tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170656832011-10-04T09:10:08.716-07:00Rockcrit and A-Mama Ann Powers thinks way too hard sometimesPerfect Sound Forevernoreply@blogger.comBlogger791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-79327351104947711522008-07-22T09:21:00.000-07:002008-07-22T09:22:57.073-07:00

I'm shutting down this blog. I know, I really did so long ago. But now it's formally dead. I think I'm gonna start another one so look for it.....meanwhile read me at latimes.comxakp

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-48966714370516280772007-12-13T16:41:00.000-08:002007-12-13T16:45:34.385-08:00

I don't know, maybe I'll revive this thing. I've been busy writing my hands off at my regular gig; you can check that stuff here.Meanwhile, just wanted to share a couple of wise words the squirt offered recently. Both came from the carseat as we drove home from Montessori."Mommy, when I was sleeping last night I was a mermaid!" Thus, our girl articulates dreaming for the first time.And this one I

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-60778312164569057932007-05-09T10:49:00.000-07:002008-12-10T05:05:22.960-08:00

I can't believe what happened here last night. Griffith Park was one of my three most treasured places in L.A., along with my own neighborhood and the Lower Arroyo Seco.Walking those mountainous trails has been the main thing that's saved me from deep depression after leaving my beloved friends and family in Seattle and starting a tumultuous new life here. Up there, I pondered the days when movie

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-50718446457958858092007-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:002008-12-10T05:05:23.058-08:00

Lily Allen in today's Pitchfork:Beyonce: "Irreplaceable"That's one of my favorite songs. I've been listening to lots of old music."This is a semantic error, right? She does also say she likes Gerry Rafferty. I'll always think of "Stuck in the Middle With You" as music to cut ears by.....MR. BLONDE: Now I'm not gonna bullshit you. I don't really care about what you know or don't know. I'm gonna

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1173511901734901212007-03-09T23:12:00.000-08:002007-03-09T23:32:26.266-08:00

I might not be able to watch "Top Model" this season. The girls are just too damn boring. The plot's already spinning out, with the upfront bitch (Jasleen), the stealth bitch (Renee), the wacky punk rock maybe-a-lesbian (Jael), the Christian (whatever her name was, she's history). I loved "Top Model" for the unique intersection of class, race, and gender issues it offered -- its very subject is

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1173213354836121962007-03-06T12:11:00.000-08:002007-03-06T12:37:16.476-08:00

So Starbuck "died" on Battlestar Galactica. I'm a bit off watching the show but keep somewhat apprised of the plotline. Here's what seems so obviously notable that somebody's probably posting about it on Slate right now:Starbuck dies and her death is posited as a sort of reconciliation with her distant, cruel mother, whom she'd rejected in order to survive emotionally. In Grey's Anatomy,"Meredith

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1172897475426294392007-03-02T20:47:00.000-08:002007-03-02T20:51:15.436-08:00

Here's another LAT piece that I think might have gotten lost in the shuffle. The headline's all wrong, by the way -- the piece is about how R&B popsters are invoking the early 1990s as a way of looking beyond (or before, maybe) their own lascivious moment.

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1172432306201591672007-02-25T11:32:00.000-08:002007-02-25T11:38:26.216-08:00

Below is a little think piece about tonight's nominees that I'd written for my place of employ, but it never made it in the paper, so I offer it here. All the more relevant perhaps after the recent Obama-Geffen -Clinton "incident."Also, I was feeling like most people had seen my "Dreamgirls" piece, but something I saw on a friend's blog the other day made me feel like maybe some folks haven't. So

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1172040814850524342007-02-20T22:48:00.000-08:002007-02-20T22:53:34.863-08:00

Guillermo del Toro on Fairy Tales and Inspiration: “In the time of spiritual formation, for me, both fairy tales and the Bible had the exact same weight. I was as enthralled by a parable in the Bible about the grain of mustard, as I could be about three brothers on their quest to marry a princess. I found equal spiritual illumination in both. Even when I was a kid, funny enough, I used to be able

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1167795367485780282007-01-02T19:35:00.000-08:002007-01-02T19:36:07.496-08:00

I got mail on that. The correct title of the Coup's hilarious and insightful 2006 album was "Pick a Bigger Weapon." Though I'm sure Boots would agree that Better is just as good.BTW, I should have posted this a while ago, but I'm sure they still need the help. You can send the crew some cash via a paypal account: thecoupbuscrash@gmail.com

