unsolicited criticism
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.
Rest Ashore at the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival
I wrote this preview article for hMAG of the exciting young Hoboken-based band Rest Ashore’s appearance at the Spring Arts & Music Festival. The piece also serves as a review of their recent EP Annihilation.
Book Review: ‘The Day the Cow Sneezed’ by James Flora
Originally published on the Media Darlings blog, October 2011 For a long stretch of time there, it seemed like every album I bought — and I buy a lot of albums — had some connection to Irwin Chusid. His name appeared in reissue liner notes for Esquivel (whose 50s/60s “space-age bachelor pad music” helped spawn […]
My Highly Subjective List of the Best Movies of 2018
We can perhaps track my physical recovery by my attendance at entertainment events: In 2017, I saw 172 musical performances, while in 2018 that total jumped to 444. And while I only saw 22 new-release films in the theater in 2017, in 2018 I was back in the high life again with 39. It was […]
What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XVI
OK, maybe I’m starting to get that “holy crap, there are just too many TV shows” feeling just a little bit. Must focus and catch up over the holidays! There are entire second seasons I’ve allowed to languish while indulging in new shows. And note to self: Cancel that Hulu membership before the free trial […]
Album Review: ‘Accidental Achievement’ by the Royal Arctic Institute
I started writing this review just for Salt in Wound, but began to realize, “Huh, there is a lot of Hoboken in it, maybe I should pitch this to hMAG.” And that is in fact what I did.
These Eyes Spy Cheese Fries: The Return
I was talking with Kelli from the band Resounding No, and she mentioned a beloved childhood fast-food joint, Burger Express in Carteret. In researching it, she had stumbled upon a review I wrote which appeared in the New Jersey section of the New York Times way back on October 1, 2000. I asked if the […]
Jack Silbert, curator