You're browing the archives for the month of June 2010

Three Lions on the Shirt

As you may have noticed, there’s a World Cup going on. Google seems to have changed their search algorithm since the last time we had one of these hootenannies, so searching for “World Cup songs” no longer takes you to my essay about that very phenomenon (in my collection of 1998 letters home from England). […]

posted 28 June 2010 in Archives. no comments yet

Friday Foto: Neverland

Michael Jackson died one year ago today. These are a few more of my photographs from last April’s auction-house exhibition of the contents of his Neverland compound; previous installments can be seen here and here and here. Rest in peace.

posted 25 June 2010 in Photos. no comments yet

1988 Countdown #53: Chicago, “Look Away”

(New to the countdown? Catch up here.) We hear a horribly dated plinkety synth sound; it sounds like somebody got a new keyboard for Christmas 1987 and left it on the preset. On our video screen: a New York City street scene, specifically a Hot Video Babe walking down the sidewalk. She is walking two […]

posted 24 June 2010 in 1988. 17 comments

Jack-Jack Attack

As recently noted by Chris in the comments to a different Jack-oriented article, I have a Q&A with Jack White in the new issue of Maxim (July 2010, with Nicole Scherzinger on the cover), another in the “Icon” series of interviews I’ve been doing for them. We had a short but fascinating conversation about drumming, […]

posted 21 June 2010 in Articles, Outside. no comments yet

Friday Foto: Shell Tree

Found recently on the beach:

posted 18 June 2010 in Photos. no comments yet

1988 Countdown #54: Whitesnake, “Give Me All Your Love”

(New to the countdown? Catch up here.) Kevin Seal promotes the “Big Bang ’89” celebration with as little sincerity as he can muster: “Oooh, whee, let’s get some excitement.” He then continues with the countdown: “In at a pretty solid 54 is Whitesnake.” He notes that “Give Me All Your Love” was the fourth video […]

posted 17 June 2010 in 1988. 4 comments

Back in Jack

Byline alert: I have a one-page article in the latest issue of Rolling Stone (#1107, Jay-Z cover) about Jack Johnson and the free show he played on the Santa Monica Pier. (There was “valet parking” for bicycles and the light show came courtesy of the Ferris wheel.) As usual, it’s not up on the Rolling […]

posted 14 June 2010 in Articles, Outside. 2 comments

Friday Foto: La Cabra

Spotted recently on a lamppost in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles: I don’t think it’s a prank, but it’s hard to be certain.

posted 11 June 2010 in Photos. 1 comment

1988 Countdown: Commercial Break #19

Once again, we visit the Duke. For the fifth time, we see the hourly promo spot for the “Big Bang ’89” broadcast. Lots of quick video clips: Robert Plant points to the sky. Bret Michaels flails his arms around. Kip Winger bashes out a chord. Larry Blackmon rocks the codpiece. Daryl Hall grabs a handful […]

posted 10 June 2010 in 1988. 4 comments

Blog Rolling in Our Time

Two quick Monday links to a couple of friends (and frequent Rule Forty-Two commenters): The mighty Rob Sheffield has a new blog at Rolling Stone’s website. Lucky us! Recent topics: Rue McLanahan, Broken Social Scene, “The Humpty Dance.” My grief when Tom Nawrocki shut down his last blog, One Poor Correspondent, was exceeded only by […]

posted 7 June 2010 in Links. no comments yet