[Illustration by ALEX FINE] As you may have heard by now, fearless investigative reporter Michael Hastings was killed in a car accident in Los Angeles early Tuesday morning. He will be missed. Few other reporters on the national security beat — where access is often traded for compromise and kid gloves treatment — wrote so boldly and fearlessly about the dark side of the military industrial complex moon. In tribute, we are re-running some of his greatest hits: FOX NEWS: The top U.S. war commander in Afghanistan apologized Tuesday for an interview in which he said he felt betrayed by […]
TRAILER: Anchorman 2
Looks like Ron Burgundy and crew will be struggling to adjust to new things: the 80s, 24-hour cable news, and black people. Judging from this, it’s an uphill climb.
BEING THERE: It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But I Like It
The Rolling Stones, Wells Fargo Center, last night 9:05 pm by VIC SUEDE EDITOR’S NOTE: Powerful east coast storms that grounded us for 12 hours at Atlanta International yesterday put the kibosh on our Rolling Stones concert coverage plans. Our apologies. RELATED: About to turn 70 next month, the impossibly fit and thin Jagger not only strutted from the opening chords of “Get Off of My Cloud,” but at the very end of the show still was running and dancing along a long tongue-shaped walkway into the audience. He not only sang sharp and high from the start, but through […]
DIE ANTWOORD: Cookie Thumper!
Genius thy name is Die Antwoord. Probably NSFW unless you work on Mars, but if you’re gonna get fired for inappropriate Yoo Toobing, this is the one to do it to. RELATED: Christian television personality Pat Robertson stoked controversy today by telling a female caller that disobedient wives should be spanked by their husbands. On a segment on the long-running 700 Club the 83-year-old Robertson explained to a woman seeking relationship advice that an occasional slap in the rear is the clearest path to marital bliss. “Ma’am, with all due respect, it seems like the problem in your marriage is […]
TONIGHT: Her Satanic Majesty’s Request
“Mick ‘Rock N’ Roll Circus’” by MICHAEL HOUGHTON The Rolling Stones play the Wells Fargo Center tonight and again on Friday. FAKE MICK JAGGER: We practiced day and night out of some unspoken impetus, innocent suburban boys abruptly living quite near the edge of a dark milieu. This brings me to Brian, who played guitar very well and was a brittle devil. We knew that because of many things, not least that he spent an inappropriate amount of time beating up his girls in the next room. I’m not proud of that. Keith gives himself (too much, I think) credit […]
CONCERT REVIEW: Postal Service @ The Mann
Photo by PETE TROSHAK Very few groups could make one album then take a decade off and have a devoted audience still waiting for them, The Postal Service is one of them — in fact, probably the only one. The side project of Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and producer Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel), The Postal Service made only one album, 2003’s Give Up, and played a brief tour before the duo returned to their regular jobs. Give Up brought electronic music to a new generation of fans and transplanting heart into what is often a soulless and nihilistic genre […]
SH*T MY UNCLE SAYS: The Bad Shepherd
BY WILLIAM C. HENRY Should we be overly concerned about government surveillance and secrecy? After all, history shows that such CYAs and free speech damping devices have served and sustained despots and dictatorships exceedingly well for millenniums. One of the most proficient in their use was a chap by the name of Mohammad Rez? Sh?h Pahlav?, better known as the Shah of Iran. I like to use him as an example because for decades he was America’s man in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, he would never have been able to maintain one of the scariest […]
BEING THERE: Hallelujah
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Bonnaroo, 6:33 pm Sunday by JONATHAN VALANIA EDITOR’S NOTE: Out on the road with these guys for a few days, so posting will be light but stay tuned for a must-read post from Uncle Bill about Snowden/NSA spying on Americans.
Q&A: Truly Madly Courtney
Artwork by MREYECANDY66 Recently we got The Girl With The Most Cake on the horn to talk turkey in advance of her show at the TLA on June 20th. DISCUSSED: Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Pete Doherty, Keith Richards, Julian Schnabel, Led Zep, Cheap Trick, Stooges, Jane’s Addiction, Marianne Faithfull, Celine Dion, Pussy Riot, Huggy Bear, Frances Bean, Twilight and smokeless cigarettes. Look for it tomorrow on a Phawker near you! PHAWKER: Courtney thanks for coming on the blog today, the first thing I wanted to ask you about is this exchange on Twitter with Anthony Jeselnik, who is like […]
THE BREEDERS: Saints
Kim Deal has left the Pixies.
CINEMA: The Last Laugh
THIS IS THE END (2013, directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, 107 minutes, U.S.) BY DAN BUSKIRK FILM CRITIC The most intoxicating summer blockbusters are those that really capture a cultural moment and have their way with it. As the previews ran before Iron Man 3 a few weeks back, it was depressing to discover that for the umpteenth summer we’ll yet again be treated to multiple visions of apocalypse. It was all death and devastation and the audience watching could hardly be bothered to yawn. It is as if we lack the imagination to solve our […]
JULIE HOLTER: World
This is utterly bewitching. Color me smitten. She plays World Cafe Live on July 13th.
BOMBSHELL: L&I Inspector Takes Blame For Deadly Building Collapse In Video Suicide Note
NBC PHILADELPHIA: In a final message before taking his life, the lead building inspector responsible for a Center City building that collapsed last week said he was to blame for the deadly disaster. “It was my fault. I should have looked at those guys working, and I didn’t,” Ronald Wagenhoffer said in a video recorded on his smartphone. NBC10 Philadelphia has learned the 52-year-old veteran Philadelphia Licenses & Inspections staffer recorded the one-minute long message for his family. Wagenhoffer was found dead around 9:30 Wednesday night of an apparent suicide, city officials confirmed at a press conference Thursday. Law enforcement […]