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1166689947185410942006-12-21T00:31:00.000-08:002006-12-21T00:32:27.196-08:00

Here are mine, a little different than what was in the LAT, but what I sent to the Jackin' Pop poll:AlbumsJoanna Newsom, YsJustin Timberlake, Futuresex/LovesoundsBob Dylan, Modern TimesMastodon, Blood MountainCorinne Bailey Rae, Corinne Bailey RaeEspers, IIThe Coup, Pick A Better WeaponDixie Chicks, Taking the Long WayClipse, Hell Hath No FuryLos Abandoned, Mix TapeSinglesNelly Furtado with

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1165870015584954442006-12-11T12:44:00.000-08:002006-12-11T12:46:55.600-08:00

After linking to my fave Naked Ovary last post, now I'm compelled to direct you to Sara's touching memoir occasioned by the death of Tower, from Phawker.com. I said it before, she said it better.

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1165742787251709832006-12-10T01:22:00.000-08:002006-12-10T01:26:27.266-08:00

I know I haven't posted in an age, missed all manner of huge events, failed to comment on Bob Dylan and Los Abandoned being shut out of the Grammy nominations....but I have something important to share.This is my favorite blog. The Naked Ovary. I don't know this woman but I have never read more nuanced, funny, smart, fierce stuff on being an adoptive parent. And her current post (12/07/06) is so

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1161325405897695942006-10-19T22:37:00.000-07:002006-10-24T14:48:18.653-07:00

What a sucky week for megastars. There's the whole Macca kerfuffle, which has just really messed with my childhood crush. My pop puppydog, the man who taught 11-year-old me what heterosexual desire was via that pin-up photo included in my friend Anne Miller's mom's copy of the White Album, denied his disabled bride the use of a bedpan at night? He wouldn't let her breastfeed the kid because "

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1159413303585235992006-09-27T20:12:00.000-07:002006-09-27T20:15:03.613-07:00

We're doing it once more, at least once more, with feeling. Dontcha like Eric's first line in the call?CALL FOR PAPERS:Waking Up From History: Music, Time, and PlaceThe 2007 Pop Conference at Experience Music ProjectApril 19-22, 2007Seattle , WashingtonMusic happens, then it ripples. What is the relationship between the circumstances that produce music and our swirling notions of pop's past,

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1157692844508788752006-09-07T22:20:00.000-07:002006-09-07T22:20:44.526-07:00

Making my day after a lousy last week, sweet and smart Jason Gross tagged me for this book meme. Psych! Waiting to get tagged when you're a blogger is like waiting to get asked to dance when you're a freshman and a big geek (believe me, I know.) And it's about reading, something I actually occasionally do. And it's my first meme, so I'm going to do each entry twice! Here goes:A book that changed

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1157088280376841042006-08-31T22:04:00.000-07:002006-08-31T22:24:40.406-07:00

If you're reading this, you probably know about what happened at the Village Voice today.August 31, 2006Dear Friends and Colleagues,If this comes completely out of the blue, I apologize.It is now official--Village Voice Media fired me today, "for taste," which means (among other things) slightly sweeter severance. This despite the support of new music editor Rob Harvilla, who I like as a person

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1154554458881354742006-08-02T13:43:00.000-07:002006-08-02T14:34:18.963-07:00

In Seattle, it was blackberries. In Berkeley, it was wild fennel. In Brooklyn, let's be honest, it was trash and pee. Everywhere I've lived there's been a defining smell. And now I know L.A.'s. It's this.I finally got to take a walk in my new neighborhood.Of course I was working while I did! Listening to the L.A.-centric Dave Navarro project, Panic Channel, which rocks in a very 120 Minutes kinda

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1154110456617653452006-07-28T11:08:00.000-07:002006-07-28T11:14:16.626-07:00

David Rensin, new blogger at the great site LAObserved.com, pretty much exactly captures my mood being back in the daily journalism stream in this, his first entry for LAO's Native Intelligence subsite. These paragraphs especially:I just know I’m missing something. There’s a brass ring out there waiting to be grabbed and taken home. My needs for loopdom are simple: I just want to be able to shop

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1151132394693121392006-06-23T23:45:00.000-07:002006-06-23T23:59:54.710-07:00

Hot come on: I can see you with my t-shirt on.Lousy comeback: I can see you with nothing on.Somewhere in the space between easy wit and blatant posturing rests the single of my summer (so far), a sparring of the sexes as fun and troubling as any we've seen since Girl Power went out of vogue.I wonder, does Timbaland have any kids? Because he's sure better at being carefree than dear mama Nelly.

