It's The Thought That Counts

Film still from The Warriors, 1979

Just Let Me Grieve

Fare thee well to songwriter extraordinaire Burt Bacharach (covered here brilliantly by The Stranglers). May his memory be a blessing.

A Love Of Fate

Photograph by Lee Greenfeld © 2023

Lightning Struck Itself

Patti Smith and Tom Verlaine at a party for Frank Zappa in NYC, 1974.

Photograph by Allan Tannenbaum

Another World Is Posible

 

"Thus did a handful of rapacious citizens come to control all that was worth controlling in America. Thus was the savage and stupid and entirely inappropriate and unnecessary and humorless American class system created. Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage. And they saw that praise was reserved henceforth for those who devised means of getting paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been passed. Thus the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went bang in the noonday sun."

Quote from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, 1965

It's Later Than You Think

 

Terry Hall

Rest In Peace

I Just Had To Let It Go

Photograph by Lee Greenfeld © 2022

The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

Chasing Trane is a must-watch documentary despite the clumsy beginning and the exclusion of Coltrane’s brilliant stretch playing with Eric Dolphy (their European live recordings are some of my all-time favorite pieces of music). The insight into Trane the human is illuminating, and there are some great interviewees and recollections (some of the best being via John Densmore, of all people). The coverage of his last tour (in Japan) is particularly moving, showing him to have been a real humanist with artistic goals that are truly inspiring, whether or not you believe in a higher power.

New Day Rising

Photograph by Lee Greenfeld ©2022

A Coney Island Of My Mind #25

Photograph by Lee Greenfeld © 2022

The Question Of Self-Pity

“Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant.

You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.”

Photograph by Lee Greenfeld © 2022

A Coney Island Of My Mind #24

Photograph by Arthur Tress, 1972

To Lay Me Down

“ To tell sweet lies, one last time and say good night,”

To Be Immortal And Then Die

 It’s truly awful to find out in the wake of their death that an artist you admired, and whose work you loved and learned from, held vile views. I am quite capable of separating the art from the artist — and you really must unless you want to miss out on a wealth of literature, poetry, art and music — but it’s still a fucking gut-punch.

Planet Caravan

The Grateful Dead and Black Sabbath, not to mention Traffic, José Feliciano, Free, and Shagrat (which featured Steve Peregrin Took, Mick Farren and Larry Wallis), on the same bill in 1970. The night before ain’t too shabby either.

Botanic Therapy

 Even war cannot stop the creation of art: track from Ukrainian psychedelic band The Landscape’s just released album.

The Naked City, Circa 1980s

Chris "Stane" Anthony's New York City Prose is a vivid and loving look back at very specific-era in True York City that will appeal to both those who were involved in graffiti and those interested in learning about a subculture birthed in the greatest city in the world. The drama, late night missions, the attraction to danger, and the overall implications of the life…. It’s all in the pages of Anthony's memoir.

New York City Prose is more than a just graffiti book though; it’s a very personal, nakedly honest, and humble remembrance of NYC in the midst of some of its darkest and most exciting days.

Who Do I Have To Call?

50 years ago today: John Wojtowicz looks through the window of the Chase Bank on Avenue P between East 3rd and 4th streets during the robbery that inspired Dog Day Afternoon.

Photograph by Charles Ruppmann

Be Bloody-Minded

 “Go for broke. Always try and do too much. Dispense with safety nets. Take a deep breath before you begin talking. Aim for the stars. Keep grinning. Be bloody-minded. Argue with the world. And never forget that writing is as close as we get to keeping a hold on the thousand and one things — childhood, certainties, cities, doubts, dreams, instants, phrases, parents, loves — that go on slipping , like sand, through our fingers.”

A Small Key Can Open A Large Door

"Democratic modernity replies to the universalist, linear progressivist and determinist methodology deployed by the modern nation-state to achieve the homogenization and herdification of society with a pluralist and probabilistic methodology that enables the visibility of democratic society. It develops its alternative through its openness to different political formations, its multiculturalism, its anti-monopolist stance, its ecological and feminist attributes and its economic structure that is grounded on satisfying society’s fundamental needs and societal disposition. As opposed to capitalist modernity’s nation-state, Democratic Confederalism is democratic modernity’s political alternative. 

Democratic modernity is flexible in its approach to the nation. This in itself plays a significant role in solving so many societal problems by bringing together the multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, multi-faith and multi-political segments of society as opposed to the singular approach of nations based on a single language, ethnicity, religion or state. The multi-dimensional approach of democratic modernity to the nation will form a strong foundation for the much needed establishment of peace and fraternity in the Middle East."

Download: The Political Thought Of Abdullah Öcalan Kurdistan

Words:Abdullah Öcalan

Brooklyn Spleen

"What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need do is stroll about with our eyes open. Life swarms with innocent monsters."

Photograph: Lee Greenfeld © 2022. Mural: Zed1. Quote: Charles Baudelaire

Pull Up A Chair

The great Vin Scully calling his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 18th, 1950. (Peep the quart of Schaefer and the carton of Lucky Strike.)

80 Would've Been The Number

See Ya Sonny

Fare thee well to the talented, tough, and funny James Caan.

System, System, System

The Penis Envy album is just as uncompromising (and relevant) as it was when it was released in 1981. The entire album needs to be consumed whole as a piece of furious sonic political art, but this track always is a real knock-out blow.

For Love Or Sorrow

One of the most underrated and very best singles from the class of ‘77, with lyrics that are miles ahead of most of their peers: “Money rents you insulation. Tenderness, asphyxiation. Someone else's flesh to borrow, sling it from your bed tomorrow. Live too fast for love or sorrow. Look behind the face, it's hollow.”

Exordium & Terminus

"For what, he never knew, now man's reign is through. But through eternal night, the twinkling of starlight. So very far away, maybe it's only yesterday."

Quarantined In Dub

Another new stunner of an album; up there with the latest from Horace Andy and Spiritualized as the very best of 2022. A must-own for any dedicated dub fanatic, featuring the best and most ridiculous cover-art. Jammy brings the booming bass and strikes again!

We Can Be Together

We were young, broke, and likely knew in the back of our minds that we were not in it together for the long run. We were both unprepared to raise a child on every level possible, nor did we want a child. After much thought and discussion, we decided that abortion was the only option. It was far from an easy CHOICE for either of us, though ultimately it was my girlfriend's CHOICE to make.

We had to borrow money for the procedure and the entire experience was incredibly tough and emotionally draining, especially dealing with the nutjob Forced Birthers protesting outside of the clinic. I look back with no regrets. It was the right CHOICE for us to not bring an unwanted chid in to this world — and as far as I know, neither does my ex-girlfriend.

When the government dictates women's fundamental right to be in charge of their own bodies and future, it is not the time to stay silent. Donate, vote, and take to the streets to fight back against the growing fascistic Theocracy in any way that you can.

I’s high time for a general strike.

Queen Of The Beatniks

Judy Henske

Rest In Peace

Henske never got the due she deserved, even though the fantastic psychedelic album Farewell Aldebaran she recorded with Jerry Yester has gained underground record nerd acclaim over the years. For my money though, it’s these two albums that should be known the world over. Hopefully she’ll gain some much deserved posthumous recognition now that she’s gone.