kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk

Alison Janney Profile
Yes, another New York Times link, registration required (but free!). Think of it as the e-version of lounging with the Sunday papers and your hot beverage of choice. The West Wing is my favorite new drama series of this year, and Alison Janney is in a dead heat with Richard Schiff for my favorite actor on the show. She's such a fantastic character actor and it gives me that warm & fuzzy feeling to see her so successful and happy.
Sunday, July 30, 2000 11:33 a.m.

Neil Young On a Good Day
This is an excellent article about Neil Young. I don't adore his music, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for the guy. I like how he sticks to his guns and trusts his instincts and is involved with a number of serious causes, but tries not to attract attention to himself. I also like how much of the interviewing for this profile took place in Philadelphia. [NB: Registration required, but free.]
Sunday, July 30, 2000 11:28 a.m.

Shrine to Mary Cherry
Ok, how bizarre is this? I sent myself an email to remind me to link to this excellent shrine to Mary Cherry, my favorite character on my new favorite camp-a-thon, Popular. And then I checked dymphna because I saw that she'd just updated, only to see that she had linked to the very same site just seconds before. Coincidence? Probably.
Friday, July 28, 2000 04:36 p.m.

Napster Flap
I wouldn't ordinarily link to something like this, but my sister is quoted in the article, and her birthday was yesterday, so this is a special birthday shout-out edition of kerplink!
Friday, July 28, 2000 04:33 p.m.

Johnny Cash Interview
With every new issue of Rolling Stone that arrives in my mailbox, I can see the magazine slipping farther and farther down the drain of infinite suckiness. And yet, I seem to have a never-expiring subscription. Maybe that will change when I move to Canada next month. At any rate, just when I've had it up to here with their cheeseball semi-porno covers and softball pieces on Blink-182, they come up with something like this interview with The Man in Black. I guess that clout comes in handy sometimes, huh? I agree wholeheartedly with the interviewer, who remarks that "Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin has got to be one of the must unlikely and successful partnerships in the last ten years."
Friday, July 28, 2000 02:02 p.m.

NME review of Morcheeba Album
Morcheeba's got a new album out. My ears are dancing in anticipation. And you know, I would link to a recent mixmag article on them, but those tossers haven't updated their site since February. So I can't.
Friday, July 28, 2000 02:01 p.m.

Former Split Enz Members Bonanza!
From catnip, and chock full of good info (new Neil Finn album due out this fall!), but it makes me miss Crowded House that much more. Sniff.
Friday, July 28, 2000 01:55 p.m.

Nick Drake, A to Z
This is really well done - very thorough and nicely cross-referenced. nyplm linked to this article on the same site, speculating as to whether the late Drake was homosexual. Titillating, no? Well, actually, no. The article is more about the author's relationship with Drake's music, about how music can come into your life and leave its mark on you, permanently.
Thursday, July 27, 2000 03:08 p.m.

The Chicklit Library
Compiled by deborah, this is a fantastic resource for all you word-lovers out there.
Thursday, July 27, 2000 03:07 p.m.

Nelson George Interview
Nelson George's excellent cultural history of hip-hop, Hip-Hop America, is one of my favorite books about music. Recently, he's started writing novels, and his latest is One Woman Short, about a young African-American guy in search of the woman from his past who he thinks can make him happy in the present. In this interview, George says, "There's a point where certain phrases are out of style, and it's just ridiculous to use them, they become nostalgia. 'Word' - which Tim and Rodney say to one another - is from the '80s, and you don't hear it anywhere anymore. . .[it] makes them feel cool and ironic and sincere all at the same time." Clearly Nelson George doesn't read the boards at hissyfit, where "word" is an incredibly popular one-word catchphrase.
Thursday, July 27, 2000 03:06 p.m.

Mass Delusions of the Last Millenium
A sort of best-of list of mass hysterias and mass delusions over the last 1000 years. Apparently, these things struck convents with disturbing regularity.
Thursday, July 27, 2000 03:05 p.m.

