Category Archives: music

Emergent Thoughts

I was recently thinking about Randolph Mantooth (omnia mutantur; nihil interit), which naturally made me think of EMERGENCY! (1972-1979), which made me think of Julie London, because I’m wired that way, which made me think of how her ex-husband, Jack … Continue reading

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Those Crazy Cats

I was reading Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations, which is a perfectly normal thing to do, and he quoted a line from Ennius, to make some point he thought needed making: egregie cordatus homo, catus Aelius Sextus “Why is he calling Aelius … Continue reading

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What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

Happy New Year to all on the Gregorian calendar. Happy Wednesday/Thursday to all. https://indiaandersonmusic.bandcamp.com/track/what-are-you-doing-new-years-eve

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Permanent Records

I’ve been dabbling in the used-record market to feed the maw of my newish turntable. One thing I’ve really wanted was Cal Tjader’s Tjader Plays Mambo (1956), which is long out of print. I managed to find a copy in … Continue reading

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October 23: The Day of Might

At the Fortress of Engitude, we’re celebrating the Day of Might, proclaimed by the late, unceasingly great Howard Jones as a day for celebrating sword and sorcery, heroic fantasy, and heroic fiction generally.

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Joys of Analogue Media

One of the long-lost pleasures of vinyl that I’m recently recovering is going through stacks of used LPs at record stores. These are thinner on the ground than they were in the 20th C, but when I find one I … Continue reading

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For the Record…

I finally replaced the turntable that broke a couple of moves ago, and have been enjoying long soaks in analogue sound. It’s fun to finally listen to the vinyl I’ve been buying to support bands over the last few years, … Continue reading

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“I’m Unavailable.”

The Dudley Moore Trio, which I did not know was a thing, plays an instrumental version of “Bedazzled”.

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Viola Davis for President

When I heard about G20 (directed by Patricia Riggen), an action movie set at the titular summit in which Viola Davis plays an American president in action-hero mode, I knew I would have to watch it. I figured it would … Continue reading

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Swords Against Style

For various reasons I’ve had a couple different essays under my eyes this afternoon: “Epic Pooh” (Moorcock’s Titanic body-slam against Tolkien and other “high” fantasists) and Tolkien’s “On Fairy-Stories”. All critical writing about fantasy needs to be taken with a … Continue reading

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