1948's "He Walked by Night" is beautifully shot film noir but the plot is pedestrian and the insistence on faithfully documenting the slowly developing investigation leads the film to feel much longer than 79 minutes. Today, it is most notable for indirectly inspiring "Dragnet". 6/10

"Original Dap King" by Ernie Vincent brings the longtime sideman to the front with all star producers. Unfortunately, Vincent is a pretty poor singer, and the various tricks used to cover that up do not work with the exception of the funky "Jealousy." 2/5 youtu.be/YCUJ_XaOxrE?...

"Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?" by Fantastic Negrito is a funk-driven modern blues album that is not afraid to crib elements from genres like hip hop. While the lyrics are not particularly strong, the instrumentals and performances often make the songs compelling. 3/5 youtu.be/2LDRXlqRX2o?...

“The Trump family’s earnings, experts said, have moved him into an echelon of enrichment more associated with strongmen in Russia and Turkey” {gift link} www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/w...

1992's "Unforgiven" is one of the most disappointing movies I have ever seen. The plot is ham-fisted, particularly the ridiculous climax, and the film's message is communicated in a preposterously rudimentary manner. This is a conservative's idea of what a liberal Western would look like. 5/10

"Introspection" by Angela Muñoz features her lovely vocals and the steady production of Adrian Younge but the lyrics and the hooks are distressingly unmemorable. Muñoz is a talent to watch but unfortunately this album does not effectively showcase her talent. 2/5 youtu.be/hfFS_V2RPJ4?...

On this day 30 years ago (July 2, 1996), we released our fourth studio album Stakes Is High featuring the title track produced by J Dilla, Itsoweezee, The Bizness ft. Common, Big Brother Beat ft. Mos Def and more. 30 years later…Stakes STILL High. 🖤🩶🤍 delasoul.lnk.to/StakesIsHigh 📸: Eric Johnson

1970's "Last Known Address" is a fatalistic and dispassionate French drama that follows the police's search for a crucial witness. While the action sequences are often clunky, the drama and suspense builds before the film cleverly flips the investigation into something much more existential. 7/10

In April, I ventured to a part of Illinois I didn’t know existed to dig for records in a warehouse overstuffed with them.

Lilith Fair "A Celebration of Women in Music, Vol. 3" lives up to its billing, as this live compilation features 14 female singers. The song choices generally focus on notable hits and maintain similar arrangements, making this an ideal sampler. 3/5 youtu.be/1w52j7ppIVY?...

Excellent intro to new Dylan guitarist Joel Paterson, with comments from some of his Chicago bandmates (including the newsy nugget that he was asked to join two weeks ago - not as last minute as it appeared)

2016's "Blood on the Mountain" has enough material to fuel an entire mini-series about the coal mining industry in West Virginia but the decision to cover all of it in 93 minutes leads to only a surface level discussion of the topics. That being said, it is a harrowing and dramatic overview. 7/10

"Learning to Flinch" by Warren Zevon is compiled from his 1992 solo live performances. Many of the songs benefit from the solo format, creating a worthy compliment to his studio work. The album also has a strong set of his songs, capturing the essentials to that point. 3/5 youtu.be/D3WI8UFq798?...

"Whales & Nightingales" by Judy Collins completely hides her voice with saccharine instrumentals, overpowering backing vocals, and poor material. Even the Bob Dylan cover is so overproduced that the simple song's power is lost. Don't even get me started on using whales as backing music. 1/5

"In Your Eyes" by Sugar Blue has all the modern blues pitfalls: the songs are too long, they're either tired material or poor new songs, and Sugar Blue's talent on the harmonica does not transfer to being a compelling front man. At least the rocking "She" is solid. 2/5 youtu.be/qdNAAgClDyk?...

A new granite walkway. Refinishing the wall to glue those hideous gold accents. Trump claimed he was paying for all of it. He lied. They’ve been looting the National Parks.

2021's "Down with the King" is a moody meditation on the pressure of the music business as contrasted with the simple satisfaction of country living. Freddie Gibbs gives a strong performance (per this biased reviewer) but the film's looseness means there's very little else to watch this for. 6/10

"Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms" by Oh No has some solid songs where the guest stars pull their weight but there are far too many guest appearances that drag down the album. The production is solid and Oh No is a decent rapper but that is not enough to redeem the album. 2/5 youtu.be/ab_sdGkWVbQ?...

Oh snap

And in other #bobdylan touring lineup changes >>> 🙏 @henrybernstein.bsky.social

2012's "Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me" details the career of the cult favorite band. The documentary covers so many angles that the story often gets muddled but that is probably inevitable for Big Star, a band that defies logic. That also explains the overabundance of talking heads. 7/10

The "Greatest Hits" of Tom T. Hall is an early collection of the country songwriter and performer's hits. While often overly plain, Hall's songwriting shines when he takes bigger swings for humor or deeper emotions like the heartbreaking "That’s How I Got To Memphis." 3/5 youtu.be/hjygPa_4ua4?...

This piece and the longer piece it links to (also linked below) are well worth reading. Looking forward to digging into Brown's discography more after thoroughly enjoying the last 2 albums he played on. www.wrti.org/wrti-spotlig...

