We lived in northern Kenya, in the semi-arid scrublands, with acacia plains and rocky hills and a brown river that disappeared and reappeared capriciously. None of us had even seen a jungle, much less fantasized achieving dominion over one.
Continue Reading...One recent novel that mocks the rich better than the rest is Katie Arnoldi’s The Wentworths.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Having refined a signature doom-laden dirge, The Black Angels rose to prominence with 2006’s striking breakout Passover. Two years later, the Austin outfit is still channeling waves of feedback-drenched, portentous rock on their latest, Directions to See a Ghost, though the effect isn’t quite as powerful the second time around.
"Doves" mp3
The Black Angels break out of their well-defined sound at points, showing more rhythmic flair than seen on Passover, what was strikingly compelling on that album bears the mark of stasis on Directions to See a Ghost. The band does show some signs of progression—the lyrics are more affecting and personal than on the Vietnam War-themed Passover, and the swaths of far-out psychedelic guitar are applied much more liberally. And considering the disaster that was the hidden acoustic track on Passover, it’s a welcome surprise that they avoid acoustic meanderings here.
Without a doubt, The Black Angels have refined their drunken amalgam of Joy Division and Black Sabbath to a science. But considering how much promise band holds, it’s hard not to want the band to reach outside of its comfort zone more than it does here.
All the same, the band puts on a blistering live set. They’re on tour this summer, visit the band’s website for details.
Continue Reading...Net neutrality is more than confusing tech-speak. It’s a battle for the only vestige of free media.
Continue Reading...Former Kitchen Sink magazine staffers keep the deceased independent publication’s legacy alive
Continue Reading...One year ago, I made my last post on my now-defunct personal blog. The last post was sports-related – I was lamenting my beloved and favorite sports franchise, the Boston Celtics, who had just finished 24-58 and traded for an $18 million 31 year-old shooting guard Ray Allen in a desperate attempt to become relevant in Beantown a.k.a Championship City. I posted this photo of GM Danny Ainge and Head Coach Doc Rivers after they failed to get the first pick in the draft, looking generally befuddled, like a pair of incompetent detectives from The Wire. 
I don’t mind mentioning that the state of the Celtics last year was not unlike the state of my blog – generally ignored and more work than it was worth.
Today, the Celtics are Eastern Conference Champions, a few days away from playing the LA Lakers for all the marbles. There’s a life lesson in this, I believe. As I sit and post to IsGreaterThan for the first time in several weeks in my tiny role as a contributing blogger to this eclectic, cerebral and all-around fabulous journal exploring the intersections of culture, politics and art, I realize that we can all be too hopeless in these times of recessions that no one can confirm but everyone can feel, endless wars, the continuing decline of the American empire, the simultaneous bad karma of a 1 billion people according to karmic Ph.D. Sharon Stone, and the non-existence of global warming (Myanmar, China, Philippines? I see no evidence of global warming either!). Quagmires can turn into paradises in short order. You may not expect it, you’ll never know when, but like the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers, meeting in the NBA Finals for the first time in 22 years, good things can happen. 
There are many things I’m looking forward to in the next few months. Here are a few:
Continue Reading...Orchestral metal three-piece Russian Circles summons an epic cacophony
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