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1150786866259444232006-06-19T23:49:00.000-07:002006-06-20T00:01:06.273-07:00

In my life as a witness to the mass catharsis of live music, I have:--almost lost my then-teenage brother to a faulty folding chair at an Iron Maiden concert-- dodged spit actually aimed at Joan Jett-- had my Swiss Army knife confiscated at hip hop shows at Tramps (RIP) in NYC-- stood for a half hour watching a roving chorus of men shouting "show us your tits" hone in on various "willing" victims

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1149489040235865632006-06-04T22:59:00.000-07:002006-06-04T23:32:29.156-07:00

Ten observations about L.A.:1. White people do not generally know Spanish. Chicanos almost all know English. Until I get a tutor, I am part of this shame.2. I was warned repeatedly that the women here would have perfect bodies; it's not true. In fact, many are a bit chubby, perhaps because of the need for large breasts. That is real. I have noticed many freaks of supernature walking around with

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1148324217321730432006-05-22T11:48:00.000-07:002006-05-22T11:56:57.336-07:00

That was an editing error.

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1144865216300304232006-04-12T10:42:00.000-07:002006-04-12T11:17:48.346-07:00

I've been talking to a few peeps about the Blue House murders, and what I'm gathering is that I'm not the only one with her head up her own ass these days. There's been good local media coverage, esp. the Stranger's special issue and a piece the Seattle Times did on the kids who rented the house. But unlike, say, Kurt Cobain's death -- which was JUST ONE death, we should remember -- or even the

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1142559876112653642006-03-16T16:09:00.000-08:002006-03-16T17:44:36.163-08:00

Doing a little research on Aretha for a presentation to sixth-graders I did today, I discovered, via Wiki, this startling fact:"She is the second-most honored female popular singer in Grammy hstory after Allison Krauss.Allison Krauss?I don't begrudge the bluegrass elf (and I mean that in the most Tolkienesque way) her shiny statues, but how can it be possible that she outranks the Queen of Soul?

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1142146718164423022006-03-11T22:22:00.000-08:002006-03-11T22:58:38.206-08:00

Bebe loves American cheese. I try to feed her the healthy stuff, the good stuff, the Parmesan and farmhouse cheddar that will make her a tiny connoisseur. And she just wants the plastic stuff. For a kid who eats mac 'n' cheese for breakfast, she's also rather fussy -- for example, this fine product interested her for two bites . That's why I'm sitting here watching the only truly bad Law & Order

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1141887518302876502006-03-08T22:55:00.000-08:002006-03-08T22:58:38.313-08:00

Never write in my blog about how I haven't been writing in my blog. However, as many of you know, I've had some big news of late, and therefore am even more remiss than normal in not posting. Well, here's the scoop. I have about seven weeks to wax reminiscent about Seattle, share my anxieties, and tell you what I'm packing and what I'm taking to Goodwill. So for now I'll just share the news and

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1141276481635703592006-03-01T21:01:00.000-08:002006-03-02T21:22:46.213-08:00

The other night I started a new medicine for my various lady problems, and a few hours later I awoke in the midst of a panic attack. What an awful and odd feeling. Some aspects were fairly familiar from my bouts with asthma -- shortness of breath, tightness of chest. But then there was the psychological part. Every time I closed my eyes I saw myself enclosed in a small colored box, like a tiny

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1141020332938614992006-02-26T21:52:00.000-08:002006-02-26T22:05:32.953-08:00

Here I stand, between a two-year-old and an eighty-two-year-old. My mom has not been doing so well of late. Her merry widowhood is now under the shadow of early-onset "memory loss." That's what her wonderful doctor is calling her inability to remember the day of the week, using kind terms to alleviate our terror of you know what. It's awful that the very things we laughed about three weeks ago -

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1140639427564913722006-02-22T12:13:00.000-08:002006-02-22T12:17:07.576-08:00

