Having only ever read one other Frederick Forsyth book (his 1971 debut, The Day of the Jackal), I had high hopes for The ODESSA File.  And while it isn't quite the classic that his first novel is, it's a damn fine yarn just the same.  It did prove, without a doubt, that the greatness of Jackal was not a fluke.  Of course, his long and successful career proves that too, but I digress. The story takes place in 1963-64 and centers on a ... Read on, Daddy-O

I'll cop to not being a huge Pixar believer.  I've seen Toy Story, The Incredibles, and a few of their other features, but for some reason they've always left me a little cold.  Oh sure, they are marvels of computer animation technology, but I have always preferred the old school style.  It's hard for me to get emotionally invested in movies that look more like extended video game cut scenes. But I have to say that watching WALL-E got me about as close ... Read on, Daddy-O

Growing up in the '80s, my musical universe basically consisted of three bands - Kiss, Iron Maiden, and everyone else (Rush became the third member of the holy trinity of music closer to high school, but that's another topic). Sadly, somehow I never made it to see either band during their accepted prime periods (I was way too young to have seen mid-'70s Kiss and just barely too young to have caught mid-'80s Maiden). In the case of Kiss, that was rectified ... Read on, Daddy-O

There's no two ways about it: 2008 has been a bit of a letdown as far as new music goes, at least compared to last year. There have been some excellent releases to be certain (School of Language, Goldfrapp, and the Raconteurs among them), just not a lot that have hit the heights of '07. I'm going to play a little catchup with my reviews here, so let's dig in... R.E.M. - Accelerate (Warner Bros.) I've managed to be exposed to R.E.M.'s ... Read on, Daddy-O

Being an Ace Frehley fan is not without its frustrations. His last studio album, Trouble Walkin', was released nearly 19 years ago and relatively little had been seen or heard from him since he left Kiss (again) in early 2002. What he's been up to during the last 6 years - other than recording a yet-to-be released solo album and rocking executive meetings across America - is anyone's guess, so it came as a pretty big surprise late last year ... Read on, Daddy-O

I'm not sure if it can accurately be said that the Raconteurs' new album, Consolers of the Lonely, represents an unexpected left turn. After all, who's to say that their 2006 debut, Broken Boy Soldiers, isn't the aberration instead? Either way, fans looking for a repeat of the brilliant, trippy power pop of BBS would do best to just stick with that album. Consolers - steeped as it is in the blues, hard rock, and even vintage country ... Read on, Daddy-O

It was quite a big weekend for the Bad Plus – in addition to a two-night stand at Chris’ Jazz Café in Philadelphia, the Midwest-based jazz trio made an appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on Friday. I caught them for the early set on Saturday (the 2nd night), and if there was any post-Conan letdown it was not apparent. The band played a tight set that showcased their strengths – chops, melody, and humor. Read on, Daddy-O

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VPyso87fZU[/youtube] While the temptation for Goldfrapp to continue riding the wave of commercial success generated by the one-two punch of 2003’s Black Cherry and 2005’s million-selling Supernature must have been great, in the end they opted for a sonic left turn with Seventh Tree. While this latest effort from the duo of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory is not at all a retreat to the sonic territory carved by their otherworldly, cabaret-styled debut, Felt Mountain, neither is it a continuation of the electro-glam ... Read on, Daddy-O

When Sunderland-based indie rock/pop outfit Field Music announced an indefinite hiatus early last year, it appeared that their brilliant sophomore release Tones of Town would mark the end of something great. But as it turns out, it was just the end of the first phase of Field Music. According to the band, they opted to walk away from Field Music "the band" in order to concentrate on honing their creative skills without worrying about the confines of being in an "indie band." They ... Read on, Daddy-O

There are countless so-called classics of literature that simply can't live up to their reputation, and yet they find their way into the curricula of high school and college literature courses year after year. I've read many of them since graduating and found some to be pretty good (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) and others pretty bad (The Catcher in the Rye). Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451, however, is deserving of all the praise it receives. What struck me most about the book, ... Read on, Daddy-O