unsolicited criticism
EP Review: ‘Songs for Rivers’ by Rikki Will
4 stars out of 5 Click here to sample or purchase on Bandcamp Or here for Spotify/AppleMusic/iTunes/Amazon The story of Rikki Will: About 15 years ago, she hung up her guitar and solo act, for there was life to attend to. Raising two darling daughters, working, creating whimsical visual art, loving, losing, loving again. But […]
My Highly Subjective List of the Best Movies of 2020
A couple of introductory comments this year:• Obviously 2020 was seriously messed up in many, many regards, just one of which was closed movie theaters and rescheduled/re-planned releases. As a result, I only saw 16 new releases either in a theater or via streaming/TV, and did not officially review many of them. Also, I have […]
What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XIV
So, I normally do two of these stuff-I’ve-recently-watched-on-TV recaps each year. But you know how 2020 was all higgledy-piggledy in terms of the passage of time and… anyway, here’s 366 days’ worth of shows I checked out. LOVED Country Music (PBS) I’m no expert about country music, but I do know a fair amount about […]
Album Review: ‘World’s Strongest Dog’ by Long Neck
Long Neck isn’t just one of the most exciting young bands in the area — they’re one of the top young bands anywhere. The second full-band full-length from Lily Mastrodimos and company is quite an achievement and I was delighted to review World’s Strongest Dog for hMAG.
What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XVIII
I began this draft five weeks ago, which was already three weeks later than I normally post it. But at long last, here is my recap of the new stuff I was checking out in the summer and fall. It was a span of time where I attempted to take back the night, watching only […]
My Highly Subjective List of the Best Movies of 2019
10) Midsommar A really f’ed-up, somewhat artsy horror flick that really stuck in my mind, thanks to its gorgeous Swedish setting, the unique “creepy traditional festival” conceit, and an excellent lead performance by Florence Pugh. 9) Blinded by the Light It’s corny, it’s cheesily made — and I loved it. Yes, I’m an admitted Springsteenophile, […]
Album Review: ‘You’re So Jaded’ by Joy Cleaner
4.5 stars out of 5 Click to sample or purchase Yes, I’ve seen Bloomfield, New Jersey’s own Joy Cleaner 18 times, not yet counting December 10 at the Pet Shop in downtown Jersey City. And yes, I am thanked in the liner notes of their new album. Oh, so I’m not objective enough to review […]
What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XVII
I may need to rethink my classic DVR strategy. Famously, I’ve burned through shows that I don’t really like first, saving the good ones for “dessert.” But there are simply too many shows, arrgh!!, and I have ended up stockpiling entire seasons of shows I want to watch, and yet am totally caught up on […]
Album Review: ‘Omnidirectional’ by the Schramms
I’ve been a fan of the Schramms since moving to Hoboken back in 1994. I’m thrilled that they’ve released their first studio album in nearly 20 years, and was quite honored to write a review for hMAG.
Review: ‘Hey Kid’ by the Karyn Kuhl Band
The new EP by Hoboken’s own Karyn Kuhl Band, Hey Kid, will be released on June 21, but is available for pre-order now. I wrote a review for hMAG.
Jack Silbert, curator