1985's "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" is a fun action film that is compromised by its blatant intention to set up a movie franchise. Some questionable casting and an unexceptional villain also weigh on the film, which does have lovely cinematography that keeps the movie chugging along. 6/10

"Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies from the Canyon" is @numerogroup.bsky.social's look at female led folk rock. The songwriting quality varies greatly and a lot of these cuts are bland or are weird for the sake of being weird but there's enough gems to justify a listen. 2/5 youtu.be/T7vUZ3JN8os?...

Sports Commentary xkcd.com/3262/

"It is unclear if the survivors of this strike were rescued." apnews.com/article/boat...

The Daptone Super Soul Revue "Live! At the Apollo" wisely focuses on the thrilling performances of Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley. It also includes great Naomi Shelton gospel tracks, strong and funky instrumentals, and a few lesser performances by other vocalists. 5/5 youtu.be/W0YCI9H9Fn4?...

1995's "Get Shorty" is an uproarious spoof of Hollywood seen through the eyes of a cinephile wiseguy. While the story is not the most fulfilling, the all star cast gets plenty of chances to shine, with Danny DeVito and Delroy Lindo stealing the film in their relatively small parts. 8/10

For those tracking the ongoing saga of the guitarists of Bob Dylan: Bob Britt has the night off. Does this mean that Doug Lancio will be back or will Julian Lage be holding down the fort solo?

Released this day in 1980 Saved youtube.com/playlist?lis...

"Southside Blues Jam" by Junior Wells is as loose a studio album as the name implies. Unfortunately, the album shelved too many of the best tracks until they were released as bonus tracks on the reissue, instead showing off too many blues jams that go nowhere. 3/5 youtu.be/GTZoJ_DrNvI?...

Lovely review of Bob Dylan at Palm Desert on June 20, 2026:

1964's "What a Way to Go!" is a film with a zany plot that looks backward to the fluffy comedies of the 50s and a structure that looks forward to the joke stuffed meta comedies to come. The excellent cast gets plenty of chances to ham it up and everyone will love a bit of this film. 7/10

"Saved" by Bob Dylan is a legitimately great gospel album that has gotten short shrift over the years. Dylan's songwriting is strong (with the exception of "Covenant Woman") and his backing band is powerful. Most importantly, Dylan's vocals hammer the songs home. 5/5 youtu.be/s9ltpdfEDSM?...

Just like Waits himself, my Tom Waits newsletter returns! I interviewed Massive Attack collaborator Stew Jackson to get the story on how Tom’s first new song in many years came to be.

"Bayou Lightning" by Lonnie Brooks is often too sleepy for its own good and suffers from a lot of poor material. That keeps the excitement promised by the cover from translating to the music, even if the standout track "Voodoo Daddy" gives a taste of Brooks' potential. 2/5 youtu.be/wKUcqf3U0vk?...

In the eight months since Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill passed, SNAP enrollment has declined by 4.7 million, according to USDA data. In states where demographic data are available, about half the decline comes from kids losing food aid. The Trump administration describes this as a success story

The Trump administration detained a Colombian immigrant this week in Phoenix after he spoke out against a Trump-endorsed candidate in his home country’s upcoming presidential election. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/u...

When I posted my interview with John Hillcoat, who directed Dylan's scrapped Nobel Prize performance video, Conor Lumsden commented “Being Bob’s stand in was the best job I ever had!” I had to hear more. Today, Conor's surreal story of playing the role of Bob Dylan around Bob Dylan himself.

2025's "Train Dreams" is beautifully shot but the music is intrusive, the narration takes the viewer out of the story, and the plot grinds to a halt halfway through. Once the beautiful outdoor visuals stop in the final third, there's nothing left to hang on for. 5/10

"Uh Huh Honey" by Charlie Feathers collects his 60s studio output and a 1978 TV appearance. While Feathers puts his heart into the songs, the material is pretty uninspiring, making it difficult for any particular song to make much of an impression. 2/5 youtu.be/RW5j1odtYlE?...

The self-titled Real Kids debut shows off their punk rock blend that would later become influential. Unfortunately, the album is severely dated vocally and lyrically. Ironically, "Roberta", their reach back to the 50s, is the one song that sounds timeless today. 2/5 youtu.be/GF8TJXMiu0M?...

Replaced Doug Lancio for the show.

1974's "Young Frankenstein" is a wacky comedy with a surprising amount of heart, which helps the movie get through the sequences where the jokes are not as consistently funny. The actors also give it their all, giving the whole movie a screwball energy that propels the film forward. 7/10

Just insane own goals. Generational errors. Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel 4 More Wind Projects www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/c...

He signed an unconditional surrender at Versailles? Come the fuck on.

"Them Changes" by Buddy Miles is a dynamic and funky blend of soul and rock. Driven by Miles' explosive drums, the band cooks through all the songs except the unfortunately subdued second track, more than covering Miles' somewhat plain singing. 5/5 youtu.be/_DDbjm_fId8?...

Etta James "Sings for Lovers" offers more insipid arrangements and songs that severely diminish the impact of her vocals. The only two songs worth listening to are buried deep on the B side and I cannot blame anyone who gave up on this album before reaching them. 2/5 youtu.be/bUJZG6L-3Lc?...

1956's "The Girl Can't Help It" is a zany mix of a Jayne Mansfield star vehicle and a showcase for the rising talents of 1950's rock and roll. It often does not land but there's enough laughs and great music to make this a fun if airy film. Edmond O'Brien is a delight in particular. 7/10