Author Archives: olneyce

As always, it’s limited to one song per artist (or else Japandroids would have placed  four songs in the top 10-15). And I’m continuing my tradition of not really talking about the whole song, but instead focusing in and highlighting … Continue reading →

For me, 2012 was essentially a year for good old fashioned rock and roll.  At least when it comes to albums.  There was a lot of great electronica, folk, and hip-hop–some of which is represented here and a bunch more … Continue reading →

Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues Christmas is a borderlands between memory and imagination.  It is a time for reminiscence, for thoughts about those who have passed, for simple mornings full of wonder and anticipation. It’s a beautiful day because … Continue reading →

Let’s Not Talk About It – The Mendoza Line Filibuster reform is on the agenda. Since I’ve talked at length about my frustration with the modern Senate (with the filibuster as the worst offender), I wanted to make a couple of … Continue reading →

The House That Heaven Built – The Japandroids Records like this don’t come along very often. For all the simplicity of rock and roll, it’s somehow exceptionally difficult to harness its raw power without getting caught up in the pageantry. Rock … Continue reading →

A very good point from the Democracy in America blog at the Economist: My feeling is that what we’re seeing here are inherent political weaknesses in the anti-austerity message itself. Asking voters to embrace that message means asking them to … Continue reading →

The Cliffs Of Insanity – Mark Knopfler (from his wonderful soundtrack to The Princess Bride) Jonathan Bernstein makes a great point on Twitter: Disappointed that WaPo poll didn’t ask effect on deficit if no fiscal cliff agreement reached. Suspect “increase” would be … Continue reading →

Danko/Manuel (live) – Jason Isbell Every new thing I hear from Jason Isbell leaves me more and more impressed. His work with the Drive-By Truckers in the mid-2000s was fantastic—his membership with the band coincides perfectly with their best work. Since going … Continue reading →

So, there’s been a fair amount of soul-searching in the Republican Party about its stance on immigration. The biggest questions seems to be whether they want to actually change their policy position or whether it’s simply a matter of tone. … Continue reading →

At the National Review, Wesley J. Smith speculates on some possible fixes to Obamacare: If President Obama is serious about wanting to help the middle class, he will work with Republicans to refashion the law–understanding that he will never agree … Continue reading →