Updated as of March 10, 2025
KEY: star rating is on the four star scale
meaning of "/" or "\"
*** is three stars out of four
***/ is three stars leaning towards 3 1/2
***\ is three stars leaning towards 2 1/2
The Movies, Books, Theater, Concerts, CDs I've Seen/Read/Heard So Far In 2025
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
(Increasingly, I am sampling books, reading 10%, 20% even 40 or 50% before deciding to move on. The books below are only the ones I've read completely. That also explains what looks like generous grading -- more and more, if I sense a book is not going to be among my favorites, I stop reading. Too many books; too little time!)
1. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield *** 1/2
2. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams *** 1/2
3. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon ***/
4. Monster in the Woods by Dave Shelton *** 1/2
5. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939) ****
6. The Sitaford Mystery (1931) by Agatha Christie **
7. Orbital by Samantha Harvey ***/
8. Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897) *** 1/2
9. Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen ***
10. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (1999) *** 1/2
11. The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu; translated by Royall Tyler
CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS (A strong emphasis on the ones I like, so don't think I love everything I listen to -- I just don't bother really listening to the ones I don't )
1. Dizzy Gillespie -- The Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1937-1949 (1995) *** 1/2
2. Traffic -- John Barleycorn Must Die (1970) **
3. Jane Weaver -- Modern Kosmology (2017) ***
4. The Lijadu Sisters -- Horizon Unlimited (1979) ***
5. Yes -- Close To The Edge (1972) ** 1/2
6. Flamin' Groovies -- Teenage Head (1971) ***/
7. Giant Sand -- Chore of Enchantment (1999) **
8. Liam Bailey -- Zero Grace (2024) *** 1/2
9. Boards of Canada -- Music Has The Right To Children (1998) ** 1/2
10. My Bloody Valentine -- mbv (2013) ** 1/2
11. Liz Phair -- Exile To Guyville (1993) *** 1/2
12. The Darkness -- Permission To Land (2003) ** 1/2
13. Ice-T -- O.G. Original Gangster (1991) **
14. Goldfrapp -- Seventh Tree (2008) *** 1/2
15. Napalm Death -- Scum (1987) **
16. The Cardigans -- First Band on the Moon (1996) **
17. The Notorious B.I.G. -- Ready To Die (1994) ** 1/2
16. The Cardigans -- First Band on the Moon (1996) **
17. The Notorious B.I.G. -- Ready To Die (1994) ** 1/2
18. The Rumble -- Stories From The Battlefield (2024) ***
19. Lady Blackbird -- Slang Spirituals (2024) *** 1/2
20. Beta Radio -- Waiting For The End To Come (2024) *** 1/2
21. Fat Boy Slim -- Better Living Through Chemistry (1996) ***
22. Kelela -- Take Me Apart (2018) ***
23. Hanoi Rocks -- Back To Mystery City (1983) **
24. The Gun Club -- Fire of Love (1981) ** 1/2
25. Echo and the Bunnymen -- Porcupine (1983) ** 1/2
26. Ducks Ltd. -- Harm's Way (2024) ***
27. Charlie xcx -- Brat (2024) ** 1/2
27. Charlie xcx -- Brat (2024) ** 1/2
28. The Softies -- The Bed I Made (2024) ***
29. Brian Eno x Bloom -- Small World (2024) (Amazon exclusive) *** 1/2
29. Brian Eno x Bloom -- Small World (2024) (Amazon exclusive) *** 1/2
30. Sabrina Carpenter -- Short 'n' Sweet (2024) ***
31. Fontaines D.C. -- Romance (2024) ***
32. The Rifles -- Love Your Neighbor (2024) ***
33. Future & Metro Boomin -- We Don't Trust You (2024) ** 1/2
32. The Rifles -- Love Your Neighbor (2024) ***
33. Future & Metro Boomin -- We Don't Trust You (2024) ** 1/2
