Watched Fritz Lang's "M" for the first time this weekend, after realizing I hadn't yet seen it and probably should. What stood out to me the most was the use Lang puts sound to; you've got overlapping noises, voiceovers, characters finishing each other's sentences—it really feels like a director realizing just what…

I'm sure he would approve of the video, if nothing else.

Listened to quite a bit of Serge Gainsbourg these past few weeks. I found some sort of obscure compilation of his second and third albums, as well as Histoire de Melody Nelson, and I've been enjoying all of it immensely. There are parts where Melody Nelson almost reminds me of Can, and I'm just finding its blend of…

Yeah; I've always found it kind of funny that one of the more enlightening interviews with Vladimir Nabokov I've seen came from Playboy, of all places.

I wholeheartedly second Harris's praise for the CD box set. I've always found vinyl box sets a little cumbersome and awkward (seems like they pretty much all end up the relative size and dimensions of a paving-stone), but with CDs, you get something that feels tangible and solid while still being manageable to have…

Can't say I have. Would you recommend it, then?

For me, a lot of the comedic aspect comes from how quietly surreal some of the scenes (especially that one with the scuba suit) are. That, and Dustin Hoffman's very deadpan way of delivering lines that really seem like they should call for more pronounced emotion.

I adore Putney Swope, and it's always been incredibly frustrating to me how few people have even heard of it.

…the hell?

That Wayne verse has always baffled me. It's not just that he sounds bored, it's that he sounds mildly ill. I've never been a huge fan of his, but that one sounded a cut below even to me.

Well, I'm excited; I've been listening a lot to their early-90s stuff lately, and considering how great "The Seer" is, I'm hoping they continue in that direction.

I'd forgotten all about Swans. This really is going to be a great year.

I'd heard about how this scene was done before, but not about the needles attached to the arrowheads. Honestly, that makes the whole thing even more intense for me; that Kurosawa thought there was a real enough chance of Mifune getting hit that they needed to take that precaution just adds a whole new element of…

I remember, once at my old middle school they played a doo-wop rendition of it in the morning instead of the usual version. It was by far one of the most fascinatingly awful things I've ever heard, but at least it was interesting.

Honestly, I've always found The Man Who Sold The World a little lacking in the "rocking" department (apart from Width of a Circle, of course). Half the songs seem like they're on the verge of it, but then Bowie throws in some left-field instrumentation or goofy vocal affectation and the whole thing just comes across…

I guess I'm a little more optimistic than you (my hope is that the various quotes and shout-outs to older hip-hop might inspire listeners to check out some of the artists Hamilton references) but I can definitely see how its popularity amongst people who otherwise fall firmly into the "rap is crap" camp might get a…

I liked it all right, but I think it's been a little overrated by people just glad to see Sleater-Kinney's reunion not crash and burn horribly. One of the better albums this year? Sure. 2nd best? Hell no.

I first heard Spiderland when I was pretty young (I think one of my parents had left out the CD, and I decided to pop it in one night) and for whatever reason, it really freaked me out. I think I ejected the thing about halfway through "Washer," and it was a good few years before I finally got around to giving it a…

Pavement—actually, most Stephen Malkmus projects. I like some individual songs of theirs, but most of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and Slanted and Enchanted just blends into the background for me.

Yeah; Tillman seems to have a flair for opening lines, and the one to "I'm Writing A Novel" is one of my favorites.