Herewith, Dave Barry’s year in review: Shortly thereafter McCain stuns the world, and possibly himself, by selecting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a no-nonsense hockey mom with roughly 114 children named after random nouns such as “Hamper.”” “On the Republican side, John McCain emerges as the front-runner when Mitt Romney drops out of the race, citing

Pacific Ocean Poo

Thank you, Matos, for expressing what I thought in July when I heard Dennis Wilson’s rightfully withheld masterpiece. I’ll only add that: (a) nobody in the late seventies sounded this addled and lachrymose unless you were Leif Garrett, and, on certain cuts, that’s the kind of standard Wilson achieves; (b) if you’re going to essay

When I saw the trailer for Doubt, I smacked my lips: it looked like an (un)holy combination of Agnes of God meets Notes From a Scandal, a mix of religio-mystic hokum and melodrama. Sad to say, Doubt was a lot worse. This farrago, adapted by and from John Patrick Shanley’s play, lacks the basic mechanics

I contributed a couple of blurbs to Jeff Weiss’ blog, which L.A. Weekly is publishing simultaneously: Hercules & Love Affair and TV On The Radio’s “DLZ.”

I contributed a couple of blurbs to Jeff Weiss’ blog, which L.A. Weekly is publishing simultaneously: Hercules & Love Affair and TV On The Radio’s “DLZ.”

Merry Xmas

One of my favorite Christmas songs, not least because it sets the mood for Steve Sanders’ anguished parting from his friends as he begins the search for his real mother in season two of “Beverly Hills 90210.”

Merry Xmas

One of my favorite Christmas songs, not least because it sets the mood for Steve Sanders’ anguished parting from his friends as he begins the search for his real mother in season two of “Beverly Hills 90210.”

Albums!

1. Erykah Badu – New America Part One (4th World War)2. TV on the Radio – Dear Science3. Robert Forster – The Evangelist4. Ne-Yo – Year of the Gentleman5. Bob Dylan – Tell-Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 86. Portishead – Third7. Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst8. The-Dream – Love/Hate9. Hercules & Love Affair –

Top Singles of 2008

Likely the ballot I’ll submit to Pazz and Jop (the first ten anyway): 1. Hercules and Love Affair – “Blind” (Frankie Knuckles remix)2. The-Dream featuring Rihanna – “Livin’ a Lie”3. Cut Copy – “So Haunted”4. Q-Tip – “Gettin’ Up”5. The Juan MacLean – “Happy House”6. Raphael Saadiq – “The Big Easy”7. Big Boi feat. Andre

Friends know how I feel about Husbands and Wives, Woody Allen’s ode to bad marriages, Judy Davis perms, and Shakeycam. Nick Davis has written one of the best evaluations.

Although I’ve owned it for two years, I don’t use my iPod “properly.” It mostly acts as a musical way station, into which I upload the new albums I’m reviewing or interested in, or older favorites I need to hear at that moment. But I’ve never used all its memory capacity; as of eight-thirty this

This grows on me the more I listen to it.