My friend Stephanie is one of the best writers I know. Her form, in the past, has been email (though she's dabbled in comix and now is looking to author children's lit). Her style, minimalist. She is the queen of the short cogent sentence that rings like a bell inside your head after you've left it. Also, she came to our wedding dressed as a wedding cake -- in a costume she made -- so that should

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1140582387914948022006-02-21T19:40:00.000-08:002006-02-21T20:26:28.836-08:00

I've been doing this and that. But now, thanks to magnanimous Blender, I'm in a fancy hotel room in Hollywood with nothing to spend the evening on. So I'm sitting her gazing at the view (dominated by a giant iPod billboard) and catching up on my repetitive stress injury. Seriously, why can't hip hotels have ergonomic desks for weary travelers? But the free cookies were nice....and I guess I'm

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1139731859685142352006-02-12T00:09:00.000-08:002006-02-12T00:10:59.696-08:00

What I "mean" is, isn't immersing in a "meaningful moment" pretty enjoyable, emotional, sensual even?

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1139730635425316892006-02-11T23:13:00.000-08:002006-02-11T23:50:35.440-08:00

I hesitate to even begin commenting on the ongoing rockism/popism "debate" that in some ways defines the music-crit cabal of late. I will say this, however, re. Simon's assertion (on Feb. 1 for those scrolling through the blog) that no one voted for M.I.A. in the VV Pazz & Jop poll because of her plastic-fun qualities: I voted for her because her music reminds me of jumprope rhymes. Not that

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1138731133468924112006-01-31T09:36:00.000-08:002006-01-31T10:12:13.503-08:00

So we're watching Grey's Anatomy the other night (I know, it's bad for us, like fish 'n' chips) and Izzy the hot/kind med student is talking to this teen mom-to-be from her hometown of Chehalis, whom she'd seen reading Shakespear to her tummy -- sign of ambition about to be stifled by trailer-park motherhood -- and suddenly Izzy pulls out a photograph of a girl of about five years old from her

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1138052828652356192006-01-23T13:41:00.000-08:002006-01-23T13:48:12.016-08:00

Felicity Huffman rules in so many ways, and here is another one. Thanks to my pal Jeanne for directing me to the clip. The best part is how Lesley Stahl touches her tongue to her upper lip when Huffman says she resents the fake question every mother is asked a million times -- fake, because, as she says, any answer but "yes, being a mommy is the best thing ever ever ever" is unacceptable. Huffman

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1137997000929362522006-01-22T21:31:00.000-08:002006-01-22T22:16:41.000-08:00

It's the 33rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade today, and I'm taking a couple of minutes to stand up for it. I'm sick of reading/hearing from/discussing with progressives who feel that Roe needs to go away for feminism/the Left/the Dems to recover. Some now say that, with the popular tide turning against abortion (the rate is dropping among all but the poorest women), Roe is just getting in the way of

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1137792665455124202006-01-20T13:18:00.000-08:002006-01-20T13:31:05.470-08:00

Did y'all see page one piece in the NY Times today about the trend toward open surrogacy? This is SUCH a good thing, for surrogate families, adoptive families, and the whole retooled "nuclear family" concept in general. It's fascinating that the EVIL EMPIRE of the fertility industry is reiterating so directly the mistakes of the old-fashioned adoption model (in that case, the agencies kept things

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1137740666457988132006-01-19T22:12:00.000-08:002006-01-19T23:04:26.493-08:00

Friends and acquaintances around the net today:-- Thanks to O-Dub for linking to this awesome moment of zen. Two kings and a Prince! Or is it two princes and a king? Either way, it's before Neverland, before Jehovah, before PCP. All three legends are on fire.-- Douglas (congrats, by the way, on the book deal!) inspired me to read Eric Kronigsberg's New Yorker piece about Brandenn Bremmer, the

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1137568789128224352006-01-17T23:07:00.000-08:002006-01-17T23:19:49.146-08:00

The girlgroup list is up in arms about Alessandra Stanley's aggro-femme comment in her review of the new bad show "Love Monkey" -- to wit, that no woman actually likes Bob Dylan, but we all fake it to pleasure our men, the way we fake liking camping or golf. Oh dear, it must have seemed witty when she wrote it. Yet though I am a living refutation of her statement, I must admit that when I was

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1137567992677124332006-01-17T21:17:00.000-08:002006-01-17T23:06:32.733-08:00

