Maggie May, Part II“Maggie May” doesn’t havea chorus. That isn’t necessarilythe first thing you notice aboutit—you’re more likely to pick upon a ringing phrase, or a partic-ular blaze or choke in Rod’s voice, or on the thumped double-beats that kick-start each verse. But nonetheless, there it is—or isn’t—an absence of chorus. So there’s little space or inclination for Rod to collect his thoughts or swallow his feelings. The song rambles, part harangue, part misty-eyed memory, part licking wounds,pausing only to restart at once—yeah, and another thing!-- Tom, Freaky Trigger***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** These are the review

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The Man Who Fell to LondonGary Numan (and Tubeway Army) Replicas Redux, Beggar's Banquet (9.4)The first full-length from synth-pop pioneer Gary Numanplays like The Man Who Fell to Earth come to life. That isn'ta mistaken reference to David Bowie's sweeping 1970 song "The Man Who Sold the World," but rather to Nicolas Roeg's arty 1976 film with the pop star as a freaky-deaky dehydrated spaceman.Granted, David Bowie was a significant influence on Numan,who sported a similar bleach-blond hairstyle at the time he re-corded Replicas—gone by the time of "Cars"—but it wasn't the glam racket that appealed as much as the trio of chilled-out platters the Thin W

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Haunted When the Minutes DragThe Old Haunts, Poisonous Times, Kill Rock Stars (8.3)Since 2001, the Old Hauntshave been hiding in plain sight. That isn't to suggest they're an unknown quantity, but the trio would be a more natural fit for Sympathy for the Rec-ord Industry (original home of the White Stripes) or In the Red (domicile of the Dirtbombs). Or even Vice (see the Black Lips).Not that Kill Rock Stars doesn't boast a diverse roster—it ranges from the sadly-departed Elliot Smith to the major-bound Gossip—but the Old Haunts are coming from a slightly different place.Like 2005's Fallow Field and 2006's Fuel on Fire, Poisonous Times—their first to f

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Movie of the MonthI recently reviewed the following DVD for Video Librarian, and thought it was worth sharing. Lately, I've been getting into German films that tackle the years just prior to and after the reign of Hitler—I've had enough Nazis to last a lifetime, thanks very much—especially those made during or concerning the GDR era. There are a number of reasons why, but the main one is this: They tend to take on privacy and free speech rights. These issues are never going to go away, making the best of these films universally relevant. The Rabbit Is Me, i.e. I Am the Rabbit, is a great place to start.Also, I don't mention this in my review, but the

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Singers and PlayersCasket Salesmen, Sleeping Giants, Longhair Illuminati (6.1) Left: Traffic (1967-1975)The Casket Salesmen offer up a perfectly listenable brandof prog-oriented alt-rock. Phil Pirrone (vocals, bass), Nathan Lindeman (vocals guitar), and assorted guests can play andsing, which makes Sleeping Giants a fairly painless experi-ence (interestingly, four musicians provide programming).The duo embrace pretension without apology—one lyric men-tions "a marionette in your memory"—and their songs aren'tparticularly hummable, but there are far worse crimes againsthumanity. Lindeman's adept solos and Steve Borth's occasional saxophone blasts bring

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A 21st Century UpdateThese are the reviews and assignments I'm working on this month.Amazon DVDs: A Passage to India (special features review),Strange Culture (with Tilda Swinton and Thomas Jay Ryan),Crazy Sexy Cancer, King Corn, Dangerous Crossing (with JeanneCrain), and Father Knows Best - Season One [four-disc set].Amazon Theatricals: My Blueberry Nights (Wong KarWai goes Americana), Blindsight (six vision-impaired teensattempt Everest), Then She Found Me (Helen Hunt dir-ects), and Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?Still playing: Run Fat Boy Run, Snow Angels, Shelter, Son of Rambow, and Standard Operating Procedure.Film Comment: I offer a reade

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