Massive Attack and Tom Waits - "Boots on the Ground"

I've thus far been mostly unmoved by the well-meaning but strained protest songs that have been written this year in response to Trump's myriad crimes and indecencies. But this Massive Attack and Tom Waits collaboration is just the right amount of snarling and sour. Maybe it works so well because it was actually written a while ago.

'Father Mother Sister Brother' Review

Anxious about hanging out with family over the holidays? Father Mother Sister Brother feels your pain. I reviewed Jim Jarmusch's latest for the Los Angeles Times. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Six Movies, One Episode

It has become a fun tradition: On the year's penultimate episode, we do a lightning round of quick reviews of a bunch of different films that have just come out or are about to come out. So, if you'd like to hear our thoughts on The Testament of Ann Lee, Song Sung Blue, My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow, No Other Choice, Father Mother Sister Brother and Dead Man’s Wire, click the link below.

An Ode to 'Short Cuts'

The Robert Altman classic hit theaters almost exactly 25 years ago. In honor (dishonor?) of Life Itself, I wrote about why Short Cuts remains the gold standard of movies about how we're all connected. You can read it over at Rolling Stone.

Rock Stars Hanging Out in Horror Movies

Some fun silliness here. For Rolling Stone I helped contribute to a rundown of some of the more memorable appearances by rock stars in 1980s horror movies. Tom Waits! Debbie Harry! Even Wolfman Jack! You can read it all here.

Neko Case - "Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis"

Tom Waits is going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Kinda unbelievable, in a good way. Since it's Christmastime, it only makes sense that I cue up "Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis" in his honor, right? But I'm gonna cheat a bit and go with my favorite cover of the song, done by the one and only Neko Case.



(Thanks to Jason for the suggestion.)

who wrote the definitive song about los angeles?

From an interview between Tom Waits and Beck:

Tom Waits: Not every town gets their song. Actually, Sinatra tried to do a song about Los Angeles. It was really lame. Really lame. It embarrassed the s*** out of me.

Beck Hansen: That was in the 80's right?

TW: "LA, You're a Lady." It was one of those lame, awful... Maybe it's the rhyme or the rhythm of the name Los Angeles.

BH: Yeah I don't think anyone has written a definitive LA song.

TW: Maybe it's the rhyme or the rhythm of the name Los Angeles.

BH: Yeah, I don't think you can...

TW: But Chicago or St Louis, such cool sounding names. New Orleans. So many songs about New Orleans.

Without thinking about it more than three seconds, I'd pick Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." The satire, the bad-'80s quality of the production -- it still feels absolutely right in its depiction of this town. But maybe I'm forgetting a better choice.

tom waits - i don't wanna grow up

My favorite Tom Waits album? Probably Bone Machine. "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" is on it. Jim Jarmusch directed the video. In some ways, this is a precursor to The Limits of Control. Actually, it's not at all.

tom waits goes on tour

Can I forgive him for skipping over Los Angeles because of this video "press conference"? Almost.