Lady Gaga's brief reign as the Queen of mainstream Pop music came to an end over the course of 2011 for two reasons. One was that Adele showed up that year and immediately made her look like a poser. The other was the quality of her work that year. I … [Continue reading]
“Ultraviolence” by Lana del Rey
Now, like everyone who's even tangentially aware of the internet music criticism scene, I had heard the abundant rumors that this album was an abomination. I had never quite believed them before, partly because I quite enjoyed the album's lead … [Continue reading]
“Cat Scratch Fever” by Ted Nugent
Well, Ted Nugent is saying shockingly offensive and stupid things in public again, though I'm not sure why anyone is acting surprised anymore at this point...the fact that he's an insane idiot is pretty well established by now. But with his image … [Continue reading]
“Dig a Pony” by the Beatles
The Beatles' Let It Be album is generally considered to be the weakest of their "real" albums (he original Yellow Submarine soundtrack hardly counts, given that it only really contained six songs, two of which were already available on other Beatles … [Continue reading]
“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness
The Darkness, who had one hugely successful album in England in the early 2000s, were essentially attempting a more over-the-top version of Tenacious D's schtick...a parody of the ridiculous flamboyance of 80s Hair Metal. The difference is that while … [Continue reading]
“Upside Down” by Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson is often lumped in with John Mayer and Jason Mraz, but that isn't really fair to either of those artists. Johnson is basically everything people complain about regarding Mayer and Mraz, but without any of the qualities that actually make … [Continue reading]
Editorial: The 60th Annual Grammy Fiasco
I don’t think I have to tell any of you that the 60th Grammy Awards were a complete and utter fiasco. I’m not speaking so much of the broadcast itself, which while plagued with problems had a couple of genuinely worthwhile moments, particularly … [Continue reading]
Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia is one of those shows that really shouldn’t work, yet somehow does. One can point out a thousand things wrong with it as a composition, but for some reason it plays extremely well and is undeniably an effective piece of theater in its own … [Continue reading]