34. Wunderhorse -- Midas (2024) ** 1/2
35. Doechii -- Alligator Bites Never Heal (2024) **
36. Yasmin Williams -- Acadia ** 1/2
36. Yasmin Williams -- Acadia ** 1/2
37. Jamey Johnson -- Midnight Gasoline (2024) ** 1/2
38. Amaia Miranda -- Mientras vivas brilla (2024) ***
39. Fabiano do Nascimento & Sam Gendel -- The Room (2024) ** 1/2
40. Nils Hoffmann -- Running in a Dream (2024) ** 1/2
41. Alvaro Diaz -- Sayonara (2024) ***
42. Shovel Dance Collective -- The Shovel Dance (2024) ***/
43. Wishy -- Triple Seven (2024) ** 1/2
44. Tyla -- Tyla (2024) ** 1/2
45. Bizhiki -- Unbound (2024) ***
46. Tierra Whack -- World Wide Whack (2024) ** 1/2
46. Tierra Whack -- World Wide Whack (2024) ** 1/2
47. Ivan Cornejo -- Mirada (2024) *** 1/2
48. Chuck Prophet -- Wake The Dead (2024) *** 1/2
49. Brittany Howard -- What Now (2024) ***
50. Silkroad Ensemble & Rhiannon Giddens -- American Railroad (2024) ***
50. Silkroad Ensemble & Rhiannon Giddens -- American Railroad (2024) ***
51. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan -- Chain of Light (2024) *** 1/2
52. Tyler, The Creator -- Chromakopia (2024) ** 1/2
53. Trentemøller -- Dreamweaver (2024) ***
54. Eels -- Eels Time! (2024) ***/
55. Ariana Grande -- Eternal Sunshine (2024) ***
56. Peso Pluma -- Éxodo (2024) *** 1/2
57. McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson -- Forces Of Nature: Live At Slugs (2024/1966) *** 1/2
58. Cher -- Forever (2024) *** 1/2
59. Joe Ely -- Honky Tonk Masquerade (1978) *** 1/2
60. Iron & Wine -- Light Verse (2024) ***/
61. Pixies -- The Night The Zombies Came (2024) ** 1/2
62. Norma Winstone & Kit Downes -- Outpost of Dreams (2024) ***
63. Laura Marling -- Patterns in Repeat (2024) *** 1/2
64. Helado Negro -- Phasor (2024) ** 1/2
65. Amos Lee -- Transmissions (2024) ***\
66. Sebadoh -- Bubble and Scrape (1993) ** 1/2
67. Orbital -- Snivilisation (1994) **
68. Shack -- H.M.S. Fable (1999) *** 1/2
69. Cymande -- Cymande (1972) *** 1/2
70. Metallica -- Metallica (1991) **
71. Rumer -- In Session *** 1/2
72. Robert Palmer -- Sneaking Sally Through the Alley (1974) *** (crappy audio file)
73. Robert Palmer -- Clues (1980) ***
74. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion -- Now I Got Worry (1996) **
75. The Soft Boys -- Underwater Moonlight (1980) *** 1/2
76. Screaming Trees -- Dust (1996) ***
77. 808 State -- Ninety (1989) *
78. Funkadelic -- Standing On The Verge of Getting It On (1974) ****
79. Jennifer Warnes -- Jennifer (1972) ***/
80. PJ Harvey -- Rid of Me (1993) ***/
81. Orquesta Guayacán -- Sentimental de Punta a Punta (1991) *** 1/2
82. John Moreland -- Visitor (2024) ***
83. The Runaways -- Queens of Noise (1977) ***
84. Graham Parker -- Howlin' Wind (1976) *** 1/2
85. Hugh Masekala -- Home Is Where The Music Is (1972) *** 1/2
86. Graham Parker -- Stick To Me (1977) ***
87. White Denim -- D (2011) ** 1/2
88. The Dandy Warhols -- ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down (1997) ** 1/2
89. Cymande -- Second Time Around (1973) ***
90. Captain Beefheart -- Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (1978) *** 1/2
91. Bobby Valentin -- Soy Boricua (1972) *** 1/2
92. João Donato -- A Bad Donato (1970) ***
93. David Gray -- Dear Life (2025) ***
94. Beth Orton -- Central Reservation (1999) ** 1/2
95. Betty Davis -- They Say I'm Different (1974) *** 1/2
96. Graham Parker -- Squeezing Out Sparks (1979) *** 1/2
97. Jalen Ngonda -- Come Around and Love Me (2023) *** 1/2
98. Dinah Washington -- Dinah Sings Bessie Smith (1958) ***
99. ABBA -- Arrival (1976) ** 1/2
100. Can -- Future Days (1973) *** 1/2
101. The Jam -- In The City (May, 1977) ***