"Mommya" is my new name, according to the B. I love it -- blending "mommy" with "mama" for the double whammy delight. We've been having the blast of the century lately here in rain-dead Seattle -- walking around the mall swinging our purses (I got her a three-buck blue vinyl version of this here), making foam-bead necklaces at Library Story Hour, cooking green beans on her stove and mine. But

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1136838772407546902006-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:002006-01-09T12:32:52.423-08:00

Slogging through a million Ray Davies interviews for a big Kinks project for Blender, here's something he said to Charles Shaar Murray in 1989: "I found myself confronted with frightfully well-educated interviewers, people from The Observer actually reading things into my songs that I hadn't intended. Until a smart girl called Janet Maslin came along and pointed out in the New York Times that I

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1136357968447234492006-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:002006-01-03T22:59:28.490-08:00

During our awesome toddler-dominated New Year's Eve party, we tuned in for the last five minutes of what most of America probably hopes was Dick Clark's last stand. It seemed to us like a bit of funny after too many bottles of champagne, but of course the minute the stroke survivor appeared, our stomachs sunk. Clark extolled the neatness and order of the Times Square fete with the enthusiasm of a

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1135489510160194132005-12-24T12:35:00.000-08:002005-12-24T21:45:16.356-08:00

Yesterday I spent ten hours holiday shopping, then came home and made cookies. In the spirit! I really love doing the Yule crawl all in one fell swoop, along with all the other procrastinators; the mood in the air, turning like the tide from frantic to resolute to cheerily sardonic as the day wears out, is a once-a-year thing. It should be a reality show. Survivor: Chrismakuh. The one who finds

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1135357868093480232005-12-23T08:57:00.000-08:002005-12-23T09:11:08.106-08:00

From wonderful Tristin's Swell PR mailout -- a list that reflect my obsession, I'm not proud but I'm willing to admit. Hey, wasn't that CI about the hit man who was stealing DNA off corpses from his brother's mortuary and then planting them under victims' fingernails AWESOME last night?From Ted Leo, from, uh, being Ted Leo10 BEST WAYS TO WATCH LAW & ORDER IN 20051. TNT (the current home for

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1135020210182181242005-12-19T10:35:00.000-08:002005-12-19T11:23:30.203-08:00

It's the end of the year, almost. A time I love for family mushiness, work semi-relaxation, and bright shiny tree-filled city windows. However, as a critic I hate this time of year. Why? The dreaded year-end list.For decades I've railed against this necessary evil. Necessary, yes, I acknowledge that. Critics are here to synthesize, sum up, build window/frames through which busy interested folk

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1134178741685323712005-12-09T16:32:00.000-08:002005-12-09T17:39:01.706-08:00

Recently, I found myself bored enough, or relaxed enough, or hypnotized by a rerun of Law & Order enough, to do one of those silly questionnaires you get on email. This one was "Get to know your friends" -- 70 queries of the "your favorite clothing item" and "your latest movie experience" sort. I've received several of these back from friends I added to the chain, enough to make me notice

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1134149977452971742005-12-09T09:38:00.000-08:002005-12-09T09:39:37.463-08:00

How great is B's Tummy Mommy? Simply the greatest. As Wayne and Garth used to say, "We're not worthy!"

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1133503896608670442005-12-01T22:02:00.000-08:002005-12-01T22:11:36.610-08:00

My opus on Team Strike Force, the worship band at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, is in the current Blender. I'm happy with the piece but of course I had much more material than I could use. One thing that got left out was a section on Tim Smith, Mars Hill's worship pastor, and an extremely swell guy who helped me a ton with my research.Below is the little section on Tim. Insert into your copy of

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1133502884609326322005-12-01T21:51:00.000-08:002005-12-01T21:54:44.620-08:00

I have a little homage to the Turtles up at emusic.com. I hope you like it half as much as I liked listening to old Flo and Eddie's ouevre.

