Category Archives: Commentary

What’s New for the 13th of April: Anthony Bourdain in print and video; Calexico, Giant Sand and related music; new recordings of ragas, Nordic songs, and vocal jazz, ‘The Night They Drive Old Dixie Down’ performed by The Band

Posted on 13th April 2025 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

The night they drove old Dixie down And the bells were ringing The night they drove old Dixie down And the people were singing They went, “Na, na, la, na, na, la” The Band’s ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Uncategorized | Comments Off on What’s New for the 13th of April: Anthony Bourdain in print and video; Calexico, Giant Sand and related music; new recordings of ragas, Nordic songs, and vocal jazz, ‘The Night They Drive Old Dixie Down’ performed by The Band

What’s New for the 30th of March: Space Opera by Niven & Pournell, Arkady Martine, C. J. Cherryh, Elizabeth Bear, Simon Jimenez and more; Kage reads for us ‘The Empress of Mars’, a novella she wrote; a grab bag of music including new Buryat folk music; The Ukrainians; live music from the Scottish band Iron Horse; Gail Simone graphic novels; Farscape; and of course chocolate

Posted on 30th March 2025 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

  I danced in the morning When the world was begun, And I danced in the moon And the stars and the sun, And I came down from heaven And I danced on the earth, At Bethlehem I had my … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on What’s New for the 30th of March: Space Opera by Niven & Pournell, Arkady Martine, C. J. Cherryh, Elizabeth Bear, Simon Jimenez and more; Kage reads for us ‘The Empress of Mars’, a novella she wrote; a grab bag of music including new Buryat folk music; The Ukrainians; live music from the Scottish band Iron Horse; Gail Simone graphic novels; Farscape; and of course chocolate

What’s New of 16th of March: A variety of mysteries; some new Scottish music by an old band, new jazz, and splendid archival reviews; ballads in graphic novel form; and chocolate in Paris

Posted on 16th March 2025 by Reynard

A girl could feel special on any such like. Said James to Red Molly, my hat’s off to you It’s a Vincent Black Lightning, 1952 And I’ve seen you at the corners and cafés it seems Red hair and black … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on What’s New of 16th of March: A variety of mysteries; some new Scottish music by an old band, new jazz, and splendid archival reviews; ballads in graphic novel form; and chocolate in Paris

What’s New of 2nd of March: Kibbles and Bits including ghostly stories, the Hotel California, music picked by Gary of course

Posted on 2nd March 2025 by Reynard

The working title of “Hotel California” was “Mexican Reggae. — According to Don Feldrr in a Rolling Stones article So have I mentioned that we get some of our nastiest weather this time of year? Thus it is this weekend with … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on What’s New of 2nd of March: Kibbles and Bits including ghostly stories, the Hotel California, music picked by Gary of course

What’s New for the 16th of February: Books by and about Bob Dylan, and music by Dylan and others; plus some new world music and jazz

Posted on 16th February 2025 by Gus the Estate Head Gardener

Let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears While we all sup sorrow with the poor. There’s a song that will linger forever in our ears, Oh, hard times, come again no more. “Hard Times,” Stephen Foster … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on What’s New for the 16th of February: Books by and about Bob Dylan, and music by Dylan and others; plus some new world music and jazz

A Kinrowan Estate story: Biscuits

Posted on 27th December 2024 by Gus the Estate Head Gardener

No, not the biscuits we have here in Scotland and the rest of the British Isles which Americans call cookies of one sort or another, but rather what Americans do call a biscuit. There’s simply nothing better then the smell … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on A Kinrowan Estate story: Biscuits

What’s New for the 27th of October: The Byrds Live, Trader Joe’s Organic Hot Cocoa Mix, Some Excellent Music Reviews, Folkmanis Puppets of an Autumnal Nature, The Mouse Guard begins…

Posted on 27th October 2024 by Diverse Voices

It was time to be honest with myself. To survive all the shame this world will throw at you, you have to hold yourself tall, look your accuser straight in the eye. Even if it’s your own face looking back … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Uncategorized | Comments Off on What’s New for the 27th of October: The Byrds Live, Trader Joe’s Organic Hot Cocoa Mix, Some Excellent Music Reviews, Folkmanis Puppets of an Autumnal Nature, The Mouse Guard begins…

My email address

Posted on 16th October 2024 by Cat Eldridge

Here’s my email address — cat@allcatsaresleeping.com

Posted in Commentary | Tagged | Comments Off on My email address

What’s New for the 29th of September: Louisiana’s Lost Bayou Ramblers, live music by Kathryn Tickell, Ottawa based urban fantasies by Charles de Lint, Norwegian saxophonist Karl Seglem, Gus on the Estate Kitchen garden and other Autumnal matters

Posted on 19th September 2024 by Diverse Voices

Every good fiddler has a distinctive sound. No matter how many play the same tune, each can’t help but play it differently. Some might use an up stroke where another would a down. One might bow a series of quick … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Food and Drink, Music, Stories, What Nots | Comments Off on What’s New for the 29th of September: Louisiana’s Lost Bayou Ramblers, live music by Kathryn Tickell, Ottawa based urban fantasies by Charles de Lint, Norwegian saxophonist Karl Seglem, Gus on the Estate Kitchen garden and other Autumnal matters

Nalo Hopkinson’s Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions and Falling in Love in Hominids

Posted on 2nd September 2024 by Jennifer Stevenson

“Hopkinson throws a bowling ball down the middle of the genre. She strikes and strikes and strikes again.” This review is co-written with my husband, Rich Bynum. I find him a very reliable reader. He doesn’t speak Criticism; he barely … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on Nalo Hopkinson’s Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions and Falling in Love in Hominids