I’ve written about The Carpenters before, focusing on the underlying darkness I always perceived in their music. Todd Haynes’ shadowy, subversive Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (in which his idiosyncratic choice to use Barbie dolls instead of actors actually amplifies the biopic’s emotional impact), as well as Sonic Youth’s hazy, nihilistic cover of “Superstar”, stand... Continue Reading →
The Drone’s Serendipitous Through Line.
I was talking to DP yesterday about an old friend/collaborator of mine who'd achieved modest renown over ten years ago touring his mix of Kirtan chanting and gothic/darkwave music up and down the East Coast. My DP, who can be a sort of witheringly incisive armchair business consultant, thought this seemed like a good trademark:... Continue Reading →
My Holiday Single Release, or: How Hans Christian Andersen Got Me Into Glam
Full disclosure: I’ve never really liked “The Little Matchgirl” as a story title. It sounds diminutive and sentimental and tailor-made for someone's romanticized notion of a quintessential “girl-child.” That said, HTV’s The Little Matchgirl (1986) is bursting with things that that title would never suggest. As much as a made-for-TV movie musical can be, it’s... Continue Reading →
The Sold Kingdom 