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1133309083847417162005-11-29T15:32:00.000-08:002005-11-29T16:07:42.876-08:00

Right before Thanksgiving, Rebecca's birthmom Mallory came to town with her mom Kelly, husband Mark, and best friend Becky. We had a great visit over four days -- no drama, we're all really easy with each other at this point. One complicated thing did happen, though. Bebe's talking now, and she had to come up with a name for Mallory.I was the one who decided on "Tummy Mommy." Mallory herself

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1132696993687059152005-11-22T13:51:00.000-08:002005-11-22T14:03:13.696-08:00

Video synchronicity at the gym:CMT and VH1 playing adjacent on the wall o' tubes in front of the elliptical machine. On the V, the new Goo Goo Dolls ballad: slightly puffy, too-old-for-his-haircut Johnny Rzeznik emotes disappointment and hope while two children wander plaintively about. On the other, Rascal Flatts: fully puffy, in fact too-puffy-for-his-haircut Gary LeVox emotes ibid. while two

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1132515212603392022005-11-20T11:26:00.000-08:002005-11-20T11:33:32.613-08:00

Just have to register my irritation about the "Modern Love" column in Today's NY Times. Yet another piece about "our screwed-up adopted child." I know that screwed up adopted kids exist, but the fact that only these stories get told in the mainstream press increases the stigma about adoption and cause aparents and akids undue anxiety. Did anybody ever consider that maybe one reason some adopted

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1131640485928929912005-11-10T08:32:00.000-08:002005-11-10T08:34:45.940-08:00

I am buried under a pile of mismanaged assignments. But I had to share this, even if it means more love for the ubiquitous Joan Didion. Heard her on the radio yesterday and she was talking about the physical symptoms of grief. She said loss of appetite and lots of vomiting were a big part of it for her. But the sweet part was when she said that the only thing she could eat for a long time after

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1131183599293954982005-11-05T00:57:00.000-08:002005-11-05T01:39:59.333-08:00

So I'm over at my mom's with Bebe, and I notice she has a copy of "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" hidden amidst the old issues of Reader's Digest and grandkids' drawings crowding her coffee table."Mom," I say, "are bad things happening to you?""Oh no," she replies. "I've just known abut that book for a long time. And you know, I've always wondered, why do bad things happen to good people?

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1130997220807311002005-11-02T21:46:00.000-08:002005-11-02T21:53:40.816-08:00

A coupla folks (including a commentator here) have pointed out that Maureen Dowd's Mag essay actually ends up kinda condemning those young post-feminists in a sort of defense of feminist values. I don't doubt that Dowd thinks of herself as a feminist, but what I see here is this (apologies to girlgroup members, who've seen this post there already):I see the attitude Dowd and many others have

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1130721512501032812005-10-30T16:48:00.000-08:002005-10-30T19:42:35.553-08:00

Wearily, I'll weigh in on Maureen Dowd's book excerpt in the mag today, because to ignore it would be to miss another chance to remind people that:-- Privileged pedicure addicts may be tired of feminism, but middle-to-workingclass Americans and women all over the world are not. They're the ones fighting sexual harassment in the military, on the force, and at FedEx; they're dealing with the

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1130565675300808122005-10-28T22:34:00.000-07:002005-10-28T23:01:15.320-07:00

I should write something deep and trivial but honestly I'm burnt. Nothing profound tonight.I have a new column up at emusic.com on Richard Swift and the concept of the "drama club kid." Overlap with Douglas on the matter of Bertolt Brecht is complete serendipity.On the subject of yummy -- I looked for a while for a recipe for quick bread that would provide my carb-hoarding Bebe with a little

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1130481062712041912005-10-27T23:17:00.000-07:002005-10-27T23:31:02.723-07:00

Had to post once more tonight, because this is the best advice list for infertile women I have ever read (that includes self-help books perused at Barnes and Ignobles). I stole it from this blog and it's by the author of this one:Advice?1. Know when to stop treatment. Even my reproductive endocrinologist said "most women don't know when to stop".... Says the guy driving a $80,00 car.2. Open your

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1130478760830437522005-10-27T22:42:00.000-07:002005-10-27T22:52:40.840-07:00

Re-reading Wayne Koestenbaum's spiffy The Queen's Throat the other day, I came upon these sentences, relevant to various discussions I've witnessed recently about the importance of/desire to create lists. He's talking about opera-queen lists, but I think popnerd lists apply too."The purpose of a list is not to refine or browbeat, but to include, and to move toward a future moment when

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1130304337366812142005-10-25T17:06:00.000-07:002005-10-25T22:25:37.373-07:00

