Album Review: “Kinks” — The Kinks (1964)

The Kinks’s debut album is pretty remarkable in the fact that its not all that remarkable. Which is not to say it’s a bad album… as a representative of the British Invasion’s first wave, it’s a hardy mix of blues rock, rockabilly, and that overall Merseybeat flavor that mixes R&B, skiffle, rock, and the like.…

Happy Birthday Hokeyblog! So let’s get all analytical, or: “My Tribe went down in the hall of fame…”

Hello again! Well it doesn’t quite rank up there with Slim Whitman’s birthday, but with a Beatles album review on July 23, 2012, my little blog experiment came to life exactly one year ago today. Back then, and perhaps just as much today, I wasn’t quite exactly sure what Hokeyblog was going to be about.…

So what’s going on with me, and why I’ll be away for a few days…

Hi gang. Tomorrow Boots and I are off to beautiful New England, and I for one can’t wait. We’re flying into Boston, renting a car, and hitting the road. We’re heading up to Vermont for my cousin’s birthday bash, and it’ll be great to hang with family: besides my cousins, I’ll be meeting up with…

Album Review: “Unmasked” — Kiss (1980)

By the time 1980 rolled around, Kiss was in a really strange space. For them, anyhow. The mid-to-late 1970s had been their playground: Platinum records, hit songs, massive tours, constant exposure on both TV and radio… the world was not just their oyster, it was an entire raw bar and the cigarette machine down the…

Some helpful career notes for the Ambitious Snitch

A standard disclaimer here: This post is not necessarily a reflection upon any individual — previously, currently, or soon-to-be employed/contracted by any employer or client with which I am now or have previously been associated, at any time, ever. So pump your breaks, rube. That said… Here are four things to remember if one ever…

Album Review: “More Of The Monkees” — The Monkees (1967)

Released three months after their debut album, More of the Monkees continues the band’s trend of crafting catchy pop tunes written by a host of great songwriters and… wait, doesn’t that album cover just REEK of being a photo from a Sears catalog? Well, you’d be close. It was taken from a J.C. Penney clothing ad.…

Race Review: Neon Vibe 5K (6/29/2013), or: “Blessed by the night, holy and bright…”

I don’t do write-ups for 5Ks, really. Why bother? 3.1 miles is less than what I do on short or conditioning runs. You get to the site, wait until it starts, usually with some DJ banter and generic hoo-hah dancing, then you’re off, and you’re done before you know it. You grab a banana and…