I kind of operate with the idea that if it’s attractive, interesting, and looks different from what else is out there, then it’s going to draw you in. JEFF KLEINSMITH, whose recent work includes the awesome Hot Hot Heat album art and a Sigur Ros poster, has been designing posters for 12 years. He started […]
Julianne Shepherd
Posted inMusic
Def Parliament
Definitive Jux and El-P Own NYC
Revenge of the Robots Tour: El-P, Mr. Lif, Rjd2 & more Tues Oct 1 Crystal Ballroom As you may have already heard, El-P’s most recent record, Fantastic Damage, rips it to shreds. The ex-Company Flow emcee/producer’s beats tear into the heavily layered vertigo of his raps like shattered glass on the sidewalk, evoking the seedy […]
Posted inNews
Fizzy and Fat
Facing Obesity, Schools Give Soft Drinks the Shaft
In a recently identified epidemic, it was noted that the children of America are turning into little hogs. According to the US Surgeon General, between 13 and 14 percent of children aged six to 19 years old are overweight–three times the amount of overweight children 20 years ago. In addition, adult-onset Type 2 diabetes has […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Escaping
Yourself
Getting Love from the Net=Depressing
All About Lily Chou-Chou dir. Iwai Fri-Sun, Sept 27-29 Guild Theater One aspect of pop culture that draws a clear line between Generation X and Generation Y is the proliferation of the online journal–the posting on the internet of one’s innermost thoughts for all to see. While the online journal is a staple of socialization […]
Posted inMusic
Canned Heat
Karen O Solves the Love Conundrum
Basically, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is one of the most exciting lead singers I can think of in the past 25 years. I know, you’re going like, “Sure, pal; I read that in Time Out New York, ShoutNYC, Vice, The New Republic, Today’s Modern Donkey and every other magazine EVER.” But you […]
Posted inMusic
The Next Nirvana
Underground Hiphop’s Increasing Audience
Though it probably started with the Beastie Boys and Pharcyde, the self-deprecating rapper is a relatively new development in hiphop. Along with such underground peers as Aesop Rock and Busdriver, Anticon’s Alias (who performs this Fri at Meow Meow) sums it up on his new record when he laments, “Let’s play who’s got it worst: […]
Posted inMusic
Death Obsessed and Sexy
Interpol is Your New Favorite Band
Interpol Sun Sept 15 Blackbird There’s a lot of tension in this article, so let’s clear the air about a few things before we get to the interview: 1. First, and most importantly, Interpol IS one of the SEXIEST bands to put out a record this year. Good looking, well dressed, classy demeanor. And I’m […]
Posted inMusic
Musical Knives
How Mecca Normal Can Change Your World
Jean Smith wants to know: “Does this seem confusing? Am I just trying to do too much, do you think?” It’s not confusing–and one woman’s “doing too much” is another woman’s inspiration–but you can’t fault the Mecca Normal singer for asking. The duo’s current tour supporting their tenth record, The Family Swan, is a menagerie […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Your Mom’s Aperture
One Hour Photo is a Real Nice Movie
One Hour Photo dir. Romanek Opens Fri Aug 30 Various Theaters One Hour Photo is an armchair psychologist’s wet dream. And, like most pop psych and self-help programs, it’s sorta cliché, sorta predictable, and not exactly snooze-inducing–but not as riveting or illuminating either. The premise: Robin Williams plays Sy the Photo Guy, a balding control […]
Posted inMusic
Splicing the Dark Soul
Quix*o*tic’s Pre-Metal, Garage-Goth R&B
Quix*o*tic w/ Sonic Youth Fri Aug 30 Crystal Ballroom & w/ Jenny Toomey, Beachwood Sparks Tues Sept 3 Blackbird If all that junk in the headline sounds esoteric, it sort of is. But when Christina Billotte was confrontational and growling in her D.C. punk band, Slant 6, it probably didn’t occur to many listeners that […]
Posted inTheater & Performance
Famous Mysterious Actor Players
Theater Review
Famous Mysterious Actor Players Sat Aug 24, 9 pm Bush Gardens The first time a friend explained Portland’s Famous Mysterious Actor Players to me, he said, “It’s improv comedy… but it’s funny.” The fact that he felt compelled to disclaim an act of “comedy” as “funny” illustrates the sorry state of live comedic art as […]
Posted inBooks
Heavier Than Heaven
Book Review
Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain Charles Cross Reading Fri Aug 23, 7:30 pm Powell’s City of Books Kurt Cobain has been dead for eight years. Yet, this week, his eyes peer again from the cover of Rolling Stone, thanks to modern developments in the story of his complicated, short life. It reads […]