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vslyke.bsky.social
Music, sports*, TV, screaming into the void. Small piece of the BobServe team. *Braves/Pittsburgh Pirates/White Sox/Penguins/Titans/Carolina Panthers/UGA
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The Black Keys' "Dropout Boogie" reveals a band running on fumes: the vocals are strangely disconnected from the instrumentals, the songwriting is terrible, and the instrumentals are fairly weak (particularly when they pull from other genres). Very disappointing. 2/5 youtu.be/sJ7jpxRgino?...

submitted 10 hours ago • 0 comments

1980's "Hopscotch" is an easygoing screwball comedy disguised as a thriller. The strong cast doesn't have much to do but the movie winds it way through various set ups and turns at a genial pace. Overall it's a pleasant low stakes movie with a little bit for everyone. 7/10

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Townes Van Zandt's "At My Window" shows that his voice had degraded but that his songwriting remained immaculate. While there's a couple retreads and a few poor production choices, the quality of the songwriting and the relatively clean production carry the album. 4/5 youtu.be/p3dkxfDVYBg?...

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

The Rolling Stones' "A Bigger Bang" showcases the aging band aping prior glories and reaping greatly diminished returns. The sneer feels forced, the instrumentals are nothing special, and the songwriting is consistently shaky. At least it isn't embarrassing. 2/5 youtu.be/aHtuRSMiYSs?...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

Frank Sinatra's "Nice 'n' Easy" is a little too easy going, as the ballads wear thin pretty quickly. These songs live (and mostly) die by the quality of the lyrics, although knowing the Redding version of "Try a Little Tenderness" reveals the hollowness of Sinatra's. 2/5 youtu.be/4jKciadhXWc?...

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

At an absolute minimum, the due process clauses of the Constitution forbid this: arbitrary arrest and imprisonment under no official and or knowable legal rules.

submitted 6 days ago • 6 comments

1981's "Maxwell Street Blues" profiles the famous open-air market and some of the musicians playing there then. This is not a polished documentary in any form (the video, sound, and narrative would charitably be described as ragged) but its essential footage of a lost scene. 7/10

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: The child sex abuse material trade on X is spiraling out of control… and a key child safety partner just cut X off after they say to company stopped paying them www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...

submitted 6 days ago • 87 comments

Bruce Springsteen's "High Hopes" unearths and revisits his catalog, leading to a scattered album with a few high points. I feel confident this wasn't the 2nd best album of 2014 as Rolling Stone claimed but any Springsteen fan will find something to like here. 2/5 youtu.be/uRZbX9dJNU0?...

submitted 6 days ago • 1 comment

The “Appeal to Heaven” flag, a popular symbol for Christian nationalists that was waved by January 6 rioters, was raised over the Small Business Administration headquarters last week. www.wired.com/story/far-ri...

submitted 7 days ago • 56 comments

The Chad Mitchell Trio's "At the Bitter End" is a charming live album but one that doesn't deliver lasting satisfaction. The songs are generally just fine and the performances are competent but not compelling. It is a nice time capsule of the times however. 2/5 youtu.be/yJ_xn2cvrBg?...

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

1968's "Once Upon a Time in the West" sprawls and creeps along, building tension by interspersing long stretches of build up with quick and unpredictable violence. While effective, the technique does wear out its welcome, making this a great film that I don't need to see again for a while. 8/10

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Scone Cash Players' "Blast Furnace!" has some of the greasiest organ ever recorded, redefining what is possible for the instrument. However, the sound varies relatively little throughout, making it easy to pick and choose some favorites and leave the rest behind. 3/5 youtu.be/EPK8bTwMatE?...

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

1950's "Shakedown" is a stylish film noir that suffers a bit from a predictable plot line. However, the acting and the cinematography are quite good, and there's more than enough flair to liven up the plot. Don't miss the quick Rock Hudson cameo. 8/10

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

W.C. Clark's "Texas Soul" slips by too easily, as the laid back vocals and the unobtrusive instrumentals make for uncompelling songs. The album also walks the line between R&B and blues and fails to offer a compelling blend of the two genres. 2/5 youtu.be/IwbNR52lVOs?...

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Bow Wow" was a comeback album after a decade away and ended up as his final album. Watson runs through an uneven set of new material, with a couple songs bringing his trademark verve but too many simply rehashing prior glories. 2/5 youtu.be/QOsGgLO4LJI?...

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

It would be great if America’s pundits would pause this entire genre. “Burning down my house means I don’t need to take out the trash!” Your cleverness is not winning the day right now.

submitted 12 days ago • 66 comments

"Stone Crush: Memphis Modern Soul 1977-1987" is rare R&B from a city suddenly without an R&B label. While too many tracks are pale imitations of national trends, there is a solid group of tunes sprinkled throughout, proving that Memphis still had something to say. 2/5 youtu.be/aIcJhCscuMs?...

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Draining the politics out of a politically motivated killing

submitted 10 days ago • 6 comments

Sourcing the dispute to Padilla even when the video proves Padilla is right is an explicit endorsement of the White House's credibility by a news organization

submitted 12 days ago • 9 comments

The Gaturs' "Wasted" reveals a talented funk & R&B band in need of slightly better songwriting. The instrumentals are the clear highlight, although they veer uncomfortably close to smooth jazz at times. There are also several great hip hop samples hidden on the album. 4/5 youtu.be/Ff0SLlCPEEg?...

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

this is the New York Times both-sidesing actual science. "pro-vaccine groups" as in SCIENTISTS and DOCTORS

submitted 13 days ago • 24 comments