The “further recommendation” for Dillinger Escape Plan is missing the most important part: “(feat. Mike Patton).” That four-song EP, marrying DEP’s (apparently) structured chaos to Mike Patton’s unhinged and malleable madness, is revelatory.

Hope you are OK, depression-wise. I found it effective this winter to play 30 minutes a day, in front of a SAD sun lamp. It seemed to help.

Ebert used to get this complaint a lot. “Just shut up about your opinion and tell us about the movie!” But every review is by definition an opinion. My bet is that the the reviewer gave this film a D+ (rather than an F, D-, or D) because of the filmmaking quality, which is remarked upon in the review.

I be but a lowly Russian bot, but I swear ‘tis 100% true.

I’m a cynic, as are most of you. There is one reason and one reason alone I believe that AWK is as positive and life-affirming as his marketed image.

Check your email (and possibly your junk mail)—a certain “Ryan M.” has sent you a link. :) You are in for a treat—listening again, I am struck by how good the recordings are sound-wise (not to mention the musicianship on display).

Because in 2010, amateur wannabe-historian, smug asshole, and hypocritical “Constitutional originalist” Antonin Scalia convinced enough of the Supreme Court that the Second Amendment protected an individual, non-militia-member’s right to own guns. This is the Heller v. District of Columbia case which is long but worth…

I enjoyed the character, but agree—more shows need to know when to end a plot and excise characters that don’t add much. 

For Lemon Lyman, sure. I don’t know how Kinja works, but can you DM me a way to send? I’m on instagram too .

So it goes :( I was working in a newsroom at the time, and remember one of the veteran reporters letting us know.

Oh I didn’t take it that way at all. Just the way you noted you were going to take shit for it reminded me how silly that is.

You say “counterpoint,” but then go on to agree with me?

I believe a bunch are still there, but none of my favorites from 10+ years ago.  I do remember the Ben Gibbard one being fantastic (I’m recalling he did a Nirvana cover?)

You might be right, but that is profoundly sad to me. I have no idea the music’s current quality, but I find it horrible to scorn the guy for staying true to his artistic vision, or to write off his value or passion based on his age. I’m not saying it’s you doing it, but the idea bums me out. We all get old. It seems…

Yup, Alive 2007 is spectacular. I listen to it on repeat when I’m working on deadline.

I’ve beat the drum about them for more than a decade to no avail, but the late, great Kaizers Orchestra (think the Hives filtered through Tom Waits and Scandinavian metal, all sung in Norwegian) are one of the all-time greats in my book and have an all-time great live record, “Live At Vega.”

Also, wonderful avatar. I’m halfway through a re-read of Slaughterhouse Five (it’s been 10+ years, so it is almost entirely fresh) and it is an amazing read. I often slog through the books that I know enrich me, but S5 is a joy to read. 

I’m not a huge Pepper fan (I’m not in the Peppermen or anything), but the last decade’s backlash against them is beyond ridiculous. They are good-to-great musicians and songwriters with a unique sound.

Yeah, nothing after Playing The Angel has grabbed me enough to even make it through a full-album listen. I’m not a die-hard fan of DM, and have not heard/digested the majority of their albums. It’s like Scorcese—I’ve only seen a handful of his films, but would be comfortable saying he should be in a hall-of-fame for Ta…

My plan, when I have kids (I’m 33, time running out), is to feel out what type of art speaks to them, and subtly force them to do it; not the back-breaking concert track force, but simply a loving, gentle mandate they keep trying. Making music is an essential part of my life, it is my therapy, and in my mind defines…