Confessions of a Fanboy

Ears open, mouth closed.
I wonder how many teachers said that to me. I thought they were just being Nazis, and they probably were. I was a hell of a lot more interesting than they were. I might have been smarter than one or two of them, too.
Ears open, mouth closed.
Maybe they had [...]

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There is so much negativity, so much bad news in the world that it’s really invigorating when you go digging through your music collection to find a song to celebrate something profoundly positive.
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court helped remove the nation’s collective head from its enormous collective ass, striking down segregation [...]

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Blonde on Blonde and Pet Sounds turn 41-years old today! How great is that?
Elliott Smith last week, Wilco this week… I was feeling pretty good about the releases for the month of May. In 1966, Blonde on Blonde and Pet Sounds were released. The same day. That is amazing. Blonde [...]

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On this day in 1990, Jim Henson passed away at age 53 of bacterial pneumonia.
I don’t know if we can trace the beginning of the decline of civilization to that day, but childhood has never been the same. How many generations of us grew up on The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and Muppet Babies? [...]

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It’s been a long time since we’ve talked about my iPod. The main reason is I’ve been a bit dissatisfied with the way the tables are displayed in my Wordpress template (attention, DesignBoy!). Until I get that tweaked, we’ll roll with the old.
Obviously I listened to the George Harrison record. I also [...]

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The following is a public service of Confessions of a Fanboy:
I am certain that at least one person reading this has not bought a copy of Wilco’s new album Sky Blue Sky. My friends, this cannot stand. You must go to the retailer of your choice and buy this album. You must [...]

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I can’t remember how it started, but last night I was scrolling through my iTunes library and the desire to pick through George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass overtook me.
I’m a Beatles fan (who isn’t) and am moderately knowledgeable on the band, but much less so on the individual solo careers of the Fab Four. [...]

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Our culture no longer puts a premium on knowing one’s place, on knowing one’s limitations. There are countless examples of this throughout pop culture. One of my favorite whipping boys, American Idol is a great one. Thousands of – and I’m being really fucking generous here – marginal talents come out of [...]

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Jackie Brentson and “Rocket 88.” Chuck Berry. Buddy Holly. Elvis Presley. When the question “When did rock and roll begin” is asked, these are names all likely to surface. Just as likely is “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & The Comets.
On May 14, 1955, “Rock Around the Clock” [...]

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You might have noticed I spent a good portion of last week obsessing over the 2007 BMAs. Now that the BMAs are over, I’m starting to work through some current blues releases.
I just wrote a review of the Jimmy Burns live album. The blues is a music style that is often best experienced [...]

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