I feel like I should have some thoughts, or at least a bilious rant, about the sale of my spiritual home, the Village Voice, to the Olive Garden of print media. You've probably already read Jeff Chang's righteous words on the subject (though dudeman, Kenny Loggins is the wrong metaphor), so I won't go into details. I'll just quickly state three concerns.One is for the future of political dissent

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1130218862140194602005-10-24T22:15:00.000-07:002005-10-24T22:41:02.146-07:00

Today I did what I never thought I'd do. I brought a photograph to my genius stylist, Angela, and said, I want that hair. I meant it literally: lately my own tresses have been breaking and maybe even thinning (stress? hormones? lack of B vitamins? Angela says I'm not going bald because at my age it would happen in a flash, like that) and when I saw this girl on film's curly locks I wanted to be

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129930255863200912005-10-21T14:27:00.000-07:002005-10-21T15:29:06.320-07:00

Pulling some pants out of the dryer yesterday made me think about the reality of the term "love/hate." The clothes had been cooling in their metal holder for, I don't know, a week. I just hadn't bothered to take them out, which is typical. Lifting and folding, I realized that I love/hate doing laundry. Another way to say this is, I desire/avoid it. A dodger of all chores (cooking is not a chore

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129788452820415042005-10-19T23:01:00.000-07:002005-10-19T23:07:32.820-07:00

Oh yeah, I made some awesome double-ginger crackle cookies tonight. Bebe helped a lot - -she held the mixer and formed the dough into imperfect sugary balls -- but when she tried to eat one, she threw it on the ground. Too spicy, probably. Still, for the grown-ups, yum! Find the recipe in the new Holiday edition of Fine Cooking, the culinary magazine for people who don't always have pink

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129787919655441612005-10-19T22:34:00.000-07:002005-10-19T22:58:39.660-07:00

Reading my post of the other day, I realized that I've already started to repeat myself on this blog. How embarrassing! My Joan Didion entry also asked some self-probing (ouch!) questions about what a writer should or would expose about herself, or what self is really there to expose. In honor of my little obsession, I've decided to play a game. Every other day for two weeks I'm going to write a

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129613891220150822005-10-17T21:41:00.000-07:002005-10-17T22:38:11.230-07:00

The other day I sat on a panel at the charming book and thought repository Richard Hugo House on the subject of persona in journalism. Ready for a philosophical throwdown or at least a few good jokes, I soon found myself discussing the old-fashioned topic of truth in journalism, in rather old-fashioned ways. It all started when somehow the question came up -- do I ever manufacture quotes? No, but

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129523243470037922005-10-16T21:11:00.000-07:002005-10-16T21:27:23.476-07:00

Yesterday my brother had his annual huge Harvest party, and Bebe and I made the scene. (Eric was at home with a an ailment that evoked bad jokes about this.) A dozen or so kids milled about my bro's suburban mini-manse, but Bebe mostly kept to herself. She pushed off the advances of her younger cousin Tatum, and couldn't get in a groove with the older (idolized) Erin. She spent quite a bit of

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129309801036337342005-10-14T10:02:00.000-07:002005-10-14T10:10:01.043-07:00

Now this is what I call a relief effort. Can't imagine I'll be getting a more startling press relesae today:DATE: OCTOBER 14, 2005STEVEN SEAGAL GATHERS LAST OF THE LIVING BLUES LEGENDS TOGETHER TO RECORD ALL-STAR ALBUM IN MEMPHISRenowned music manager and label-owner Miles Copeland has announced that his client STEVEN SEAGAL has gathered the most vital remaining architects of blues music in the

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129167455096513532005-10-12T18:33:00.000-07:002005-10-12T18:37:35.103-07:00

My dear friend, mama of adorable Porter, and writer of gorgeous, brilliant prose, has been nominated for a National Book Award. Those of you who haven't yet read Rene Steinke's Holy Skirts yet, get started. And Bebe can say she knew her when....

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1129098176510210782005-10-11T22:36:00.000-07:002005-10-11T23:26:43.233-07:00

I was going to keep my mouth shut about this but there's just been too much media lately on the issue of parental attachment. I have to jump in. First off, this piece by one of my fave Seattle writers on the perceived risks of day care; then the double-whammy infant toilet training feature/Op Ed in the Grey Lady (I've decided to not link to it anymore, btw, you can find it); then the new reports

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1128969597837096952005-10-10T11:15:00.000-07:002005-10-10T11:39:57.843-07:00

Via fimoculous, where dudeman has not been updating the links nearly often enough, this uncut visit into Courtney's current mind state. Damn. She's still so smart. Drives me more than a little crazy.In other news, I should have known that my screen boyfriend Jonny is starring in the new, blech, Woody Allen flick. I admit I never got over that Soon-yi shit. Well, maybe it's time.

