Al Johnson is Decent: An Interview
A chat with the erstwhile US Maple frontman. #link
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Date: January 2014
A chat with the erstwhile US Maple frontman. #link
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Over-intellectualising anything can be problematic, but does that preclude metal from serious academic engagement? Of course not. Some good thoughts on the subject here. #link
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Thankfully, in the few interviews I've done with celebrities* I haven't had any horrible experiences; in fact it's been quite the opposite. #link
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The New York Times profiles the legendary 'dirt sheet' writer and publisher. Other fandoms (as they call them now) have their zines, and a whole culture behind them that's only latterly been celebrated more widely (oh, you hipsters), but wrestling has the dirt sheets, and Meltzer sets the standard. See also: Meltzer talks about his unique gig with Colt Cabana. #link
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Yotam Ottolenghi’s vegetarian mezze recipes
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Filing this here for future reference. #link
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Filing this here for future reference. #link
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"Why? Because they represent only one symptom of the real problem," says Jeffrey Goldberg. And he's absolutely right. #link
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Only posting this here to express my incredulity that these flicks were even considered for a PG-13 rating. In my book they're all at least a 15 cert. America's ratings system is fucking weird. #link
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I'd also add to these (mostly) excellent tips: you will never stop learning. #link
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It amazes me how many people completely miss the point of this movie, as it's hardly subtle, and should've been even expected coming after RoboCop and Total Recall in Paul Verhoeven's oeuvre. It's probably my favourite of his because it's so relentlessly grim and boiling with anger below the surface sheen. Perhaps it presupposes too much knowingness on the part of its audience -- but that's really more the viewers' deficiency, not Verhoeven's. #link
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As the site says, it is the most important movie question, and depending on how it's handled can potentially ruin the whole film for me. Yes I'm a sentimental old soul, what of it? #link
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I've only seen three of these, to my shame, but a few others too, all of which deserve a place in this list. Film noir is easily 20th-century Hollywood's strongest genre in terms of screenwriting alone; see also: What makes a great screenplay? #link
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It's your bog-standard Guardian Guide promo junket interview, and then Simon Pegg turns into Slavoj Žižek and it gets amazing. #link
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The drummer shoots the breeze with Steel for Brains. I'm glad they enjoyed making their new album Tres Cabrones, even if I didn't really like the results. #link
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In case you're ever stuck for an introduction. #link
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"Ultimately, Spotify is fantastic for major labels and acts with large audiences. Most pop/major acts sell to casual audiences, audiences that aren’t too interested in paying for their music anyway. So Spotify helps monetise the casual listener who would have just listened to the radio beforehand." For everyone else, there's Bandcamp. Really. I mean, I do use Spotify occasionally, or even YouTube, but I don't kid myself thinking it's any better than downloading at the end of the spectrum where my tastes lie. That's where Bandcamp and similar come in; they are so much better for independent artists and labels alike. #link
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Simon's on the money. And yes, while it's too easy making a meal out of Will Self's highfalutin self-aggrandising piffle, it's never not entertaining. #link
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Ah we've all been there. Even the USA forgot to enshrine an official language; South Africa has 11, so the Yanks've got some catching up to do! #link
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Bee pointed out how no one wears gloves handing old documents in BBC Four historical documentaries anymore, so I hit up Google to see if there was anything to it, and immediately found this, the answer we wanted! #link
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Jerry 'The King' Lawler and Memphis wrestling are still alive and drop-kicking, 40 miles south, writes The Masked Man. As if I needed telling. But you do. #link
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More great advice from Guardian subeditor David Marsh. See also: In defence of 'basically' #link
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"It tolls for those whom don't know the difference between 'who' and 'whom'" (NB sticking this here so I won't forget it!) #link
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“I don’t care what I eat so long as it is always the same.” Maybe Wittgenstein never said that, but that's not as important as the notion that it's totally plausible. A man after my own heart, that Ludwig. #link
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What Jason Everman did after Nirvana and Soundgarden. #link
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The co-director of The Act of Killing discusses the fall-out from the documentary, one of 2013's best films; read my review from last summer. #link
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'Ambient tourism' is a good name for this. Reminds me of a thing Charlie Brooker wrote about the NHK World show Somewhere Street but I can't find it for the life of me. See also: Kyushu by train [c/o @antimega] #link
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A competition for short stories inspired by quantum theory; worth a serious look when the winners are announced. [c/o Tor.com] #link
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Rush put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen. You should see it too. #link
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Good riddance to 2013, then; a year that started off pretty well but then turned a bit shit. Obviously it wasn’t all bad, though, and I’m looking forward to carrying over those positive traits — in my personal life and professionally — into this new year.
What of the last four months, then? Clicking back in Google Calendar, I see that September was quiet but for my grandad’s 90th birthday, and finally seeing Soundgarden live; in October I reviewed more films than music, a trend that would continue as the weeks ticked away; mid-November was a bust, a big sucky bust; and December flew by, as it always tends to do.
No forced optimism for January, however; the crappy weather today’s done enough there. Nothing else for it but to knuckle down and Make Things Better. Call that a resolution if you wish.
First things first, must finish off this year-end music round-up before ’13 is too distant a memory…
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Once seen, never unseen. Personally I blame designers too harried to click past the first search page on the stock photo site. #link
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While we're on the subject of rules, I love that Roger Ebert coined a name for this! #link
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Yep, these are pretty much all true. #link
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Takes fucking forever with anything larger than a clip, but I can verify that it works. #link
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But he's making up for it now. One of my favourite actors, this guy, and I can't even tell you why. #link
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