Stranger Things To Come

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or you don’t stream Netflix you’ve probably heard of or watched the new series Stranger Things. It’s one of those shows that’s seemed to have captured and encapsulated a chunk of time that so many folks my age(I’m 42, btw) hold close to us and romanticize a bit. […]

Cliff Martinez : The Neon Demon S/T

I think the first movie soundtrack that made a real impact on me was The Exorcist. Nope, it wasn’t Star Wars, Superman, or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Hell, it wasn’t even Halloween. The first one that made a visceral impact on me was “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield from The Exorcist S/T. As a […]

Family Values : Revisiting ‘Sukierae’

I guess on some level the idea of a father and son collaboration has been romanticized in my head. I can’t help but think how cool it would be to play in a band with my son(or daughter for that matter.) A collaboration between father and child just seems like that perfect connection of heredity, […]

Odd Man Out

When I was a teenager I was pretty intimidated by hip hop music. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it. Some of it I liked quite a bit. But the problem for me is that I’m a pretty introverted guy for the most part. In conversation with friends and acquaintances I can hold my own, […]

Favorite Albums of 2016 : Half Way Edition

Whether you want to admit it or not we’re half way through the year. 2016 is in its middle age. Nearly over the hill and graying at its temples. It’s wondering if its made the right choices in life. It’s considering buying a sports car and taking skydiving lessons. It’s feeling very self conscious of […]

Dream Baby Dream

Alan Vega of Suicide died on Saturday July 16th, 2016 in his sleep. He was 78. I didn’t find myself getting into Suicide until just a few years ago. Before that I’d only heard “Ghost Rider” a few times and always found myself drawn to the dark vibes and propulsive synth, as well as the […]

Summer’s Almost Gone

As usual the summer seems to be slipping through my fingers like sand. It promised me back in June that it wouldn’t be in a hurry to leave. “Yeah J, I’m sticking around for a bit. I know I blew through last year but this time it’s different”, Summer distinctly told me back at the […]

The Spice of Life

It was nearly two years ago that I happened upon an article about Visions of Dune, an album by a mysterious artist named simply Z that was getting the reissue treatment. Now what caught my eye was that this album was a heavy synth concept album based on Frank Herbert’s Dune. The idea of a […]

Summer Vacation Part Two : Rock And Roll Hall of Fame

July 9th: So last night, after 30 minutes of driving around searching for a decent pizza place to eat in the general area of Vermilion, OH we came across Olde Towne Pizza House in nearby Amherst. It was worth the road trip as the place was perfect. Located in a beautiful old brick building right […]

Pizza, Beer, ‘n Rock and Roll : How I Spent My Summer Vacation

July 8th(Part One) Sitting poolside at the Vermilion, OH Holiday Inn Express and the chlorine is burning my nostrils. All the kids are happily dropping into the 5′ deep water like anvils in a tub of jell-o and they seem to be quite content to do this for the remainder of the day. I’m opting […]