Top 5 Anya’s Ghost (First Second)A great coming-of-age tale with bonus spookiness and excitement. Sleeper (Wildstorm)An early work by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips who later took the comics world by storm   More

Top 5 Soul’d Out Music Festival, April 12-25We’re excited about: Dr. Lonnie Smith, who absolutely killed last year’s fest; the mighty Maze; French electro-geniuses Justice.Waterfront Blues Festival, J   More

Top 5 C.J. WatsonHe’s an ex-Warrior, and when I say “Watson,” I’m imitating Arsenio Hall introducing Mr. Randy Watson in Coming to America. Derrick RoseBecause he subs in for C.J. Watson sometime   More

Top 5 “Salty Dog Blues,” Morris BrothersGoogle “salty dog” while keeping in mind that this song is from the late ’30s. There is something just so filthy about the term.“Rye Whiskey,” Tex Ritte   More

Top 5 1. Black Keys, El Camino The Akron, Ohio, outfit—which headlines the Rose Garden in May—has gone from baby-faced blues-rock duo to total rock and roll juggernaut. 2. Kathleen Edwards, Voyage   More

Top 5 5. “MY PRESENCE WILL BE COMMMANDING. MY REPERTOIRE SENSITIVE AND FULL OF GOODNESS. MY ARRANGEMENTS PRACTICALLY ILLEGAL. MY VOICE OF REASON RIGHT ON.” 4. “my new seamstress from portland o   More

Top 5 5. Texas On the merit of some very good friends that live there, Texas comes in at No. 5 for me…and what’s not to like about Austin? Texas has many flaws. Its state flag sums it up: the American   More

Top 5 Teddy Pendergrass, “Turn off the Lights” “Would you rub me down in some burnin’ hot oils, baby, yeah?” Probably the best slow-dance song ever by the (reportedly tranny-chasing) King of the   More

Top 5 Tommy Boy I was wrong to dismiss this movie as a throwaway when I first saw it. I know this because it’s 16 years later and I’m still reflexively quoting it like an annoying Monty Python fan.Zab   More

Top 5 Kyle Morton (Typhoon): “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” “I listened to my parents’ copy of Monster when I was a little kid and concluded that this song is what ‘rock and roll’ sounds lik   More