Blogcritics

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: January 22, 2008: Silence!!!

Mark Saleski — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:40:53 EST

Think of it as a Blogcritics version of 4' 33"
Yes, the rumor is true: this will be the very last Tuesday Morning Purchase column (Please...I can take the snickering, but the applause? That's just rude!)Ahem...There are several boring reasons for this but they all boil down to one thing: I need more time. Over the past six months or so, some really great writing opportunities have come my way....

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: January 15, 2008: Tracy Grammer, Roomful of Blues, Terry Anderson & the Olympic Ass-Kickin Team

Mark Saleski — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:14:57 EST

Thoughts sprouting through the frozen ground of January. Or something.
After the big January thaw we just got done enjoying up here in the northeast, my silly brain started having thoughts of spring. So, while the music labels are holding back on us, I got this idea that I'd make some sort of joke about these three little releases sprouting like those first few blades of spring grass. Yeah, well, I just came back...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: January 8, 2008:

Mark Saleski — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 00:41:42 EST

Find some great music...and discover when adulthood begins!
It's the new year and the new music begins to trickle out. You know, just about every single year I hear people complaining about how bad the state of music is and how there's nothing good to listen to anymore. Maybe it's just me, but I have no problem finding new notes to stuff into my ear canals. Heck, I was just about buried by it last year. If...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: December 18, 2007: Biohazard, Bram Tchaikovsky

Mark Saleski — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:46:55 EST

Thank gawd for Hip-O Select Records!
It's very, very quiet in new release-land this time of year. I don't know how I feel about that. On the one hand, it's less work for me as far as writing this column goes. On the other, it seems like opportunities have been missed. Oh well, I suppose people do dial back on their music purchases for a bit.I was almost tempted to say "Forget it!"...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: December 11, 2007 - Anthony Braxton, Jools Holland, Iggy Pop, Gavin Bryars

Mark Saleski — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:06:04 EST

Check out a sadly unknown modern classic.
Sure, there aren't a whole lot of releases this time of year (except for a boatload of John Lennon reissues), but that doesn't mean that there's no good music out there. Seriously, until you actually hear my pick of the week, you just can't imagine how beautiful it is. If that's idea is too weighty, then turn up Iggy Pop really...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: December 4, 2007 - N.W.A, Gamelan Tunas Mekar, Jandek

Mark Saleski — Tue, 4 Dec 2007 01:13:01 EST

Kick off the season with some gangsta rap, gamelan, and outsider freakishness.
It's the season. I know this not because of the music being played at the mall or the nonstop ads on the television (including a really cool claymation thing on the Food Network) but because of a much more reliable marker: I had to run my snowblower tonight. You know what's amazing about snowblowers? If you start one up, the wind picks up. This is...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: Elliott Sharp, Ron Wood

Mark Saleski — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:57:20 EST

What's going on here?
What the heck is going on here? We're on a rocket-powered sled toward Christmas and all is quiet (almost) on the new releases front. It's bizarre, if you ask me. Maybe the industry would sell more CD's if they actually tried? Ah, there's probably some jargon or marketing statistics produced by consultants that provide a perfect...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: November 20, 2007 - Ronnie Earl, Southside Johnny, Led Zeppelin, U2

Mark Saleski — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:24:30 EST

Has it really been 20 years?
This is one of those times where the internal debate about the pick of the week is very contentious. I mean, I dearly love Southside Johnny and am probably more excited about The Jukes than everything else here. On the other hand, it's tough to ignore a giant Led Zeppelin reissue. It feels somehow "bigger" than the U2 explosion. Decisions,...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase: November 13, 2007: James Taylor, Peter Brotzmann, Petula Clark, The Hives, Dave Liebman, Os Mutantes

Mark Saleski — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:33:39 EST

Yes, you read that right: Petula Clark.
You can just tell the holiday shopping season is cranking up because you can't move one step in any direction without stumbling over a new "Plays Holiday Favorites" or greatest hits disc. (I should know, they keep showing up in my danged mailbox.) None of this means that there isn't anything good out there, because there almost...

The Tuesday Morning Purchase - November 6, 2007: David Byrne, Carla Bley, Dewey Redman, Conor Oberst, Buckethead

Mark Saleski — Tue, 6 Nov 2007 00:04:39 EST

Introducing: the Pick Of The Week.
No matter how long or how short my list is, when I enter a record store (I know, I know...it's a musical archaeological term..whatever) there's always one entry that means more than all the others. A good example is the Miles Davis album We Want Miles. Many, many years ago, I heard the song "Jean Pierre" on the radio and just had...