Features

Baker's Dozen 2001

We asked our writers to list their top 13 albums of the year, along with any salient comments. Why 13? Because ten never seems like enough and 25 would test the reader's patience.

Baker's Dozen 2002

Forget the bad luck—13 is the magic number. We also allowed our scribes to sound off on any music-related issues that struck their fancies.

SXSW 2001

I saw a lot of great shows and heard a lot of exceptional music this year. Good music was everywhere, ready to be tripped over.

SXSW 2002

Even though the fest's ability to draw big-name acts has diminished over the past few years, it still attracts tons of great bands I've never heard or always wanted to check out, concentrated in one place.

SXSW 2003

And lo, once again, it was That Time of Year, as the umpteenth South By Southwest Music Festival descended upon the River City of Austin, Texas. And it was…pretty damn good, actually.

SXSW 2004

At first I wasn't all that keen on attending the South By Southwest Music Festival this year. As I get older, my endurance level for standing in poorly ventilated clubs with concrete floors for hours at a stretch diminishes, as does my tolerance of crowds. But then I found out that both the Wildhearts and a reunited American Music Club were appearing...

20 Disks For 20 Bucks

Our local Tower Records closed down recently, but not before I raided their newly (and apparently pointlessly) created dollar bin. With prices that cheap, I was able to take a chance on bands whose names I'd only read, or even artists I'd never heard of but whose cover art I dug.

Worst of the 80s

Boon Sheridan of Fluffybunny decided (for some demented reason) to do a roundup of the worst songs of the 80s and invited me to do the same.

Opinions

Critiquing the Critics

You see them in interviews, or maybe read something they've said in the paper. "I don't pay attention to the critics," artists say, enunciating the word "critics" like they would "Hitler" or "rapist." Perhaps such quotes should be amended to end with "anymore," because in each case it's clear a nerve has been touched.

What Does Music Mean to You?

I've been writing about music for over a decade now...and it's still difficult to explain exactly why what I hear moves me.

Q&A's

• Parker, Anders

Tributes

• Cash, Johnny (1922-2003)
• Charles, Ray (1917(?)-2001)
• Chavis, Wilson "Boozoo" (1930-2001)
• Entwistle, John
• Harrison, George (1943-2001)
• Hooker, John Lee (1917(?)-2001)
• Jennings, Waylon
• Quine, Robert (1917(?)-2001)
• Ramone, Joey (1951-2001)
• Smith, Elliott (1969-2003)
• Strummer, Joe (1952-2002)