Marimekko
Mmmm, vintage Marimekko fabrics. What is it about good Finnish design? I just can't get enough. My Grandma owns a vast bolt of the Kaivo fabric in lovely dark shades of blue. We use it as a tablecloth at Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, July 26, 2000 01:30 p.m.

Gossip is Good For You
Oooh, so that's why I always check Mr. Showbiz and Ted Casablanca with obsessive regularity. Via Arts & Letters Daily.
Wednesday, July 26, 2000 01:27 p.m.

Versus!
Pardon me while I wipe tears of mirth from my cheek. This is so funny. Hellfire.com's Versus section is very reminiscent of Fametracker's 2 Stars, 1 Slot, but it's much, much kitschier. My current favorite: Teletubbies vs. Spice Girls. With thanks to hip.pitas.com.
Wednesday, July 26, 2000 01:23 p.m.

Kim's Emmy Nominations Breakdown
I love awards shows. Even more than awards shows, I love the pre- and post-show analysis & odds-making. Here's Kim's take. She doesn't think she's as funny as stee, but I agree with more of her picks.
Wednesday, July 26, 2000 01:16 p.m.

The Alphabets Julen
Julia Hayden creates the most beautiful typefaces and alphabets. I would like to have printed books of these, especially the Animal Alphabet. Amazing. Her Daily Decision ain't half bad, neither.
Tuesday, July 25, 2000 03:05 p.m.

Arling & Cameron Interview
I was all sad last week, because I missed Arling & Cameron when they played in Philly and I completely missed the opportunity to see them live. And then I found this very entertaining interview with them at Splendid. And I was happy once more. Special thanks to gmtPlus9, who I practically owe a kidney or something for all the stolen links, for this link to the gallery of posters A&C had made up for their album of Songs For Imaginary Films. If only the graphics were a bit larger. I would buy these posters full-size if I knew where they were available. Anyone have a line on these? Let me know.
Tuesday, July 25, 2000 02:58 p.m.

Life Is a Rollercoaster Sample
Hey, remember when I said I wanted to hear that new Ronan Keating single? Naturally, the Radio 1 website has a very enticing 30-second bit of it available to listen to using RealAudio. It's a sugary snack for your ears!
Tuesday, July 25, 2000 02:57 p.m.

The Peelenium
John Peel, legendary British DJ, compiled a very, very long list of songs to mark the turn of the millenium last year. There are four songs for each year, and each section includes a small blurb on major historical events. I love viewing history through different lenses, and one provided by John Peel is well worth a good, long look.
Tuesday, July 25, 2000 02:54 p.m.

Belle & Sebastian Won't Tour
Oh, for heaven's sake! B&S have got to be the most perverse band in the world. They don't do publicity, they've played live twice in the last two years, and now that their fourth full-length is making them more popular than ever, they're saying "see ya" to all of us. No new material for the rest of the year. Phffft.

Ok, ok, I guess I can see their point - they want lives outside of the band. Fine. To relieve my crabbiness, I'm drooling over this songbook to accompany Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant. And maybe I'll console myself with Stuart & Co's collected videos, available here (registration required). I'm still plenty pouty, though.
Monday, July 24, 2000 03:45 p.m.

Tracy Quan on Safe Sex
I found this article fascinating. I was a big fan of Tracy Quan's twice-weekly column chronicling the life and times of the fictional Nancy Chan, Diary of A Manhattan Call Girl, and I'm glad to see her unusual point of view return to Salon's pages. I hope she'll be a regular columnist there again.
Monday, July 24, 2000 03:02 p.m.

Sensitive Boys
Thanks to Jackie D. for this one. The description of the boy in this 3-line play fits a type I fall for all the damn time. I think I'm going to print it out and carry it around in my wallet, like a hairshirt of love. Or something.
Monday, July 24, 2000 02:58 p.m.

Bird on a Wire
BOAW is back! Yay!
Monday, July 24, 2000 02:56 p.m.