Music - Oct. 1, 2008
Weller's "22 Dreams" takes some time to digest
The advance hype on Paul Weller's "22 Dreams" was like nothing since, maybe, his (arguable) classic solo outing, "Wild Wood." So, when the disc arrived a couple months ago and failed to kick my butt on the first listen or two, I decided to wait to judge it.
Tags: Weller, The Jam, 22 Dreams, Style Council, Rusby, McCusker, Scott Mullins, Carmen Consoli, Alice Coltrane

Music - Aug. 21, 2008
The sophomore effort reconsidered
To paraphrase a common adage, a band has a lifetime to write a debut disc and six months to write the second one. While that may be less true these days when it's not unsual for artists to spend two or more years on a new record, traditionally sophomore albums haven't always gotten the respect they deserve.
Tags: U2, The Jam, Stereophonics, The Kooks, The Clash, Jimi Hendrix, The Police, Elvis Costello, The Attractions, Oasis

Sports - March 5, 2008
Favre and Weller and going out on top
Perhaps this is one of the wilder connections that will be made during the overcoverage of Brett Favre's retirement, but bear with me because it really is relevant.
Tags: Paul Weller, The Jam, Brett Favre, The Clash, Packers

Music - Oct. 22, 2007
A punk pic a day keeps the hippies away
Holly George-Warren's book, "Punk 365" -- published in an unusually shaped hardcover by Abrams -- proves that punk really did happen and that for the brief period in which it truly burned before flickering, it was red-hot.
Tags: Punk 365, Holly George-Warren, Bob Gruen, Ebet Roberts, Roberta Bayley, Jill Furmanovsky, The Jam, Tom Snyder, Dead Kennedys, Bond's, The Clash, The Ramones and Sex Pistols, there are the power poppy Flamin' Groovies, Velvets, Cyndi Lauper and Blue Angel

Music - June 19, 2006
Weller captured live ... again
Paul Weller returns to the realm of the live album once again with his new double-CD, "Catch-Flame!," released in the U.S. on Yep Roc Records, his on-again/off-again label here.
Tags: Weller, Catch-Flame!, The Jam, Style Council