Tag Archives: family

This Could Be A Total Bust, or Mickey Rourke Inside The Actor’s Studio, by Brendan O’Malley

My talented brother Brendan O’Malley is an amazing writer and actor. He maintained a blog for many years (he doesn’t blog anymore) -in 2020 I posted links to his 50 Best Albums essays, as well as all of his music … Continue reading

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Music and my aunt Anne.

We said farewell to Anne yesterday, four generations gathered together, to mourn and celebrate our mother, aunt, sister, wife, friend. I wrote about Anne and my family, and music.

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New Substack: Bloomsday past and present

For my Substack, I wrote about the Bloomsday celebration I’ve been going to (more or less) for 20 years, and my history with the book, and Dad, and lovable finance bro, and meeting people where the sole bond is knowing … Continue reading

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Mike Doughty, if you’re out there …

It’s singer-songwriter Mike Doughty’s birthday today. My brother Brendan introduced me to Doughty’s music back in the day – specifically the album Skittish, which I still own – because I still believe in owning my music, not renting it from … Continue reading

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“To me, music is no joke and it’s not for sale.” — Ian MacKaye

“People ask me: ‘What is punk? How do you define punk?’ Here’s how I define punk: It’s a free space. It could be called jazz. It could be called hip-hop. It could be called blues, or rock, or beat. It … Continue reading

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“Listen, you know this: If there’s not a rebellious youth culture, there’s no culture at all. It’s absolutely essential. It is the future. This is what we’re supposed to do as a species, is advance ideas.” — John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten)

I love this 2012 interview with John Lydon, where he is asked about his “anarchist” stance, and whether or not he still identifies as an anarchist. Here is how the conversation goes: “I’m the same as I ever was.” But … Continue reading

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R.I.P. my dear Great-aunt joan

In 2016, I went to the annual 4th of July party hosted by my godmother Geddy and my uncle Doug. Great-aunt Joan was there and we sat in chairs at the side of the road and watched the parade go … Continue reading

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Snapshots

It’s been a long time. I just checked. The last “snapshots” I did was September 2020. !!! What a terrible terrible month. And the worst was yet to come. 2021 is like a lost year. Even though so much happened. … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, West Point Band. You’re 205 years old!

The West Point Band, established in 1817, is the longest continuously-running band in American history. There’s a wonderful and informative article in The NY Times about the West Point Band, established in 1817, celebrating its bicentennial in 2017. My cousin, … Continue reading

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R.I.P. Cathal Coughlan

I just learned the sad news of Cathal Coughlan’s death. A formative figure in the Irish post-punk music scene. The Irish Times has an obituary. Coughlan was only 61. Quite young. My brother Brendan was a huge fan of Coughlan’s … Continue reading

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