On May 23, Paul Simon performed “The Boxer” to a packed house. About six or seven minutes after Simon took to the mic, the crowd arose and applauded the acoustic showman. It was like any other concert one can imagine. Except it wasn’t any old musical performance. It wasn’t even a concert. It was Brandeis … [Read more…]
An assignment. The thrill of that first assignment. It was the fall of 2004, and I’d just taken what felt like a real assignment. I had to travel to New York to interview the noise trio Wolf Eyes. I was a freshman at Brandeis University in the ‘burbs of Boston and Wolf Eyes had recently … [Read more…]
OMG! On Sunday, M.I.A. posted da “truff” about that New York Times profile on the blinged-out N.E.E.T. blog. So what is the real truth behind Lynn Hirschberg’s article? Well, it’s not all that different than what Hirschberg wrote – just tossed up on a tacky, borderline-annoying site and made to look profound. Which is exactly … [Read more…]
The word “terrorist” pops up seven times in Lynn Hirschberg’s New York Times profile of M.I.A. Within the context of the article, “terrorist” appeared to be something of a default word for M.I.A.: whereas others fill spaces in their sentences with “um” and “like,” M.I.A.’s consistent re-hashing of the term made it seem weightless. Later … [Read more…]
After a troubling trek to the first day of the annual Sweets & Snacks Expo at Chicago’s McCormick Place, day two was a veritable paradise. It was a feast of the eyes as much as it was of the taste buds. As such, please peruse the following collection of photos for some real treats:
I haven’t had a morsel of sweets pass my lips since the middle of February. That is until today, when I attended the National Confectioners Association’s Sweets & Snacks Expo 2010. With more than 450 companies rolling out products new and old, this is where anyone who wishes they could be Charlie Bucket would want … [Read more…]
The Des Moines Register is reporting that Slipknot bassist Paul Gray has died: Paul Dedrick Gray, 38, of Johnston was found dead at approximately 10:50 a.m. today by an employee at TownePlace Suites, 8800 Northpark Drive, police said. There was no evidence of foul play, police said, but the investigation is ongoing. Gray was one … [Read more…]
Metric is a band made for the big stage. You wouldn’t know it from their background, as a term like “Canadian indie rock group” often equals total obscurity when crossing the border. But, somehow Metric has found success outside their home country. As their set at Chicago’s Vic Theatre on Thursday showed, they can not … [Read more…]
What is one of the big things heating up the Internet today? Diapers. Not just any diapers mind you. Jean diapers. Call them “Huggies for Hipsters” as some sites have. Call them a gimmicky ploy to attract an increasingly marketable niche audience. Just don’t call them fake. It can be construed as a joke, but … [Read more…]
Free the Music is a guide to new albums, EPs and songs that are available for free online. Today’s drop is: Caddywhompus – Remainder. At any one moment in indie music history, there are a number of divergent sounds heating up the national scene. They’ve got their communities, they’ve got their fans and they may or may … [Read more…]