David Cantwell

My default answer when asked to pick a favorite movie

Oh, right… The embrace of that despicable ad makes sense to me now…

Go Sen. Lucas (who had me rapping to myself, “I’m not new to this, I’m true to this, nothin’ you can do to this, f*** around with Lou and come out black and blue for this”)

John Anderson, who died yesterday at 71, was not only my favorite country singer to emerge since the ‘70s; he was one of only a couple musical artists who I wrote full-length Village Voice reviews of *twice*. Here those are, along with a graf I wrote years later about his greatest post-’80s single.

Fingers crossed this move helps Simmons get back at LT. Basically the only times in the Mahomes era when the Chiefs have just had no chance at all--the Bucs and Eagles SB blow outs + the games leading up to Patrick's torn ACL/LCL last season--is when the OL can't protect even a little...

At No Fences Review, for the Chuck Berry-centennial this week, I chatted with Berry biographer RJ Smith

union lawsuit immediately imo

Chuck Berry, among the most transformative acts in pop history, was born 100 years ago yesterday. At No Fences Review, @charleshughes2.bsky.social and I wrote about some of our favorite cover versions from his songbook. (And on Thursday we'll share our conversation with Berry biographer RJ Smith)

VIOLA SMITH was the “fastest girl drummer in the world” and promoted as the original “hep girl” in the 1930’s. She was a pioneer blazing a path for women in what had been an entirely male preserve. Viola passed away in October of 2020 aged 107. A special & talented lady.

Peter Boyle had a long resume of memorable roles, but my personal favorite was his turn as the title character in The X-Files’ “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose,” one of the great stand-alone episodes in television series history

The last two years of this administration are going to be a blood bath and the only thing to debate is how much of it will be literal and how much will be figurative. Sigh.

Many thanks to @cantkill.bsky.social for this effusive write-up of "Eric" at No Fences Review. You should subscribe and read all of his and @charleshughes2.bsky.social's other recommendations: nofencesreview.substack.com/p/turn-it-up...

Reupping this very good list (if I do say so) for a great country year 25 years ago

What do you do when it turns out you gave birth the same week as a really wonderful country singer songwriter, and your babies are both about to turn 1? Interview them of course! Many thanks to Brit Taylor for her generosity and candor!!

Looking back a quarter century to round up the best country albums of 2001. At No Fences Review. (This was especially fun since, unlike all the other years I've tackled so far, this was for a year I was writing about in real time!)

New music from Culto and Lambert, the Stones and Wonderlick and more, plus tons of reading recommendations--w/ @charleshughes2.bsky.social at No Fences Review

The Wicked Witch of the West during CBS’s annual airing of the The Wizard of Oz in, like, 1965

Great conversation here!

"Martin decides to push the vocals & rhythms forward, so far that Lennon’s inhales on “Girl” are distracting. All the eccentric accents that make the album feel so alive—the crystalline guitars, the barreling bass—are diminished". & ditching "12-Bar Original," which admittedly's no classic, is petty

People might understandably figure that the Show Me state's worst senator is Josh Hawley, but Missourians know better...

Great conversation between @charleshughes2.bsky.social and Emily Lordi about her new critical bio of Whitney Houston. Super stuff at No Fences Review.

Things like "best album ever made" are subjective enough to be meaningless. But it's hard to think of a stable definition of the term in which Songs in the Key of Life doesn't qualify for serious consideration. What a treasure. What a wonder.

This was the first movie I remember ever seeing outside my living room…

For the weekenders... (A good roundup if I do say so...)

“Republicans are the cause of your problems not the solution” is a winning message every election but they’re bringing literal receipts now

When voters are just a random grab of celebs you're going to get a kinda random list. Anywho, these shows wuz robbed I tell ya! Big Mouth, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, DTF, Fargo, Getting On, Last Week Tonight, Mindhunter, Primal, Righteous Gemstones, Sex Education, Show Me a Hero, Treme... Off top my head

This is all i want.

New at No Fences Review: @cantkill.bsky.social considers some of his favorite country albums in their 50th year. Please share and subscribe!

At some point I'll write more, but for now I just want to say that Wonderlick's "Eric" is one of the smartest, most moving songs/records I've heard this century...

Had a blast putting this together! At No Fences Review, w/ @charleshughes2.bsky.social )

New music from Rhiannon Giddens and Brandy Clark, Chaka Khan and James Xerxes Fussell and This Is Lorelai, plus... Louis Jordan! At No Fences Review, w/ @charleshughes2.bsky.social

New music from Alabama Shakes and the Jayhawks, from the Linda Lindas and Busta Rhymes and... Dolly! And more, including a slew of reading recs at No Fences Review! You subscribe, right? It's free! W/ @charleshughes2.bsky.social

If you haven't yet read David's remarkable appreciation of Dolly Parton, now is the time.

Happy birthday to Big Daddy Kane. Is this my favorite hip hop cut, ever? I think this might still be my favorite hip hop cut! "Ima preach your funeral!" Long live the Kane!

30 incarcerated men presented a $4,267 donation to a northwest Kansas school district to pay down the district's unsettled lunch debt The donation was to be "utilized to help local children fuel their day and stay focused and energized this school year"

Before her death gets too far in the rearview, I wanted to share some thoughts on Dolly Parton. She was a great star but also one of country's key musical innovators. "Beyond being merely idolized, Dolly Parton was cherished." At No Fences Review

Treat yourself today to this fun and smart look at some of Dolly's best, by @charleshughes2.bsky.social !

I’ll pick two… Star Time, which documents James Brown’s invention of the world we’re still living in, and Down Every Road, which finalized my understanding of country as a genre I wanted to focus on and which set me down the road to writing The Running Kind: Listening to Merle Haggard…