Here's this week's cream of the crop. Congratulations to the chosen ones. Read and enjoy!
MUSIC
Music Editor Connie Phillips chose:
CD Review: Hank Williams III - Straight To Hell by John Owen
In this article John Owen takes a look at the CD within the framework of the entire Hank Williams legacy, not only for this artist, Hank Williams III, but the shadow of his grandfather and father that the artist has to live with. He gives it all from the hip, the good, the bad, and the ugly and all the other country colloquialisms that he says are rampant on the CD.
Sex Pistols Snarl at Rock Hall Induction by Eric Olsen
A superb look at the "angriest rock band" ever and their diss to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. An outstanding blend of news and commentary by Eric Olsen.
Take Cover, My iPod's on Shuffle! by Dave Nalle
Dave Nalle not only gives a glimpse of what is stored on his own iPod, but goes further, giving us a reflective look at the first ten songs to come up when the contraption is set to shuffle. Without censoring himself, he freely admits to his "guilty pleasure" music and sparked an equally interesting conversation among the commenters discussing the contents of their iPods.
CD Review: The Post Office Gals - Esbeohdes by Yohan Brohamsky
In this review, Yohan Brohamsky starts off by telling us why, in his opinion, this band will probably never get the recognition it deserves. The article then goes on to explain exactly why it is deserved in unique and outstanding voice and reason.
CD Review: Bombay Dub Orchestra by gypsyman
Another exceptional review by gypsyman, in this article he looks at not only this CD, but world music as a whole, and offers his thoughtful and well expressed opinions on why this one just doesn't quite make the mark. There is also a suggestion as to where to turn for music that does.
Comfort Food and Rare Groove by Koranteng
I absolutely loved the creativity involved in putting this article together. The complete menu of comfort foods, all of which are song titles, incredibly good song titles at that, makes for an enjoyable read.
Article comments
1 - Mary K. Williams
Hey Congrats to all! Especially you newcomers - bravo!
and a special little shoutout to the MondoBoys - you know who you are - good job!
2 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
In the spirit of Academy Awards week (is Oscar still King?): It's an honor just to be nominated, (but this is better). Thanks.--GH
3 - Don Baiocchi
Aw, Joan, that's so nice. Thanks!
4 - Eric Berlin
Outstanding work putting this together Lisa, the state of editors' picks is strong indeed !
5 - lori
Thanks, diana! I'm so glad you liked my article -- I didn't think anyone read it.
6 - gypsyman
Thank you Connie and thank you Mark. I don't like writing negative reviews about stuff, but that disc was just such a waste of great music.
In the letter, I tried to make it from a friend pointing out some problems another friend is having, and being hopeful that they would take it that way. I hope that's how it came across, and judgeing by your balance comment, Mark, it may just have done that.
Thanks again to both of you, and well done everyone else...
If anyone who has been selected,would like, or maybe Lisa you and I could work something out that it could be grabbed from here, I've resurected Temple's old banners that he had made which people could use as links on the post that was pick of the week. It's a one by two box black with red border box and two gold stars, that simple says, Blog Critic Editors Pick of the Week/ the week in question, and enough room for you to add in your title.
I'm hosting the images at Flickr for myself, but what I could do for others would be just to send them the jpeg and they could host it like a photo and put it on their homepages and build in a link back to their post on B.C. It's good publicity for everyone involved.
Lisa I could do a generic one up which you would only have to add the date to each week and than people could download it straight from this page.
Damn I do go on and on don't I.
gypsyman
7 - Elvira Black
Thanks so much, Eric--I had a ball commenting back and forth with you (and others who took time to comment as well)!
8 - Glen Boyd
Thank you for the pick DJ Radiohead.
I've only been a BlogCritic for a week and I already feel the love.
Things weren't quite so warm and fuzzy when I published the story on Bruce Springsteen's decision to make his next record a folk music tribute to Pete Seeger titled The Seeger Sessions over at BTX... a message board for the Springsteen fan publication and website. In fact, it triggered an avalanche of comments and over 600 views at last count.
Most of the posters there disagreed with my opinion that Bruce's decision to record an album of covers by the folk icon...which would be his second folk influenced album in just over a year if the expected May release date holds...is ill-advised, with the clock ticking rapidly down on the possibilty of a final tour and album with The E Street band.
Many of the comments we're also pretty nasty, which actually surprised me as being a little out of character for Springsteen fans.
And just for the record, yes I know who Pete Seeger is, I did attend college (though I admit I never graduated), and I will be 50 years old in May okay?
But I'm definitely feeling the love here at BlogCritics...so again, many thanks from this humble, if aging, scribe.
Glen Boyd
#23 on the DayPop Top 40 for 03/01/06 !!!!!
9 - John Spivey
Natalie-
Thanks for picking my work. I do appreciate it.
js
10 - RJ Elliott
Thanks for the mention, Dave! :)
11 - Cameron A.
Thank you for the Editor's Pick, Sussman. I didn't know about it until I was mailed a comment spam for an article I didn't even write.
About that "dumb and clichéd" bit: I couldn't think of a format that'd be any better for the article - Headline-style one-sentence overviews would seem rushed and other formats came across as too dry. I'm well aware that self-knowing cliché isn't much better than regular cliché, but I try to make something work any way I can.
12 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
DJ, thank you for the nod, good sir! and what a great, diverse range of opinions and exceptional writin done wound up in this wee corner o' the web!
13 - Scott Butki
For what it's worth, editors, I just clicked on editor's picks from the leaderboard page and was taken on a time machine back to Nov. 4
Congrats to those picked this week.
This may be a dumb question but does anyone know else have a problem when printing out B.C. items with it cutting off on the sides? Is there a way around that?
14 - Scott Butki
Anyone?
15 - Sid Harth
My dear Connie,
Where is that, now famous, thanks to you, dear Connie, comment on, "Thank god for Radical Islam" gone? I wanted to see it myself to believe your surprise at it or its bland content, also as to why a simple comment by this simpleton, yours truly, reached the stratosphere?
Sid