BY GEORGE ANASTASIA INQUIRER STAFF WRITER It was a bold move by an ambitious, young rap mogul. At a time when authorities suspected he controlled a vast cocaine operation in Southwest Philadelphia, Alton Coles [NOT pictured] decided to shoot a video about that very world. New Jack City: The Next Generation would depict the violent rise of a fictional Southwest Philadelphia cocaine ring that used fear, intimidation and murder to take over the streets. Coles, under his hip-hop nickname “Ace Capone,” would star in the 2003 rap music drama as a ruthless cocaine kingpin. It was, federal authorities now allege, […]
We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It
FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DR. DOG LAST NIGHT AT THE FILLMORE 1. Dr. Dog loves their family and friends! What fun it was to watch the band’s entire entourage dance, carouse, and throw roses affectionately from off stage. It’s like being at a little girl’s beauty pageant, but there’s great music and you’re not bored senseless. Plus, nobody gets strangled in the basement at the end. 2. Dr. Dog knows how to pick their opening bands. Emily Lacy and her banjo put a fun spin on the Joanna Newsom formula, and Delta Spirit was equally enjoyable with their […]
NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs
AMY MADHOUSE: London Cops Crowbar Winehouse’s Flat After Arresting Hubbo Police raided the London home of Amy Winehouse, using a crowbar to force open the door. The singer’s spokesman said she was not there at the time and that drugs were not involved. British media said the raid was related to the arrest of Winehouse’s husband and several other men on suspicion of trying to pervert the course of justice. Photographs in British newspapers yesterday showed police officers forcing open the home in Camden, north London. “The only thing I can tell you is that it has nothing to do […]
LIVE & DIRECT: Ron Paul Revere Rings Liberty Bell
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RON PAUL AT INDEPENDENCE MALL 1. There were a LOT of people there. Upwards of 5,000, making it the BIGGEST Ron Paul rally to date. And it was not just the usual suspects — i.e., the angry loners Libertarians invariably attract, and the Ex-Deaniac Don Quixotes tilting at the latest maverick truth-teller on a political suicide mission — but women, children, families. People you see at Eagles games. Veterans, mechanics, Daily News readers. Ordinary, walking around people, desperate for someone to look them in the eye and tell them the truth. 2. His […]
CROWD NOISE: Temple Goes Down
PENN STATE 31 TEMPLE 0 [Photo by AMY Z. QUINN]
INSTA-REVIEW: Five Things You Really Need To Know About Tom Brosseau At The Fillmore Last Night
IN MY AUTUMN SWEATER: Tom Brosseau, The Fillmore, Last Night 1. Mr. Brosseau looks like a Swiss ski instructor or Owen Wilson without the bandages, but he sings like naked woman who died in a great flood a long, long time ago. 2. Mr. Brosseau wore what is quite possibly the gayest most radical sweater ever seen on a live folk performer whose name wasn’t Joan Baez. 3. The girl next to me leaning against the lip of the stage was teaching herself Icelandic from a textbook while waiting for Mr. Brosseau to appear. She plans to move there one […]
EARLY WORD: FIVE THINGS YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT NORMAL LOVE
1. At one point the band was considering calling themselves Severe Confection, which then ended up being the title of a piece they play, written by Dustin Hurt, who originally titled it “Fried Jello.” “We changed the title cause that name is dumb” said Eli. 2. Normal Love’s got two 1/2 Puerto Ricans, one half Jew, and two full Jews. “That makes us decidedly more Jew then Rican”, says Evan, “but we’re still fully down to represent as ‘Jew Rican‘: all respects to Julio Lugo.” 3. Eli likes to play the drums with his shirt off and has been told […]
CURRENTLY HOMELESS: A Few Good Men
BY JEFF DEENEY A recent study indicates that some 200,000 American war veterans are currently homeless. Some 1,500 of those are Iraq War vets. The homeless services field has been anticipating the arrival of Iraq War vets in shelters and drop in centers across the nation since the war started. When I worked for the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness we regularly discussed how to handle the impending surge of vets that were bound to show up in the day center at 802 N. Broad. As of my departure from that agency a couple months ago we still hadn’t […]
EARLY WORD: Oh No, It’s The Popo!
The Popo wins Best Band Name Ever. This week anyway…
PEACE BOMB: Ron “I Will End The Iraq War” Paul’s $10 Million ‘Tea’ Party Comes To Town Saturday
BY AMY Z. QUINN Supporters of Texas Congressman and longshot GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul raised $4.2 million in 24 hours in a loosely-organized fund-raising push they’re calling a “money bomb.” Speculate, theorize, stereotype. Only one thing is clear: the Paulites, the loyal, organized, Web-savvy supporters of Rep. Ron Paul, know how to raise money online, and 37,000 Paulites set a record [Monday] by hauling in more than $4.2 million in 24 hours. That’s the most money raised online by a candidate in a single day. A Paulite came up with the fundraising idea, a few more Paulites joined in […]
INSTA-REVIEW: Five Things You Need To Know About Menomena At First Unitarian Last Night
1. They have great taste in opening acts. Bucks County’s Illinois singing catchy, clever pop songs to the banjo over multiple bottles of Sailor Jerry really puts you in the mood for more music. Either that or a sock-hop. But that’s cool too. 2. Menomena is just as organic and fresh as anything else coming out of Portland. The band is comprised of three really tall musicians who produce the instrumentation of a 10-piece orchestra. It’s impressive to hear so much sound coming from such a small group of people. Like a puzzle, these sounds fit perfectly together, only it’s […]
MAILBAG: How Interns Get Hired
DEAR PHAWKER, You’ve created quite a ruckus here at Temple. Although I don’t necessarily agree with your idea of the usefulness of Journalism, I appreciate what you said (that is, after I really thought about it). It’s revolutionary and spirited in a way that many journalists were supposed to be since day one and no longer are. Journalists and media lovers alike are supposed to have the anti-establishment burned into them at day one, but it seems that newspapers are just as bad as the government is now. We had talked briefly (after your presentation at Temple) about indie rock […]
LIVE & DIRECT FROM THE 4 SEASONS: Todd Haynes
PHAWKER: How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man? TODD HAYNES: Seven. PHAWKER: Good to know. Philebrity has video and audio of this afternoon’s presser with I’m Not There director Todd Haynes. If you are interested in Dylan or this film, we urge you head over there and check it out. Mr. Haynes’ film is utterly brilliant — slightly flawed, perhaps, but visionary nonetheless — and this afternoon he spoke eloquently and passionately about the methods to his storytelling madness. We will have much more on this film closer to the Philly release date. […]