I believe that the Velvet Underground’s transition from “Sweet Jane” to “Rock & Roll” links one of the most inspired track pairings in history. For me those songs are forever mated; listening to “Sweet Jane” and then skipping “Rock & Roll” is like eating a meal and skipping dessert. Unless you absolutely have to, you don’t do it. My favorite Rolling Stones record is Between the Buttons. Yes, yes, we all know Exile on Main St. is a masterpiece, but it just doesn’t …

It would be in the best interests of both writer and reader to get our ground facts straight here: you are about to read a review of an album of jazz interpretations of classic and semi-classic pop songs, drawing heavily from the nineteen-nineties, played by a vibraphone, piano, and bass trio of three anonymous guys, one of whom happens to be responsible for 1998’s alternative-rock radio favorite “Closing Time.”
To their credit, publicists for The New Standards’ self-titled album readily acknowledge all of this.
There’s …

Cary Grant will forever be known as one of Hollywood’s most seductive and interesting stars. Even twenty years after his death, Grant still owns the imaginations of film lovers. Perhaps it’s because there’s still more charisma hidden within Grant’s scattered ashes than there is in any major leading actor today. Or perhaps it’s because the old silver screen air of mystery is now officially dead, and icons such as Grant can no longer exist outside our memories. Society today is overburdened with the …

Cary Grant will forever be known as one of Hollywood’s most seductive and fascinating stars. Even twenty years after his death, Grant still owns the imaginations of film lovers. This week, the Modern Pea Pod celebrates this consummate icon with reviews of five of his classic films, as compiled on Sony’s new DVD box set. Day by day, we’ll show you some of the best and some of the worst of Grant’s canon. So bust out a nicely tailored suit, make yourself a nice …

Cary Grant will forever be known as one of Hollywood’s most seductive and fascinating stars. Even twenty years after his death, Grant still owns the imaginations of film lovers. This week, the Modern Pea Pod celebrates this consummate icon with reviews of five of his classic films, as compiled on Sony’s new DVD box set. Day by day, we’ll show you some of the best and some of the worst of Grant’s canon. So bust out a nicely tailored suit, make yourself a nice …

Every year, the hipsters of the world find a mainstream artist, usually female, who they all simultaneously decide to love. It’s a tradition based on a deceptively simple principle: the songs by this artist of choice might not be that great or original, but damn, are they catchy. Last year’s queen of pop crossover was of course the first ever American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, whose “Since U Been Gone” could be heard pouring out of everyone’s car windows during the summer of 2005. Even …

There are certain things in the music business that just don’t work. Something intrinsic, some kind of natural law, keeps them from greatness; they suck because they have to suck, because suckiness is woven into the very fibres of their beings. Now I’m sure we all have our favorite entries in this illustrious category – duet records, Live Aid-style charity affairs, remix albums – but chief amongst them all, the cream of the crap, so to speak, there stand but two. I’m speaking, …

Ask a few random people to list the definitive artists of soul music, and Sam Cooke’s name is one that probably won’t come up. Despite this, there’s nothing keeping him from being one of the most pivotal and important artists in black music. There’s no contesting that had Sam not died at his height, he’d be recognized by today’s public as the important innovator, entrepreneur and iconic artist he was. But given a few generation gaps and his (relatively) small body of work, Cooke …

Myths. When David Bowie came to New York City in 1971, he thought a certain Lou Reed was still fronting the Velvet Underground: that notorious band whose early Factory associations had given them a very Warholian fifteen minutes of fame, but whose last two years of existence had been wrought with both personnel problems and public indifference. Of course, by then Lou had long gone solo — his breakthrough album, Transformer, would be produced by Bowie less than a year later — but at …

For centuries, the world of poetry has been divided into many separate factions. The Beats, the New York School, the Romantics; even today, when poetry’s relevance has been subjugated to more of a romantic anecdote status than actual, high-profile literature, its various categories remain. But especially prevalent in today’s literary community is the slam poet: Def Poetry Jam-style performers whose words are intended more for the stage than the page. There are, of course, times when traditional poetry and slam poetry coexist – …