Last week saw the release of Menomena’s third full-length album, Friend and Foe, a stunning collaboration of fevered musical ideas, encapsulating the worlds of downtempo, avant garde, and post punk. Not only has this record had music fans around the group’s hometown of Portland buzzing with...

I find that reviewing a record is often like writing a made for TV screenplay based on a novel – one can never really present the whole story. That has never been more clear to me than while listening to Emily Haines’ solo debut release Knives Don’t Have Your Back. Under the namesake...

09-15-06 Dear Trojan… OK, OK… That was a little harsh. It is a miracle. I mean look! It’s only been 10 weeks and the little bastard already has hands. That’s cool! But that’s not the point. If you lived here you’d understand. We made a very intentional, mature and...

Today at 10:37pm the first interruption of regular television programming was made to announce that at the dawning of morning in Iraq, the people would wake to a new day without the looming brutal presence of Saddam Hussein. He had been hanged on the eve of Id, a holy day for Muslims recognizing the...

It’s not often I get the chance to review an album before it’s already been discussed at PitchforkMedia.com (Editor’s Note: A review for Friend or Foe appeared at Pitchfork on Thursday, after this review was written. You can view it here) or The Onion’s A.V. Club. It’s...

Can you really have too much of a good thing? I know, I know -”moderation in all things.” It’s a concept that has its roots in many religious traditions, but what’s so wrong with a bit of indulgence in something really excellent? If something is of superior quality, shouldn’t...

In John Hodgman’s world, there is a reference book devoted entirely to eponyms. Ruffner’s Eponyms Dictionaries Index lists 33,000 eponymous things or concepts, including these surprises: Hans Geigercounter, Sir Dennis Ballpoint, Ampere Angstrom Alfredo Sauce, and Marie Eponym. In John Hodgman’s...

Folk, Added January 29, 2007 If you haven’t been reading them, Billy Ivey has been regaling us with his open letters to Trojan in the Letters to the Editor section, and they’ve been hilarious. We want to congratulate him on the birth of his son Abraham today, the 29th of January. Also, check...

08-19-06 Dear Trojan… I know you are probably sick of hearing from me, but you should get used to it. Tonight, as I was washing dishes, my bride and I were taking about…cake. I like cake. A lot. Anyway, for some reason, the word “cake” sounded “gross” to her. Not cake...

As the church slowly relinquishes its role as morality enforcer and shifts its attention to Jesus’ command to love others, many of us are searching for ways to make a significant impact on the world around us. We want God’s love to flow through us freely in ways that literally change the...