It’s pretty much obligatory for blogs to provide a list of other places to go when you’re done here (or there, as the case may be). & of course, I do want to be obliging, tho I admit it’s taken a while to put this list together. From now on this list o’links will be available on the right-hand side of the page. These are blogs I check out from time-to-time, so I’ll try to keep the links up-to-date (tho we hope none of these blogs shut down, because they’re all worth a read). Anyhoo, to kick off this new feature, I thought I’d provide a little bit of commentary about the linked blogs—as you’ll see, they’re divided into four categories: CinemaBiz, MusikBiz, PoeBiz, & “Blog Gumbo”—i.e., the blogs that, like Robert Frost’s Banjo, are hodge podges; I listed those first. Also, for the very curious, there are some nice links to other folks on our main Five & Dime Jazz web page.
Check ‘em out—but don’t forget to come back here!
BLOG GUMBO:
3 Quarks Daily: A superbly written site with wide ranging interests. The masthead announces “Science/Arts/Literature/Politics/Gossip/Philosophy,” & the blog delivers. Several writers participate in this project.
Deadlier Than The Male: A quirky but interesting blog from a woman who writes pulp fiction—however, this won’t be everyone’s “cup of tea” (avoid it if you don’t care for strong language). Topics range widely: from the blogger’s writing career to Mexican wrestling & women’s boxing, to gender issues, to food, from meditations on father’s day to trips to Yuma, AZ, Frankfurt, Germany & other spots. Her links page also is not for the easily offended.
The Errant Aesthete: A miscellany, including dining & night life (& I don’t mean diners or cheap eats or dives here), films, fashion, design, aesthetics, politics. A very attractive layout, with great pix. Some may find the tone a bit high-falutin’, but I say give ‘em a chance. It appears out of alphabetical order on the blogroll because Blogger apparently doesn't know the rules regarding "the."
Exquisitely Bored in Nacogdoches: Living in Texas—a sufficiently surreal topic for a blog. This one ranges widely—popular music (from Nat King Cole & Sinatra to Journey, from John Coltrane to Todd Rundgren!?!), great pix of older buildings in small Texas towns (I especially like this feature, & may do something similar here), Disney flix, other flix (both recent & classic).
J-Walk Blog: A hodge podge of old-time music, politics, off-beat stories—love the one about “junk drawers”; we all have one.…
Whistling: Another miscellany including some politics (quite a lot in the current election season, less at other times—I find her political writing insightful & fair-minded, but then, I generally agree with her), some travel stories, meditative entries, the occasional poem, some gardening, dogs & horses, book reviews, & arts topics. Lots of links to interesting stories, great pix, & the writing is first rate.
CINEMABIZ BLOGS:
Another Old Movie Blog: Diverse blog about lots of topics related to classic film—not just reviews & profiles, but features on old theaters & subjects such as how a book’s popularity over time is affected by it being made into a movie.
Clydefro: Good classic movies blog, with thoughtful, well-written reviews of lots of flicks. Also includes a monthly “TCM picks” entry for those TCM buffs out there. Good stills & posters for pix.
Movie Morlocks: Geez! !#%$&% Blogger won't recognize this on the blogroll, but I'll leave it in this post for those who are interested. It's the blog over at tcm.com; since the posting is done by lots of folks, the quality can vary, but there’s a huge amount of info/opinions, etc. on classic films here.
Out of the Past: Thoughtful classic film blog by a gal who seems to love the films first & foremost. Features some fun lists, guest bloggers, reviews & actor/actress profiles, as well as offbeat news like the Bette Davis stamp.
Vitaphone Varieties: Updated sporadically (seems to still be an active site), but very well written blog about old time (20’s & 30’s) cinema, music, & “imagery.” Wonderful pix, but high-resolution, so it can be a bit slow to load even over a decent connection.
MUSIKBIZ BLOGS:
Blog-O-Jazz: Excellent jazz blog—very comprehensive; posts on the boppers & the old-time cats like Waller & Armstrong. It’s also been around for some time—since 05—so there’s plenty of material to look through. Anybody who lists Rahsaan Roland Kirk as one of his/her favorites is ok by me.
The Celestial Monochord: Interesting old-time music site (with some astronomy posts as well!)—a lot about the history surrounding old-time music. But it’s not all old-time, either; there’s a good bit about Tom Waits here, & also Bob Dylan. Informative posts about everything from religion in old-time music to the Harry Smith American Folk Music anthology; also good documentation of sources in case a reader wants to follow-up.
Highway 61 Radio: Good blues blog by a blues radio dj. Somewhat focused on events in Mississippi where he’s located—but hey, that’s legit: why do you think it’s called “delta blues?” There are interesting posts for readers from all areas.
Jazz & Blues Music Reviews: The site’s own masthead says it: “A completely subjective blog of music reviews covering mostly jazz and blues but branching out into other genres as well.” Good reading, lots of updates, & archives back to 03.
Night Lights: A blog connected with University of Indiana’s WIFU public radio jazz show. An eclectic mix: you find posts on Jo Stafford & Jack Kerouac side by side. This blog also has a “books” category, mostly—but not exclusively—jazz bios or books by jazz artists.
Old Time Radio Free Podcast & Download Blog: Listen to mp3’s from old-time radio, both music & shows—lots of stuff: Artie Shaw to Fats Waller, & from Boris Karloff to George Burns & Gracie Allen. They do try to sell stuff here, but the mp3’s at the “download” links are free.
Tangier Sound: Very good blog for those interested in frailing the 5-string banjo (or playing clawhammer style, if you will). Tab, mp3’s, videos (the best way to learn clawhammer if you don’t have a teacher), etc. Costello has a great take on the clawhammer banjo & on learning music in general. This is pretty specialized for clawhammer enthusiasts or wannabes.
Ukulelia: The uke blog, & one that’s been around for a looong time, blog-wise—since 01. Originally this was a Left Coast blog all the way—it does seem the uke is a bit more of a Left Coast phenomenon—but for some time now, Ukulelia also has had a writer in the Boston area. Very diverse uke stories—historical stuff, ukes in the news, “weird” uke tidbits, upcoming gigs (both by the “famous” & the less-than-famous), & all sorts of intriguing stuff.
POEBIZ BLOGS:
Cosmopoetica: A grab-bag, & an interesting one at that. A poetry blog that has everything from poems to sausage to comic strips. The blogger involves us in his reading (recently Joyce’s Ulysses), & composes some intriguing meditations—for example one involving quotes from Montaigne & the “art” of blogging.
Harriet (The Poetry Foundation): The Poetry Foundation is kind of a big deal in the poebiz world, so this team-written blog is worth checking out. A wide variety of topics.
Iambic Café: A blog from Canada (but with excursions to the UK & the Continent) about both food & poetry—a noble combination. This is probably a “food” blog first, & a poetry one secondarily. Some fascinating stuff here—from food policy issues to honey extraction parties.
Nothing to Say & Saying It: This is a bold title for a poetry blog—a fairly mainstream poebiz perspective, but it’s well written & thoughtful. Posts about the general state of poetry, poetry readership, poet profiles, book reviews.
Poem of the Week: Guess the title is pretty self-explanatory. An eclectic selection: recent poems, poems in translation, older poems (Elizabethan, Romantic period, etc.) A fun concept for a blog. Dates back to 2006, so plenty of material here.
Silliman’s Blog: A major poebiz blog, perhaps in every sense of the word “poebiz,” but worth checking out. Lots of book reviews, regular links about poebiz news, poet profiles, some poems, & some odds & ends (a bit of sports news, a few movie reviews). The writer is a real live poet. The blog dates from 03.