the JULIA LENNON PRINCIPLE revisited:
(recap: the debate is, who, in a JUST world, gets paid band-royalties for creative contribution? the guys on-stage, the guys on-record, the gals behind the guys? “who wrote the song?” vs “who m[…]

The Burglar In The Library by Lawrence Block
I’ve talked about Block here before, in glowing terms. So why do I need to go on about him again, and about a Bernie Rhodenbarr novel, probably his most lightweight series (he has several, in case yo[…]

“Of his ability as a poet, however, there can be no reasonable doubt“:
hitchens is always SO way out of his depth talking abt matters popcult that i kind of assumed he just didn’t like rock (or any music at all, come to that) &#821[…]

THE PRODIGY – “Girls”
You know how you’ll sometimes be listening to some nu-electro track and the thought will cross your mind that this would be the GREATEST THING EVAH if only it had a smidgeon of bass in it? Apparently Liam[…]

Is this the BBC’s most confusing graphic?
It’s not the BBC’s fault, the very concept of doing a scale model like this brings in the confusion. This educational project is a grander version of something that every science teacher do[…]

IHM LYRIC WATCH
Rachel Stevens – Some Girls
“Some girls always get what they wanna wanna
All I seem to get is the other other”
Two points to note about Ms Stevens’ song here. Firstly the grammar: because surely the other other[…]

Looking for an anesthetizing jab of teen-pop, I was drawn by Tom’s description of Smash Hits Radio like a kindly old man to a nursery. I don’t, however, “have digital,” as they say here in the UK (and as US people will no doub[…]

SIDEBAR ADDITION: to Television Without Pity, formerly Mighty Big TV, formerly Dawson’s Wraps. It hosts such brilliantly bitchy and excruciatingly funny Dawsons Creek recaps that quite frankly, one doesn’t even NEED to read the show, and […]

Interesting piece from comics writer Steven Grant in the wake of Spider-Man 2 about the supposed dumbing down of cinema. It meanders a touch but soon gets to the interesting thesis that cinema, as a social lubricant, is all about getting people into […]

The first tale of glory from Copa America
Extended highlights are on Sky every night after games, this one should be watched methinks[…]