I’m as baffled as anyone that Fall Out Boy has endured for more than a decade. Was there any band that seemed trendier in 2006, more destined to be a bullet point in a “Rememba the Early 2000’s?” listicle in 2018, than Fall Out Boy? That’s certainly what I expected. Yet they had a Top…
One of the annual traditions I’ve picked up in the past few years is playing to “This Will Be Our Year” as the very first song of the year. I’m pleased to say that tradition has continued in 2018. I mean, just listen to it. How can you feel pessimistic about the upcoming 365 days with this…
Hey friends: In 2018, I’m planning to occasionally spotlight a “song of the day.” Here are all the postings, starting with most recent. Overview For each song I spotlight, I will write a brief description of the song and my reaction to it. The songs will not necessarily be my favorite songs, but they will…
Download link (you may have to right click and “Save As”) It’s been a mere six months since the Beercast bid its listeners a fond adieu, but I decided the time was ripe to share a little gem from the Earn This vaults: A special, “live” Beercast from the 2015 LoCo Brewfest in Ashburn, VA.…
No worries; I am here to expand our already robust coverage of Adventure Time: Will ranked the 25 best episodes through Season 6 and Brian assembled an excellent primer on the show and its appeal. In fact, I suggest you go read Brian’s article instead of this one; his analysis of the show’s strengths and weaknesses…
I have a vague recollection of Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical becoming, in 2006, a tween “cult hit” (if that’s even a thing) that gradually became so popular it moved into “crossover hit” territory. The plot is as broadly sketched and predictable as you’d expect, though I still admire that it only took us…
Two items have inspired this post: Today is Harry Potter’s birthday, and my daughter was born earlier this month. The first connection should be pretty obvious, but the latter is important because I’ve been reading the series aloud to her (through three books already!) I will happily discuss these rankings in more detail if anyone…
This is my review of Hamiltony, part 2 of “Fulfilling My Hamiltonian Destiny.” Read part 1, detailing my winding path to seeing the musical at Rodgers Theater. Hamilton is marvelous. It exceeded my fairly astronomical expectations. Writer and star Lin-Manual Miranda is a certifiable genius. A significant portion of its charm derives from its central conceit:…
10. Butterfly Album-ending acoustic numbers are a bit of a tacky tradition. They’re usually throwaways, even when they’re good. “Butterfly” is fine on its own, but shines as a great closer in the context of the album — the hangover after the hand-wringing and self-flagellation that precedes it, charged with guilt and shame. I’ll also…
Shortly after I graduated college in 2010, I got a bit of an itch for old-fashioned liberal arts learning. I decided to undertake the epic, 84-lecture History of the United States lecture series from The Great Courses. I listened to the lectures during my commute to and from work. It was an absolutely fantastic decision…