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1128916239116577462005-10-09T10:19:00.000-07:002005-10-09T20:50:39.130-07:00

Bebe likes to dance in the living room with us in the morning, and today we put on the new Broken Social Scene record. As we're headbanging, I say, "Bebe, mama likes this because it reminds me of the Afghan Whigs." Eric says, "But the song is named after Pavement." And I think about the boyish rock that travels the channel between head and groin, in one direction or another, and how the chakra

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1128835153773728272005-10-08T22:12:00.000-07:002005-10-11T15:11:07.666-07:00

Self-plugging is partly what a blog is/can be for, right? I'm in the new Da Capo Best Music Writing, THANK YOU JT LEROY (whoever you are really). I've felt like a bridesmaid for years and am really happy that I'm in there! Petty status-seeking, maybe, but I'm pleased as punch -- and especially because it's the first thing I wrote after Bebe came, and it's about her (well, like many mama writings,

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1128660160943832892005-10-06T21:23:00.000-07:002005-10-07T23:53:31.010-07:00

The other night, after my marathon work session, I zombied out to Bend it Like Beckham on digital cable. It's one of those "good" movies I'd meant to watch for years, but turned off over and over again, the way you pass on the steamed vegetables on the Asian take-out menu. In my semi-comatose state, I gave in, and though the film itself wasn't as good as, say, Bhaji on the Beach, or certainly

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1128462438452611802005-10-04T14:40:00.000-07:002005-10-04T14:47:18.456-07:00

By total accident (I was doing a Google search on "female sexuality" and "horses" for a Patti Smith review) I ran across this extraordinary piece by my old pal, rockcrit pioneeress, and fellow A-mama Terri Sutton. Stop what you're doing and take it in. And be all the more convinced that we can't have another pro-lifer on the Court.By the way, a tip for all you writers in your forties: don't spend

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1128229281273775952005-10-01T21:25:00.000-07:002005-10-01T22:05:43.866-07:00

Not too trivial to post: this is the awesome sloppy joes recipe I told some of y'all I'd link ya to. It's meaty, so sorry vegans. I used the beefbutt instead of turkey, straight-up Heinz for the tangy zingy thing, and extra habaneros. And I added black beans for extra extra protein. Yummy. Reminded me of my mom's delicious countertop-burner, one-dish, hamburger-based delights. Which leads me to

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1128029467749218752005-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:002005-09-29T14:31:07.756-07:00

The paragraph that stunned me most in Joan Didion's exquisitely unbearable grief-book excerpt in the NYT last Sunday was this:I have been a writer my entire life. As a writer, even as a child, long before what I wrote began to be published, I developed a sense that meaning itself was resident in the rhythms of words and sentences and paragraphs, a technique for withholding whatever it was I

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1127970604637022862005-09-28T21:43:00.000-07:002005-09-28T22:10:04.643-07:00

The best thing anybody said in the Dylan doc is Pennebaker's comment about how Dylan's great skill was in adapting -- a new way of saying something oversaid, I wish I'd written it down. The third best moment (second is Dylan's sheepish nonapology to Joan Baez) is Al Kooper's utter astonishment at having been part of history. His quote I got:I was just caught in this whirlwind of being tacked onto

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1127596295663612802005-09-24T14:01:00.000-07:002005-09-27T15:55:35.600-07:00

So I'm giving this blog thing a try. When I returned to writing fulltime this past June, I got sucked into the microcosm of music blogs, which alternately fascinated and overwhelmed me. Finally, I thought what the heck, I'll throw down. Jason Perfect Sound Forever is the enabler and catalyst. Thanks my friend, I think!Some ways this will not be like some other music blogs I admire: It won't have

annkpowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02979060302207710272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17065683.post-1127536087975875232005-09-23T21:26:00.000-07:002005-09-23T21:28:16.570-07:00

Greetings and welcome to what will become the world of the thoughts and musings of Ann Powers. Please check back for updates. Much gray matter will be churned here!

Perfect Sound Forevernoreply@blogger.com0