About Me
Charles Olney, Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law and Judicial Politics at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley (academic website). This is a blog about music, politics, and the law. I also write about women’s soccer at Backline Soccer and Stars and Stripes FC.
Twitter: @dr_olney
Soundcloud: olneyce
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Recent Posts
Greatest Hits
- Beatles from worst to first
- Top 25 albums of the decade
- Top 50 songs of the decade
- Top 10 Bruce Springsteen songs
- Top 10 Modest Mouse songs
- Top 10 Tom Petty songs
- Top 10 Carissa's Wierd songs
- Top 10 Paul Simon songs
- Top 10 Bob Dylan songs
- Top 10 breakup songs
- Top 20 albums of 2005
- Top 30 albums of 2006
- Top 40 songs of 2006
- Top 25 albums of 2007
- Top 40 songs of 2007
- Top 25 albums of 2008
- Top 40 songs of 2008
- Top 30 albums of 2009
- Top 40 songs of 2009
- Top 25 albums of 2010
- Top 40 songs of 2010
- Top 15 albums of 2011
- Top 40 songs of 2011
- Top 20 albums of 2012
- Top 40 songs of 2012
- Top 30 albums of 2013
- Top 50 songs of 2013
- Top 25 albums of 2014
- Top 50 songs of 2014
- Top 30 albums of 2015
- Top 50 songs of 2015
- Top 15 albums of 2016
- Top 40 songs of 2016
- Top 25 albums of 2017
- Top 50 songs of 2017
- Top 30 albums of 2018
- Top 50 songs of 2018
Music links
- Hype Machine
- elbo.ws
- Music for Kids Who Can't Read Good
- Can you see the sunset from the southside?
- Hits in the Car
- A Certain Romance
- Herohill
- Speed of Dark
- Lost in your Inbox
- Vague Space
- Skatterbrain
- I Guess I'm Floating
- Largehearted Boy
- Neon Gold
- Another Form of Relief
- Cover Lay Down
- The Monsters Under the Bed Are Not Real
- Yellow Stereo
- Quick Before It Melts
- Knox Road
- Sand is Overrated
- Shake Your Fist
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Archives
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
50 songs for 50 states: New York
Picking one song for New York is an impossible task. There are probably a couple dozen that deserve the honor, with all-time classics from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Nas, Paul Simon, They Might Be Giants (via Cub), Lou Reed, … Continue reading
Review: Restorations – LP5000
LP5000 by Restorations I don’t know what they’re putting in the water in Philadelphia, but it seems to be the heart and soul of modern American rock and roll. This record from Restorations is another strong entrant into the field. … Continue reading
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Review: Alkaline Trio – Is This Thing Cursed?
Twenty years and almost a dozen albums into their prolific career, Alkaline Trio are putting out some of their best work in a very long time, maybe ever. On Is This Thing Cursed?, the trio bring all the propulsive energy … Continue reading
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Review: Vanessa Peters – Foxhole Prayers
It’s always fraught to describe a record as ‘mature.’ Even with the best of intentions, the word conveys a certain listlessness. Artists make ‘mature’ records when the vibrant, provocative energy that used to drive them has faded away, we tend … Continue reading
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Review: Nicki Minaj – Queen
Nicki Minaj is the Queen, with all the good and bad that implies. In this case, it means an album that could have used some heavy editing, but which still contains enough pieces of genius to deserve serious attention. Because … Continue reading
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From inside of the ages through your eyes
I’ve been a big fan of Brandi Carlile for a long time. In fact, one of the very first posts on this very blog, all the way back in the spring of 2006, was an enthusiastic endorsement of her debut … Continue reading
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Review: Dustings – Somatic Alterations
Somatic Alterations by Dustings A little bit dream pop, a little bit shoegaze, and a little bit ambient. It’s a time-tested combination, and while Dustings doesn’t add anything particularly new to the equation, that doesn’t make this album any less affecting. … Continue reading
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Still hiding and waiting for the fall
Fall For You by Nancy Sin Twee pop always walks a bit of a tightrope. Done poorly, it can feel instantly nostalgic–a reference to youthful exuberance that lives far more in our memory than in real life. But done well, … Continue reading
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Electricity runs down your spine
I Wasn’t Only Thinking About You… by Oh Pep! “What’s the Deal With David” is a glorious slice of indie pop, ready to warm your soul and soothe your fraying heart. The engine of the song is a rollicking little … Continue reading
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50 songs for 50 states: New Mexico
Plenty of decent options for New Mexico, but no standouts. I gave serious thought to two old titans–Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings–but neither of their treatments really struck to the core of the state. To me, New Mexico is defined … Continue reading