through a job interview? According to the prog-rock band KADAWA, it’s the crisp, complex rhythms, slashing riffs, and soaring major key guitar solo of “We’ll Get Back to You” off their album, Post-Graduation Fees. Take something larger and not focussed on an individual’s experience: What is the sound of what the […]
“You have to justify telling jokes about the news at a time like this.” That’s what British political comedian Nish Kumar said in 2022, during his last tour. A lot has happened since then, and Nish is performing in the US now. So, how has this feeling changed? “It’s got worse!” Nish laughs, sitting on a couch in the green […]
Review of “Days Without Number, New York City,” photographs by Giovanna Silva, with a text by Sasha Frere-Jones Review by Michael Quinn You hardly know anyone, and there’s no place you need to be, so you walk around to get your bearings. You snap pictures of whatever catches your eye. You’re trying to capture a feeling—not just the place but […]
Ghosts in the guitar. The wonderfully inventive Jules Reidy has been going through a period of transition of late. Affairs of the heart, a change in gender identity and a renewed interest in mysticism have all, it seems, led to Ghost/Spirit (CD, LP, download out Feb. 21 from Thrill Jockey). While they’re often heard in more experimental and freeform settings, […]
Spend time on social media, especially text-based sites like Bluesky (that’s what I use—and enjoy—now after deleting my account at the neo-Nazi’s site) and you eventually find people decrying a lack of media literacy. What they mean by that is the ability to see the difference between assertion and fact, to know what’s reporting and what’s stenography, to tell when […]
