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Sean MurphyAbout Sean Murphy Sean Murphy loves music, books, and movies and can't imagine a world without sub-titles. He was born in northern Virginia and has never found a compelling reason to leave. He studied English at George Mason University and has an MA in Literature. One of his thesis papers dealt with the utopian impulse in '70s rock (which, depending upon one's perspective, at least partially explains why he opted not to purse that PhD in Cultural Studies). During his time at PopMatters he has written music and movie reviews, along with the occasional essay. Despite living just outside DC, he remains recalcitrant in his conviction that paychecks mean less than personal fulfillment and that the pursuit of peace is not ironic. Endorses, in no particular order: anyone who is similarly allergic to right-wing radio and reality TV, the Red Sox, miniature schnauzers, Pho and Blanton's single barrel bourbon. Ambition: to write the pretty-good American novel. Other stuff, too: bullmurph.blogspot.com/. FeaturesFeatured Article MusicThe Doors: Open for Business (Again)[8.May.07] :. If the first two Doors albums are drugs, they’d be of the decidedly psychedelic variety; the next couple are a dangerous cocktail of amphetamines and Quaaludes. Morrison Hotel is beer: authentic, unfiltered, as American as it gets. L.A. Woman manages to be all of the above. Reviews MusicThe Melvins: Nude With Boots[15.Aug.08] :. Melvins are not a band so much as a machine that rolls over the earth, leaving a trail for anyone bothering to look, and inventing an entirely new language for anyone able to hear.  MusicLove Story[1.Aug.08] :. A considerable achievement, this is an overdue gift for the converted, and a valuable introduction for the uninitiated.  DVDsTom Snyder: The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder [DVD][12.May.08] :. Tom Snyder was goofy, gregarious, and utterly without guile; in other words, he was perfect.  MusicVarious Artists: Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One Roots Vol. 3[2.Jan.08] :. Those of us who care should be deeply grateful to Soul Jazz Records that these performances are steadily being liberated from oblivion. Featured Article MusicKing Tubby: King Tubby Meets the Agrovators at Dub Station[26.Oct.07] :. This reissue is worthwhile for owners of the original, and serves as a more than enticing introduction for those on the outside looking in on the messy office of old school dub. MusicThelonious Monk: Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington[5.Oct.07] :. Monk, after a while, begins to remind you of a wily raconteur, retelling a funny story that you’ve never heard before. Music Eyvind Kang: AthlantisFeatured Article DVDsRoky Erickson: Youre Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson [DVD][9.Aug.07] :. You're Gonna Miss Me is a documentary that unfolds like a mystery story, each anecdote and interview revealing another layer that helps explain who Roky Erickson was, who he became, and who he is now. Music Various Artists: Studio One Kings and Studio One Rub-A-DubDVDs fPink Floyd: Pink Floyd--Meddle: A Classic Album Under Review [DVD]Music Neil Young: Live At Massey HallMusic Ennio Morricone: We All Love Ennio MorriconeMusic Mike Dillons Go-Go Jungle: Battery MilkPopMatters Pick MusicEric Dolphy Quintet: Outward Bound[7.Feb.07] :. Listening to Eric Dolphy’s Outward Bound is like seeing a familiar movie dubbed in a different language: it disorients and ultimately delights. Blog postsSound AffectsThe Great Gig In The Sky: An Appreciation of Rick Wright[19.Sep.08] :. Back when Pink Floyd was the first band in space, they remained mysterious, and cool, by being invisible. For being one of the biggest rock groups in the world all through the ‘70s, the average... Sound AffectsFive Reggae Albums You Cannot Live Without: Part Five[8.Sep.08] :. Beyond World War III is not a lost classic so much as one that was never found—and hopefully that can change. Sound AffectsGod Is Dead (Again): Remembering Stevie Ray Vaughan[27.Aug.08] :. With art, it helps that we will always have the gifts the artist left behind. It’s never enough; it’s more than enough. Sound AffectsFive Reggae Albums You Cannot Live Without: Part Four[22.Aug.08] :. After more than five years of struggling, sharing and singing, Israel Vibration's vision -- and sound -- was fully formed when they entered the studio. Sound AffectsFive Reggae Albums You Cannot Live Without: Part Three[8.Aug.08] :. This is the reggae album for people who do not know, or claim not to like, reggae music. Sound Affects Five Reggae Albums You Cannot Live WithoutSound Affects Five Reggae Albums You Cannot Live WithoutSound Affects John Belushi’s Greatest PerformanceShort Ends and Leader Here's The Thing...Sound Affects All Hail Me: The Golden Goddesses, Exhibit ASound Affects Nothing Golden God Can StaySound Affects The David Lynch DilemmaSound Affects Requiem for The Regal Beagle: A Mostly Fond Recollection of Three's CompanySound Affects Earth Day |
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