black holes

Muse has made a career of picking up the prog rock reigns from radiohead when thom yorke decided to pick a synth and his first warped records 12', although not quite as deep as radiohead, muse does mange to layer sound and complexity together in radiofreindly(er) concoction. muse are natural rock stars and would rather rock a stadium then staying at home reading philosophy and studying, as the british say, maths. blackholes and revelations is my personal favorite. in the days of diminished record sales and poor concert attendance this band pulls out the stops and drags stadium rock into the 21st century kicking and screaming

pocket cash

In his introduction, john carter cash says that his father has such a spirit that it even shows in pictures that he isn't in. he is very right and that spirit is over flowing in this collection of jim marshall's iconic photos. spanning the 60's and 70's, including cash's legendary performances at folsom and san quentin, these photos show johnny cash at the height of his creativity and popularity. he was back with june and done with drugs and the rugged survivor's soul is running on all cylinders. this is a legendary artists prime and his status as an american treasure is only reinforced.

stake land

stake land is made for the reader of fangoria magazine. gory, made with a small budget and mean as hell. telling the story of a pot apocalyptic america after a vampire plague, this film works because it doesn't have big special effects shots of cities being destroyed.. it makes it al personal by keeping a tight focus on a few characters and letting them loss on a landscape as familiar as you might see outside your front door. this claustrophobic approach should be used more in modern horror films. not a great movie but a very fun piece of horror fiction.

another good photo book mick rock "Exsposed"

if there has ever been a more comprehensive collection of photos documenting the rock n roll era i certainly have not seen it. Mick rock covers everyone from a young ozzy to gogol bordelo's eugene lutz You will notice many of these photos from iconic album covers, but it's out takes from these shoots that are the most telling. you can see debbie harry lighten up a bit, for instance.. the over all sense of cool in these photos give them all an attitude that embraces rock's rebellious spirit. this is an essential coffee table book.

death cab's even softer side..

indie rocker's death cab for cutie may not be the first band you'd choose as subject for a intriguing photo essay, but autumn de wilde manages to capture the group members in their natural state.. on the road, on stage and in the studio. the result is intimate, feeling like a backstage pass. had she done this to a band like, say U2, it wouldn't have had the same effect. you'd never feel like part of bono's world, but you do feel like you're hanging with the guys in death cab. they are just like us... it breaks down the barrier between band and fan and makes it seem effortless.

Rush april 10, 2011 at madison square garden.

Set list


"The Spirit of Radio"
"Time Stand Still"
"Presto"
"Stick It Out"
"Workin' Them Angels"
"Leave That Thing Alone"
"Faithless"
"BU2B" (from Clockwork Angels)
"Freewill"
"Marathon"
"Subdivisions"
Intermission
"Tom Sawyer"
"Red Barchetta"
"YYZ"
"Limelight"
"The Camera Eye"
"Witch Hunt"
"Vital Signs"
"Caravan" (from Clockwork Angels)
"Love 4 Sale" (Drum solo)
"Closer To The Heart"
"2112 Overture / The Temples of Syrinx"
"Far Cry"
Encore:
"La Villa Strangiato" (with polka intro)
"Working Man" (with reggae intro and Cygnus X-1: Book I outro)


I generally tend to judge a concert by the setlist, which makes this show pretty damn great. after more than 30 years on the scene rush is a band that knows how to please its loyal fanbase. the band gave an overview of its entire career including some tracks from the overlooked counterparts record. many fans would be happy just to listen to neil peart play the drums for two hours, so i really have to hand it to the band that they play with as much passion and heart as they do. the band was having a good time and the crowd fed off of that. back in 1991 rush was my first concert. i liked them live just as much at this show.

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

The one thing about this book that stood out to me was just how many important scandals the author, greg palast, helped to break. Especially the expunging of black voters in florida in the 2000 election. greg has been a thorn in republican's side for years and this book is a collection of his greatest hits. read and be educated. the bush era, thankfully, is behind us and as we struggle to put it all back together again after his disasterous presidency everyone should read this book so that history never gets a chance to repeat itself.