Abundant Living
Don't drag your orchestra into this thing

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Mar
10
Other Dead Boys: Notes on David Johansen, New York Dolls, New York in General, Exceptionalism, Punk, Hair Metal, Glam, and the Urge to Make It With Frankenstein

Other Dead Boys: Notes on David Johansen, New York Dolls, New York in General, Exceptionalism, Punk, Hair Metal, Glam, and the Urge to Make It With Frankenstein

1. The death of David Johansen, nurtural Poindexter, the lead singer of the New York Dolls, was announced in the
22 min read
Feb
15
No True Punk

No True Punk

An Essay on Blowing Bubbles This is not a punk Punk is a genre of music, a fashion, and a
21 min read
Jan
24
Anniversary Poem for Zohra

Anniversary Poem for Zohra

Dear Abundant Livers, As regular readers know, I post an anniversary poem for Zohra every year. Usually in December, occasionally
6 min read
Dec
20
I Guess Time Makes End Of The Year Lists of Us All: 50(ish) Albums from 2024

I Guess Time Makes End Of The Year Lists of Us All: 50(ish) Albums from 2024

“Bottoms up to another year,” Amanda MacKaye famously sang, on “Birthday” (the first track side B of the Desiderata 7”
22 min read
Nov
09
Punk Gets Good Again, Again. Plus reviews of newish albums by Elucid + Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp

Punk Gets Good Again, Again. Plus reviews of newish albums by Elucid + Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp

Who knew that punk would be good again so soon? I mean, besides everybody who was screaming at the top
6 min read
Oct
19
Our Shiksa Beastie Boys? A gothic cowpunk masterpiece turns 10 and nobody but me gives a sh*t

Our Shiksa Beastie Boys? A gothic cowpunk masterpiece turns 10 and nobody but me gives a sh*t

Iceage recorded their debut album, New Brigade, in three days, when the members of the Danish band were hovering around
20 min read
Sep
19
I Love a Mans in a Uniform: Reviews of new albums by Uniform, Weak Signal, Liberty & Justice, Tenue, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Faucheuse, and more!

I Love a Mans in a Uniform: Reviews of new albums by Uniform, Weak Signal, Liberty & Justice, Tenue, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Faucheuse, and more!

Actually, not "and more." But, trust me, what's here is plenty. Welcome to a new Abundant
10 min read
Sep
12
A Brief, 100% Accurate, History of the 21st Century, Starring Panthers

A Brief, 100% Accurate, History of the 21st Century, Starring Panthers

Newsletter Business/warning: This edition of Abundant Living is about Panthers, indie sleaze, NYC in the aughts, nostalgia, and how
27 min read
Aug
13
Kitsch The Anus of the Black Cat (plus: reviews of new albums by Shrapknel, Julie Christmas, Richard Thompson, Linda Thompson, and J.R.C.G.)

Kitsch The Anus of the Black Cat (plus: reviews of new albums by Shrapknel, Julie Christmas, Richard Thompson, Linda Thompson, and J.R.C.G.)

We’re not living in a golden age of much. But at least the kitsch renaissance—which started too-clever-ly (by
16 min read
Jun
29
Laugh In The Dark: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo's The Both at 10

Laugh In The Dark: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo's The Both at 10

For those of us raised on the gospel of “The Velvet Underground & Nico's debut album only sold
24 min read