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• Michael Barnes
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• Joe Gross
• Sarah Lindner

JOE GROSS

Title:
Music Writer/Critic

Hometown:
Falls Church, Va.

Number of years in Austin:
Coming up on 2

Desert Island Top 10 (subject to change at whim):

1. The Stooges, "Funhouse" (Elektra): "LAAAAAWWWWWDDD!"

2. Bob Dylan, "Bringing It All Back Home" (Columbia): Rock's first, best wiseacre mixes up the medicine, splits the difference between folk and rock, cuts it with false starts, rebellion and humor, and still ends up with darkness at the break of noon.

3. Fugazi, "13 Songs" (Dischord): Two flawless EPs from the most vital punk band of our time.

4. Minutemen, "Double Nickles on the Dime" (SST): Total art and total activism over four sides of short, sharp punk/folk/jazz spiels.

5. The Rolling Stones, "Exile on Main St." (Virgin): Total art and total decadence over four sides of tough, garbled blooze/rock/country moans.

6. Albert Ayler, "The Greenwich Village Concerts" (Impulse): The holy sound of American freedom: splattered riffs, minimalist gospel, the truest feeling.

7. Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Chronicles" (Fantasy): For everyone who felt slighted by the hippie dream's inability to carry a tune and make a point without jamming.

8. Alex Chilton, "Like Flies on Sherbert" (many labels over the years): Chilton steps on his boogie shoes, hangs out with jailbait, and accidentally deconstructs power pop.

9. Nas, "Illmatic" (Columbia): The Jay McInerney of hip-hop: he never topped an epoch-defining debut, but since he defined an epoch, he didn't have to.

10. Pavement, "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain" (Matador): Their most relaxed and open album, a guitar-soaked ray of California gold soundz that goes Range Rovin' with the cinema stars and says goodbye to the rock 'n' roll era.

Favorite Modernist:
Gertrude Stein

Movie Every Journalist Should See:
"Rashomon"

Favorite Texas Rock Album:
The 13th Floor Elevators, "Easter Everywhere"

Favorite Texas Punk Album:
Scratch Acid, "The Greatest Gift"

Favorite Texas Blues Album:
Lightnin' Hopkins, "The Herald Sessions," Vol. One and Two

Television that's worth my time and possibly yours:
C-SPAN, "King of the Hill," "Scrubs," "The West Wing," "Iron Chef," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

Five recent pieces*:
Feb. 6, 2003 Thursday, 1234 column in XL on Cheap Trick
Feb. 6, 2003, Thursday, Life and Arts pg. E1
Jan. 30, 2003 Thursday, 1234 column in XL on the Donnas
Jan. 23, 2002 Thursday, 1234 column in XL on Mephista
Jan. 21, 2002 Tuesday, Life and Arts, pg. E1

* Has also written for: Rolling Stone, Spin, Blender, Village Voice, Washington CityPaper

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