Blogcritics Author: Matt Springer

Music Review: Totally Michael - Totally Michael

Matt Springer — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:57:35 EST

The sound of rock 'n' roll high school, circa 2008.
I graduated high school in 1994. During my senior year, 10,000 Maniacs' Our Time In Eden still had a pretty solid grip on the airwaves. My song was "These Are Days." I have a sharp memory of driving into the parking lot of my high school for a speech tournament, cranking "These Are Days," feeling acutely on the precipice...

Denny's Changes World Forever With "Rockstar Menu"

Matt Springer — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:39:20 EST

Is it possible to love Denny's even more than you already do? Here's your answer: Potachos. Also, yes.
I need to talk to you about something important.Are you sitting down? Of course you are. You are probably at a computer. Or maybe you're on an iPhone, a Blackberry, or some other kind of mobile device. Maybe you had a plate put into your head during the war, and since the dawn of the Internet you've been able to read web pages on the back...

Music Review: Ike & Tina Turner - Ike & Tina Turner Sing The Blues

Matt Springer — Sat, 8 Nov 2008 01:19:07 EST

Raw, dirty blues from one of pop music's great underrated R&B acts.
Before there was Tina Turner, there was Ike & Tina. Thanks in large part to the 1993 film, What's Love Got To Do With It? — based on I, Tina, her 1986 autobiography — Tina's tumultuous relationship with Ike Turner, including details of the abuse she suffered at his hands, has become common knowledge to music fans. It's a...

Book Review: The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson

Matt Springer — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:14:39 EDT

Did anyone really need a dense prose novel on the late history of Superman's home planet? If so, would you like my copy?
In a recent issue of his comic book series All-Star Superman, writer Grant Morrison encapsulated the Man of Steel's origin story in just eight words: "Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Kindly couple." Obviously, there were images accompanying those words -- the rocket shooting off from Krypton, the Kents discovering baby...

DVD Review: The Animation Show Volume 3

Matt Springer — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:22:57 EDT

For challenging, edgy animation devoid of showtunes and talking animals, The Animation Show is the place to go.
Blame Walt Disney. It's not necessarily just his fault -- he certainly wasn't the only creative force churning out kids' cartoons in the early part of the 20th century -- but as his media empire grew ever more vast over the course of his lifetime, cartoons became firmly entrenched in the pop-culture psyche as a vehicle suitable only for...

Music Review: Nina Simone - To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story

Matt Springer — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:03:22 EDT

A new four-disc boxed set of music and video offers an ideal introduction to the unique artistry of Nina Simone.
It's become fashionable for older artists to stretch their wings and sow their wild musical oats by trying out new genres. Bruce Springsteen rustled up a gigantic folk-jazz band and recorded a record of Pete Seeger covers. Pat Boone put on a creepy leather vest and did some vocal pop versions of hair metal tunes. And Elvis Costello... well,...

Music Review: Ben Folds - Way to Normal

Matt Springer — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 20:57:55 EDT

The latest from Ben Folds offers more gorgeous melodies, sharp lyrics, and pounding piano -- oh, and some tabloid drama too.
The press materials for Ben Folds' new album Way to Normal inform me that he wrote the songs "at the end of 2007 following the finalization of a two-year divorce."I mention it because I know it, and now you know it too. I'm not sure if that matters or not, and I'm curious to determine if it does. On Way to Normal, Folds does...

Music Review: Golden Smog - Stay Golden, Smog: The Best of Golden Smog

Matt Springer — Tue, 7 Oct 2008 03:20:22 EDT

Incredible band, great music...just not the best way to hear Golden Smog.
Should we start with the music, or the incredibly annoying yet pressing music geek issue that almost spoils Stay Golden, Smog: The Best of Golden Smog?Let's start with the music.Born out of the Minneapolis music scene in the late eighties, Golden Smog is essentially an alternative/country supergroup, featuring at various times members of Wilco,...

Movie Review: Cool Hand Luke (Deluxe Edition)

Matt Springer — Sun, 5 Oct 2008 18:00:39 EDT

One of Paul Newman's defining roles proves an ideal way to remember the actor's great gifts.
It's an unfortunate coincidence that I happened to watch Cool Hand Luke for the first time just after hearing of Paul Newman's death. When you witness a remarkable performance by any artist, you immediately want to seek out more from that artist. Newman leaves behind a remarkable legacy on film, and yet, his death means that we'll never...

Six Grand: Ten Takeaways from Technorati's State of the Blogosphere 2008

Matt Springer — Thu, 2 Oct 2008 05:58:16 EDT

One blogger's look inside Technorati's extensive report on the latest blogging stats and trends.
Last week, Blogcritics' benevolent overlords at Technorati filed their State of the Blogosphere 2008 report. It's a massive compilation of information, based not just on Technorati's own indexing data but on an extensive survey of bloggers across subjects, geographies, and demographics. Anyone who blogs, or who enjoys reading blogs, or...