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Thom Dunn is a Boston-based writer, musician, and utterly terrible dancer. He is the singer/guitarist for the indie rock/power-pop the Roland High Life, as well as a staff writer for the New York Times’ Wirecutter and a regular contributor at BoingBoing.net. Thom enjoys Oxford commas, metaphysics, and romantic clichés (especially when they involve whiskey), and he firmly believes that Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" is the single greatest atrocity committed against mankind. He is a graduate of Clarion Writer's Workshop at UCSD ('13) & Emerson College ('08).

Le Fheile Padraig

Alright, so my commitment to posting a new cover song every 2 weeks has fallen behind. I've been recovering from a sinus infection, which of course has rendered me unable to sing. But serendipity shined its smiling Irish eyes on me, and I was able to finish just in time for the Feast of Saint Patrick (one of my personal favorite holidays). This entry into the Song of the (Bi-)Week series is a cover of "Streams of Whiskey" by the Irish rock group The Pogues. This song pays homage to two of my favorite things: drinking whiskey, and Irish playwright/author Brendan Behan, who is also the namesake of my favorite local pub (where I often enjoy drinking whiskey). The original song is an sloppy, upbeat drinking song in 4/4 time; my version follows more in the tradition of Americana, complete with plenty of lap steel guitar, and converts the meter to 3/4 time.

Enjoy, and have yourselves a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/12036874"]

Review: The Nightly News

The VOICE says: When killing activists, never shoot for the head, always aim for the heart."

Over at DailyGenoshan.com, I've posted my review of Jonathan Hickman's debut book The Nightly News, which combines contemporary graphic design, infographics, prose, photorenderings, and comic book dialogue with a gazillion conflicting narratives to tell the story of a domestic terrorist cult determined to take down the American news media. In case that sentence wasn't clear, it's absolutely nuts. Check it out.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Especially When There's Time Travel Involved

It’s hard to stay together once you’ve watched your partner die. Katie never understood this. She thought I was being irrational. “Everyone dies,” she said. Or will say, I’m not sure if she’s actually said it yet. “It’s something that happens. But you and I, we’ll always be together, at least somewhen in time."

Check out my latest piece, Not Dead Yet, at FiveByFiveHundred.com!

Song of the (Bi-)Week, Week 4: “Alive”

Yeah, this is totally the song that Alyssa sang at the lesbian bar in Chasing Amy before Ben Affleck realized she was gay. What of it? It's a good tune! I tried going all Neutral Milk Hotel* on the chorus, which sounded great in the cans, but sounds a little thin on laptop speakers. Oh well. You'll live. Enjoy!

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/9517428"]

*Also? Their first and only concert in 10 years just sold out this morning in under a minute. You can bet I'm pissed.

The Backyard Committee at Cafe Nine

Thanks to everyone who came out to see The Backyard Committee at Cafe Nine in New Haven last night (especially my Dad, even though he fell asleep before we went on). I felt a lot more comfortable with the songs this time around, so I think it went pretty well (and if the Canadian guy who was dancing is any reliable indication, I'm right). The Fatal Flaw from Boston (literally, around the corner from me) also played, so thanks to them for coming down. Joel Reader is a great guy, and if you asked 16-year-old-Thom if he'd be headlining a show over Joel from the Mr. T Experience, he would totally freak (25-year-old-Thom, meanwhile, has a much more well-adjusted worldview, at least comparatively)

Domestic Violence and the Weather at FiveByFiveHundred.com

This week at Five By Five Hundred, I wrote a short new poem about living in New England, because with the way the weather changes here, I sometimes feel like I'm in an abusive relationship. Every time it makes me miserable, there's a beautiful sunny day to make me remember why I love it here. And then it snows again. AARGH!

Anyway, enjoy!

"My City is a Fickle Mistress" at FiveByFiveHundred.com

Song of the (Bi-)Week, Week 3: "Don't Think Twice"

A little late — first because my internet access was out, and then because I was trapped on the worst MegaBus ride ever, and then because I was time traveling to 1920s Philadelphia, which caused all sorts of problems. But I'm back now, and I brought t-shirts for everybody! Well, maybe not t-shirts. But at least this song. Just out of time for Valentine's Day, enjoy an atmospheric Irish wake of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice." And tell my lap steel guitar how sorry you are for the awful things I did to it in order to make those sounds.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/10580248"]

The Bible Vs. Superman

If you've ever wondered about the connection between the original Biblical murder and issue #1 of SUPERMAN IN ACTION COMICS, then Brad Meltzer's got your ticket in The Book of Lies, a labyrinthine conspiracy thriller that's kind of like The Da Vinci Code for comic book fans, except good. Read my full review over at DailyGenoshan.com!

The Future of the Emerson College Public Safety Video

My fellow Emerson alum are all too aware that the ATM is possibly the greatest invention ever. This week, over at FiveByFiveHundred.com, my newest piece of speculative flash-fiction explores the future of the ATM, and the possible ramifications of artificial intelligence as it spreads to more pedestrian technologies. Also, because sassy robots are just plain funny. And that's what really matters. Enjoy!

Bottled: Sweet Honey Tangerine IPA

52 bottles of delicious homemade beer on the ground, 52 bottles of delicious homemade beer...

Sweet Honey Tangerine IPA

Sweet Honey Tangerine IPA is a bitter West Coast-style IPA brewed with Cascade and Citra hops, with the addition of orange, clementine, and honey tangerine peels, plus some honey and more orange flavor added before bottling. My goal is for the citrus sweetness of the orange-flavors to balance out the hops bitterness. But it just entered to bottle, so we'll have to wait a few weeks to let it bottle-age before we see what happens!

Song of the (Bi-)Week, Week 2: "Magic"

This (bi-)week, I decided to go in the complete opposite direction of my last installment. Instead of a mellow, ambient cover of a jangly folk-pop song, I decided to cover "Magic" by The Cars, and inevitably spent way too much time on all of the synthesized parts and backing vocals. This one took me a LOT more time than I expected it to, thanks to all the (over) production, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/9746415"]

In Defense of Pub Writing

Every Wednesday, literary blog The Things They Read has a feature called Where We Live that focuses on, "the different places that writers and readers live, in a deeper sense than simply geography — the mental and emotional space they inhabit during their creative lives." This week's article is by yours truly, and explores the Brendan Behan Pub in Jamaica Plain, one of my personal favorite bars in the entire universe, and the lost art (in America) of pub writing. Take a look, have a pint, and enjoy!

New Review: "My Favorite Band Does Not Exist," by Robert T. Jeschonek

I've posted a book review of My Favorite Band Does Not Exist, by Robert T. Jeschonek, over on DailyGenoshan.com, where I'm now a regular contributor. You can read the full review here. Recommended if you enjoy fantasy novels, rock bands, the internet, metafiction, and liking bands before they even exist just so you can tell your friends that you liked them first.* *You like all of these things.