by Mark Anderson
2006 April: When legends die young / The state of Kirby Puckett
March: The only survey that matters, 2005 / Someplace close to heaven
February: 'Grizzly Man' and 'March of the Penguins' on DVD / When man bites dog
January: Dick Cavett's 'Rock Icons' on DVD / Flies on the wall of the'60s
2005 December: Stockings, Santa and Scrooge / Shopping near the middle of the road
November: There's no place like home / Charlize Theron in 'North Country'
October: Any port in a storm / When songs become necessities
September: Seeing the big picture / Portland's 2nd annual 48 Hour Film Project
August: Managing expectations / Feist at Portland's Doug Fir Lounge
July: Mind-bending with Spoon / 'Gimme Fiction' is the new CD
June: Keeping Portland weird ... / 'The Famous Mysterious Actor Show'
May: Is Texas getting Kinky? / Kinky Friedman's 'Ten Little New Yorkers'
April: Economies of scale / Kirstie Alley in 'Fat Actress'
March: Those of us who live for music / The Only Survey That Matters, 2004
February: Outbreak, rash and trend / Canada's Stars, Sam Roberts, the Arcade Fire & Feist
January: 'The Machinist' carries some weight / Poster boy for New Year's resolutions
2004 December: Dreaming of a Pink Martini Christmas / 'Hang On Little Tomato' is the band's second CD
November: Rachael Yamagata at the new Doug Fir Lounge / Seeking the occasional glimmer of hope
October: New CDs from Al Jarreau and Ronnie Laws / What's not real jazz?
September: The 48 Hour Film Project in Portland / Now that's entertainment
August: David Sedaris advances the essayist tradition / Limning universal truths
July: Turning an impossible trick / Eleni Mandell and her dark sense of humor
June: Another chance to believe / 'Miracle' on DVD
May: Revisiting the same old questions / Modest Mouse, Patty Griffin, Van Hunt, Todd Rundgren, Prince
April: Harnessing the spoils of sex / Liz Phair visits Portland's Roseland
March: Take care now / The Only Survey That Matters, 2003
February: 'The Triplets of Belleville' / When the movie blows the previews away
January: Broken Social Scene is anything but / 'You Forgot It In People' is the winning CD
2003 December: Joe Strummer's wonderful life / 'Streetcore' is the posthumous CD
November: Joe Henry, Rufus Wainwright, Leona Naess, Shelby Lynne & Judith Owen / All in the family way
October: Warren Zevon beats an icon to death
September: Jim Bouton's next passionate pitch / 'Foul Ball' is ex-Yankee's new diary
August: What McKinley really needs / 'Goner' is the new CD
July: Dave Brubeck, Boz Scaggs & Steely Dan / Geezers with something to say
June: The White Stripes, the Kills & the Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Who says rock is dead?
May: Kathleen Edwards and Patty Larkin at the Aladdin / Giving girly music a good name
April: A note from heaven / John Szwed's 'So What: The Life of Miles Davis'
March: Paul Westerberg, Prince, Minnesota Twins / (Still) The Only Survey That Matters
February: Up there with Koufax / Not a bad place for a broken heart
January: Jerry Seinfeld's 'Comedian' / Good for nothing
2002 December: Johnny come lately / The world according to Dowd
November: Does artful intonation stand a chance? / Invasion of the over-singers
October: Dogma chases karma / Italian For Beginners translates well
September: 'Hard Grind' and '1 Giant Leap' / The musical equivalent of staring into the sun
August: Michael Moores Stupid White Men / What condition air conditioning is in
July: Remixing the masters ... / It takes a lotta Verve
June: Separating art from artist / Prince meets the Beverly Hillbillies
May: 'This is the bad dream I have every night' / Paul Westerberg goes unplugged, comes unglued
April: In the land of the giants / Mel Brown is a franchise player
March: Hey, where'd y'all go? / The Only Survey That Matters
February: Elementary's cool / The Langley Schools Music Project
January: Beyond hyperbole / Santa, Ronald and Muhammad Ali
November: Built to Spill, McMenamins take restive road
October: Radio does a number on Jonatha Brooke
September: Hedwig and the Angry Inch / Walls, bridges and blasphemy
August: George Plimpton and the ability to swing
July: Calexico cooks / sun-baked sounds of southwestern summer
June: Badly Drawn Boy yearns to make good
May: Warmed by Low's 'Things We Lost in the Fire'
April: Björk's victory for the human spirit
March: Are Beatles still more popular than Jesus?
February: File sharing / A sea change of biblical proportions
January: Patricia Barber and a city of two tales