Over Thanksgiving break I was reading Questlove’s book “Mo’ Meta Blues” (2013). He talks about how, as a kid, he would travel around with his musician parents and he and his sister would often play music with them when they performed. As a child he would make comments about his travels, detailing ...
Since my column last week regarding premature holiday merriment, I have been enjoying, albeit reluctantly, the onset of the holiday season -- even if all that means is that I’ve been listening to Joni Mitchell’s “River” (1971) over and over again, with its surprisingly heartbreaking echo of ...
I was in New York last weekend and was completely shocked when I passed a Pottery Barn with lit-up Christmas trees and teddy bears surrounding a big white bed with billowy covers. This seemed out of place considering it was Nov. 7. And then I passed Bryant Park, totally transformed into a skating rink surrounded by kiosks selling Christmas ornaments in the shape of your home state, a taxi cab or a cowboy boot. But it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!
On Nov. 1, primetime television viewers were reminded of the meaning of musical virtuosity when Prince took the SNL stage with an eight-minute set of new material backed by the female power trio 3rdEyeGirl. The seamless transitions between songs and a glimpse of what landed him on Rolling Stone’s ...
There are a few things we have lost in the wake of the popularity of electronically downloading music: the release of a new album seems less profound if you can’t physically hold it, the special cabinets my parents had custom made for our records and CDs are now obsolete and less attention is paid ...
Avid music bloggers and Strokes fans have been in a tizzy lately trying to figure out how Julian Casablancas actually feels about brunch after crass comments regarding the culture surrounding this union of two meals.He has finally put the controversy at bay, saying that he’s “not against the concept ...
Last week I went to go see the new Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig lovechild of a movie, "The Skeleton Twins" (2014). The dramedy follows the fraught but beloved relationship between a brother and sister who are both disillusioned with the current state of their lives. The pivotal moment of the ...
Orange is not only the new black, but, more importantly, it was Frank Sinatra’s favorite color. I remember an intense feeling of melancholy overcoming my little five-year-old body when I found out he had died. I spent my youth watching “High Society" (1956) on sick days home from school and ...
Sometimes words are just not enough to properly convey a story. But with the addition of a melody and a Casio drumbeat, you get what I like to call the "story song." Let’s face it: simply telling a story about taking out a personal ad with the intention of cheating on your wife, only to ...
One of four locations, Back Bay's Flour Bakery is a vibrant and inviting hub of kind faces, tantalizing scents and beautifully crafted food. Opened in 2013, the Back Bay branch is the youngest Flour location. After exploring the culinary breadth of New York City, Harvard graduate Joanne Chang returned ...
