I’ve never been a huge fan of making any kind of definitive top-whatever list, but I do like the way it can make you reflect on the previous year, so instead of making it into a big competition, here’s a list, in no particular order, of 20 things (musical and otherwise) that I liked about 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
This is an excellent piece of reporting that appeared in The New Yorker back in September about Cameron Todd Willingham, who was put to death by the Texas judicial system in 2004 for arson and is now, posthumously, believed to be innocent of the crime. It bears some resemblance to The Thin Blue Line (and in fact, the case of Randall Dale Adams is referenced, as it is bizarrely connected to Willingham’s case by a now-discredited forensic psychologist), in that it certainly shakes the reader’s faith in our legal system. An excellent read, powerful and disturbing.
Trial By Fire (The New Yorker, via The Awl)
I’ve been digging CFCF for a while, so I was surprised to find out that the release of his debut LP had slipped under my radar. Really fantastic stuff, ranging from new disco and house to textural instrumentals. The track below is from the former category, a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love.” The album is available over at Amazon for a measly $8.99, so go buy it if you like what you hear. Easily one of the best music purchases I’ve made this year.