102. The Jam -- All The Mod Cons (Nov 1977) *** 1/2
103. Tom Waits -- Heartattack and Vine (1980) *** 1/2
104. Terence Trent D'Arby -- Introducing The Hardline According To (1987) ***
105. Common -- Like Water For Chocolate (2000) ***
106. Bill Medley -- Straight From The Heart ** 1/2
107. Icecream Hands -- No Weapon But Love (2021) *** 1/2
108. Miles Davis -- Miles Smiles (1967) *** 1/2
109. Paul Thorn -- Life is a Vapor (2025) ***
110. Love -- Da Capo (1966) ** 1/2
111. Larry Young -- Unity (1966) ****
112. Eddie Palmieri -- The Sun of Latin Music (1974) ***
113. Steve Riley -- Grand Isle (2011) *** 1/2
113. Steve Riley -- Grand Isle (2011) *** 1/2
114. Os Tincoãs -- Os Tincoãs (1973) ****
115. Os Tincoãs -- O Africanto Dos Tincoãs (1975) *** 1/2
116. The Bangles -- Different Light ***
117. Ella Fitzgerald - The Moment of Truth: Ella at the Coliseum (1967) ** 1/2
118. Dr. John -- In The Right Place (1973) *** 1/2 /
119. Dr. John -- Gris-Gris (1968) *** 1/2
120. Dr. John -- Desitively Bonnaroo (1974) ***
121. The Specials – More Specials (1980) ***
122. Dr. John -- Dr. John's Gumbo (1972) *** 1/2
123. The Sonics -- Here Come The Sonics (1965) *** 1/2
124. Grant Lee Buffalo -- Fuzzy (1993) *** 1/2
125. Dexys Midnight Runners -- Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (1980) ** 1/2
126. Bert Jansch -- Bert Jansch (1965) ** 1/2 \
127. Roy Ayers/Ubiquity -- Red, Black & Green (1973) *** 1/2
128. Big Youth -- Screaming Target (1972) ****
129. Parliament -- Motor Booty Affair (1978) *** 1/2
130. Jean-Michel Jarre -- Oxygène (1976) ** 1/2
131. Neil Young -- Oceanside, Countryside (1978) *** 1/2
132. Faces -- A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...To A Dead Horse (1971) *** 1/2
133. Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Californication (1999) **
134. The Damned -- Damned, Damned, Damned (1977) *** 1/2
135. Willie Colón & Rubén Blades -- Siembra (1978) ****
136. Chick Corea -- Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 (1971) *** 1/2
136. Chick Corea -- Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 (1971) *** 1/2
137. João Gilberto -- O) Amor o Sorriso e a Flor (1961) ***
138. Bob Mould -- Here We Go Crazy ***\
139. Carlton & The Shoes -- Love Me Forever (1978) *** 1/2
140. The Police -- Regatta De Blanc (1979) ** 1/2
141.
MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES
(Not TV movies, of course, but movies and TV shows -- and TV movies if it comes to that. Mostly I only list TV shows when I've tackled an entire season at once or reappraising an entire series after it's over This doesn't really capture my ongoing watching of current TV.)
(Not TV movies, of course, but movies and TV shows -- and TV movies if it comes to that. Mostly I only list TV shows when I've tackled an entire season at once or reappraising an entire series after it's over This doesn't really capture my ongoing watching of current TV.)
1. Interstellar (2014) ** 1/2
2. Myth of Man (at Cinema Village w Karl) ***/
3. A Woman Is A Woman (1961) ****
4. Fedora (1979) *
5. Weather Wizards (1939 short; dir. Fred Zinnemann) **
6. Cutter's Way (1981) ** 1/2
7. Lipstick (1976) *
8. Prime Target S1 on Apple *
9.
THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS
(The names after the shows are the people who joined me at the performance.)
(The names after the shows are the people who joined me at the performance.)
1. A Guide For The Homesick (w Zoe at DR2) ** out of ****
2. Still (w Melissa Gilbert at Sheen w Noam) **
3. A Streetcar Named Desire (Paul Mescal at BAM) w Zoe **
4.
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