The new year is almost here, and with it comes a maelstrom of “End of the Year Lists.†Here on Ex-Spectator, I’ll be rolling out a few “End of the Yearâ€/â€End of the Decade†lists. Today’s list: The Best Overlooked Albums of the Aughts. A while back I started an ongoing feature called “Overlooked in … [Read more…]
When I last dropped a line about America Is Just A Word, I mentioned that I’d be interviewing a few different artists who’s bands’ narratives are either barely known or not given the proper coverage. One of those groups is The Dismemberment Plan, fronted by Travis Morrison. Of the three groups mentioned in the previous … [Read more…]
*The Onion had a great “archival” issue online, which featured this hilariously-poignant piece on the “dangerous” lyrics of an opera performance: The Onion always has a great way of not only poking fun of society but media as well; I would be cramming the point down the provincial throat if I were to further explain … [Read more…]
I apologize for the recent lack of posting, but its been a blizzard of fun these past few days. Despite the archaic weather, Boston is in the full swing of things, and I mixed my time between numerous concerts, the Boston Silent Rave, and general tomfoolery. At the center of much of the whirlwind of … [Read more…]
It’s always nice getting some sort of personal email, especially when it’s in the form of a musical reunion between David Byrne and Brian Eno. Well, “personal” isn’t quite the right word, but I certainly took the message as a sincere and direct one: It’s with great pleasure we offer you a sneak peak by … [Read more…]
It’s taken 8 years, but I’ve finally picked up Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. All I can say is I cannot believe it hadn’t found its way into my hands sooner. The writing is superb, the delicacy and attention to detail is amazing, and the narrative is vivid in ways that … [Read more…]
Down in New York for the weekend, I decided to take a break from some ear-shattering concerts (short review: Deerhoof rocked Prospect Park, Parts & Labor absolutely killed it at Siren Music Festival) to check out David Byrne’s Playing the Building exhibit at the Battery Maritime Building in Manhattan. The instillation is a wonderful little … [Read more…]
Hey folks, Gonna make this one quick and then I’m going to take the weekend off. I recently recieved a comment for my Coheed & Cambria post that was not only in poor taste, but horribly written, argued and against the entire point of this blog. This blog is about an openness towards the entire … [Read more…]
The Washington Post featured an odd article on the header of its website yesterday. Kevin Connolly is 22, won a silver medal at the X Games, and is a photographer who’s work is currently on display at the Kennedy Center in DC. Here’s a picture of Connolly: Connolly was born without legs. His work is … [Read more…]