1. Last time I saw a show at The Armory, the Breeders were opening for Nirvana. Now I remember why it’s been 14 years before I went back for more. Leaning into the slight incline of 33rd and Market like a rigid salute, the Armory was literally designed to shelter tanks, thus it is built like a brick shithouse — and it sure sounds like one, too. 2. Still, there is something fitting about an fundamental peacenik like M.I.A. transforming this mouldering edifice of the military-industrial complex into roiling rave of shock-and-awe dance jams and kaleidoscopic hip-hop and packing it […]
WORTH REPEATING: The Trouble With The Roots
[Illustrations by ALEX FINE] BY JONATHAN VALANIA A friend of mine has a funny-ass I-met-the-Roots-and-made-an-ass-of-myself story. This friend, for obvious reasons, shall remain nameless, but for sheer entertainment value, let’s refer to him hereafter as Horsecock.Around the release of 2002’s wonderfully artsy-fartsy Phrenology, good ol’ Horsecock and his girl went to see the Roots perform at Indre Studios. Joining the Roots for said performance was one Cody ChesnuTT, the dirty South rubber-band man who lent his Smokey Robinson-like pipes to the single “The Seed (2.0).” Later Horsecock and his girl ventured up to an impromptu VIP after-party on Indre’s roof […]
HEAR YE: Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Place
Now playing on Phawker Radio! Why? Because we love you! RELATED: Spiritualized play TLA July 29; tix go on sale Friday INTERVIEW: Spaceman 3 VIDEO: Interview with jason and sonic about spacemen 3 breaking up
INSTA-REVIEW: The Dude Stripped Bare
REMINDER: Still playing on Phawker Radio! Why? Because The Dude Abides. BY ED KING, ROCK EXPERT Hey, I remember reading about this band! This was Tom Petty‘s Gainesville, FL band before he was signed as a solo artist, putting Mudcrutch bandmates Mike Campbell (guitar) and Benmont Tench (keyboards) on the payroll. Last month saw the release of an honest-to-goodness Mudcrutch album, with guitarist Tom Leadon and drummer Randall Marsh easing back into what must have been a 32-year interrupted dream. Meanwhile, the three who carried over to the Heartbreakers get a chance to cultivate their beards, get their garage band improv […]
THE NOMINEE: He Is The One
NEW YORK TIMES: Senator Barack Obama secured the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday evening, prevailing through an epic battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in a primary campaign that inspired millions of voters from every corner of America to demand change in Washington. YES. WE. CAN. Congratulations, Mr. President. -Lyrics- It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom. Yes we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers […]
SCARFACE: Amy Winehouse Remains The Most Persuasive Anti-Drug Ad We Have Ever Seen
DAILY MAIL: Amy Winehouse today spent more than an hour in court supporting her husband who faces charges of assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The troubled star sat in the front row of the public gallery as Snaresbrook Crown Court, east London, and smiled lovingly at Blake Fielder-Civil, who smiled back at her from the dock. Winehouse wore a short blue spotted dress in a clear effort to look smart for her husband’s trial, but the classy clothes failed to hide her alarmingly bad skin. The singer’s ragged appearance shocked onlookers as she arrived at court. […]
JUST ANNOUNCED: The Roots Picnic Appetizer
THE ROOTS PRESENT HORS D’OEUVRES Pre-Picnic Jam Session Featuring SANTOGOLD THE RANDY WATSON EXPERIENCE (?UESTLOVE, BILAL, ROBERT GLASPAR, & JAMES POYSER) JANELLE MONAE THE ROOTS Friday, June 6 at 11pm TLA 334 South St Tickets go on sale Wednesday June 4 at noon
DIPLO & M.I.A.: Making ‘Paper Planes’
PREVIOUSLY: Third World Party People HEAR YE: M.I.A.’s Kala INSTA-REVIEW: M.I.A.’s Kala PREVIOUSLY: 10 Things You Should Know About M.I.A. At The Electric Factory
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR Scott McClellan, a former spokesman for the Bush White House rocked the capital last week with a provocative memoir. He joins Terry Gross to talk about the book — titled What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception — about what prompted him to go public, and about the torrent of response from both sides of the partisan aisle. Also: Excerpts from some of the more contentious press conferences from McClellan’s days as White House press secretary. Listen Now ALSO, Jenna Fischer is probably best known for her role on NBC’s comedy series The […]
BO DIDDLEY: RIP
NEW YORK TIMES: Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock ‘n’ roll whose distinctive ”shave and a haircut, two bits” rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79. Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation. The legendary singer and performer, known for his homemade […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
RADIO TIMES Presidential candidates have been touting green collar jobs as part of their plans to reduce energy dependence and buoy the economy through the creation of new jobs. We talk about the challenges and realities of creating a “green collar”workforce with KEVIN DOYLE, founder of Green Economy, a Boston-based workforce development consulting firm, and BRACKEN HENDRICKS, of the Center for American Progress. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3 THIS AMERICAN LIFE Prom While the seniors danced at Prom Night 2001 in Hoisington, Kansas—a town of about 3,000—a tornado hit the town, destroying about a third of […]
WORTH REPEATING: A Little ‘Taps’ & Sympathy
BY JONATHAN VALANIA If you are the parent or spouse of a U.S. serviceman, Sgt. Anthony Dekanich is the last person you want knocking on your door. When Sgt. Dekanich pays a visit, it means only one thing: Your son or daughter or husband or wife is dead. Vested with the unenviable duty of notifying next of kin–or NOK–that their son or daughter has been killed in action and arranging their burial with full military honors, Sgt. Dekanich is responsible for seeing that spouses or parents get a properly folded American flag and that the dead get a little “Taps” […]