Category > InterviewsLocally Grown
Record producers are nuts. Perhaps the quintessential maniacal record producer is Phil Spector, originator of the "Wall of Sound," who was convicted earlier this year in the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson resulting in a prison sentence of 19 years to life. He brandished firearms in the studio on multiple occasions and may or may not have taken aim at John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and members of the Ramones (among others) while recording. The list could go on. Guy …
| Jonathon Childers has one major problem to face Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 – he is finally happy. When a family member dies or a girlfriend walks out on him, it is much easier to scrawl a few angry words and work them into a song. Somewhere along the line his muses changed, the songs were still written, and he continued to move through bizarre and unsteady territory as a new musician in Champaign-Urbana. Childers' musical …
When I was a wee tyke of six years, I went out on the porch to watch Jack, our lawn mower, do his work. Jack always wore the same thing - jean overalls with blue flannel underneath. I was already drenched from the heat by my salty secretions, but somehow Jack always worked outside in that flannel. I was drinking my cherry Kool-Aid on the porch, when he began to walk toward me. As he meandered up the stairs, he …
This story is not about how Nic Dillon almost died last summer. It's a story about how Nic and his wife Heather (who make up the Champaign-Urbana duo, Casados) choose to live a quiet and idyllic life together in this charming town. I pulled up to their yellow stucco abode on an unusually warm day. Stunning. Nic scooped up their loveable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Sadie, before she got the chance to pounce. "You're not allergic to dogs, are you?" …
A quaint Laura Ingalls Wilder-style town in the middle of the woods serves as the perfect inspiration for novels of throbbing heartache and a Bon Iver album, but it's not the ideal place for a break dancing 10-year-old to grow up. By the time the late '90s rolled around, local musician and DJ Larry Gates knew that greener pastures were located far from the fields of Indiana. As a kid, Gates escaped the covered wagon festivals of his Indiana hometown …
The microphone drips with a foul mix of sweat and PBR as it teeters and jolts among a cacophony of cymbals. A crowd of drunken friends scream along with their favorite songs and beat each other to the point of fresh pink bruises. The air is tight and hot as the teens suck down volumes of secondhand smoke. Cigarette butts burn arms and ears, a friend is hooking up with the merch girl out back and the band is slowly …
You’ve been there. You’ve shoved in the fluorescent orange ear plugs, saddled up to a Long Island iced tea, braved the crowds to catch your favorite band and maybe even seen a comedy show or two. The Canopy Club is Champaign-Urbana’s sole strictly music venue, but how much do you know about its 10-year history and what’s to come? Believe it or not, it all started at Brother’s — well, sort of. Throughout the ‘90s, Ian Goldberg promoted shows at …
For some, music is simply a way to pass the time – a few sound waves slipping through the headphones to entertain their ears. For Jake Fleischli, music is audio nicotine, filling a craving for the hard stuff (Bob Dylan) he’s had since childhood. Music is both therapeutic, addictive and the reason he started the band Tractor Kings in 1998. Tractor Kings has seen a complicated web of local musicians in its 10-year history. It all began with a two …
A law school student and a maker of dental bridges seems like an unlikely pairing for an ethereally hypnotic band. Then again, Common Loon isn’t your run-of-the-mill pair. Their band is only one piece of a cryptic life puzzle for two of Champaign-Urbana’s most reserved men. Matthew Campbell and Robert Hirschfeld are the guarded duo behind the band Common Loon. The two have spent years together and apart, and worked odd jobs in odd places along the way. They balance …
Olney, Ill., (pronounced ull-knee) is the undisputed home of albino squirrels. The chummy police officers sport chalky white rodent patches on their sleeves and wear clear jelly shoes. Without this hairy claim to fame, Olney could just be mistaken for a spot on a map. It was that seemingly insignificant spot that molded and formed New Ruins into the band, and the men, they are today. New Ruins formed in 2004 with Caleb Means and Elzie Sexton both on acoustics. …
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I believe there were bands all 26.2 miles of the marathon. But yeah, I’ll read more closely next time ;)
Emma — This was posted under the Music section, and as such, I think the intention was to highlight the festivals where live bands and DJs would be present. =)
...and while the Illinois Marathon isn’t quite a “fest”, it takes places in the streets all over CU! okay, done now.
What about Artists Against AIDS, Ebertfest, Beer and Chili fest…?
No Brat Pack at the Taste?? How disappointing…
A Sunny Day Shoegaze Pop - now THAT"S post-rock.
I just discovered The Low Anthem recently thanks to an NPR Tiny Desk concert podcast downloaded onto my iPod. As I am with many “folk-ish” bands, upon first listen I found them a bit boring (though overall I love folk music—weird), but am now into them like…
It sounds like i just misunderstood you, thanks for clarifying.
I was responsible for the label “drunken plague.“ I thought it was slightly amusing and might draw attention to the piece. If you were offended by that than you’re taking yourself WAY too seriously. Perhaps you would have some umbrage points if it was a feature article…
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Dangit! Now I have to go home and try that cake. MMMmmMMMMmmmm looks goood. Cakey cakey cakey…
Very nice preview…I’m stoked to be seeing The Young Republic
I understood this totally differently than the other people that posted…this is what I got from it: - the more background you have going in, the more of the allusions you will understand when watching - afterwards, you can do a little research to fill in the…
Sorry about the lack of address and hours. All I can say is duuuh
Amen. When I told people I’ve lost 18 pounds since early October the number one response I get from women is concern. 18 pounds in four months is not unhealthy, quite the opposite for me. But don’t give up on sugar, or become a vegan, or do…
The whole self-acceptance idea is tricky in itself too. Are we supposed to self-accept by sitting around like bumps on logs, doing nothing but just appreciating and accepting ourselves? Life doesn’t happen like that. I like your point about pushing ourselves to do something greater. Self-challenge and self-reflection…
lindsey - i certainly understand where you are coming from on that one. and i just wanted to state for the record that in no way did i mean to imply that i am not a feminist (or a liberal) just that i find that whole…
Jason — I know you are busy with your own thang too, but, whenever you are ready: http://www.smilepolitely.com/contribute/ Word.
re: body image—i find it very hard to hear my own true voice in the midst of all the other ones - either the voices from the “beauty industry” demanding total perfection or the ones from the feminist community (which i am a part of, proudly) demanding…
Fair enough. This is my second attempt at writing for Smile Politely, and I agree that my playful review did not go over well, or at all like I intended it to. Thank you, Jason, for your advice. I’ll definitely take it to heart.
Tracy, I think there are two halves to this. Even if you are not familiar with the “history of the American film,“ you are always a few Google strokes away from digging up the basics on iconic films and actors that would have registered a big “A-HA!“…
J, I promise I meant no disrespect. The last thing on my mind was disrespecting anyone. I was at a disadvantage because I was reviewing a play whose subject matter I know very little about. And I was trying to be funny. I enjoyed the…
I’ve never read a more pointless article, one so brazenly disprectful to its subject matter and to the reader. Please do not write any longer.
May I borrow your Grey Poupon? I suppose I could write my news column one day, and my opinion column the next—as with Tatelines or Tupperlines. But I don’t write a news column, so it seems like a lot of extra work.
“...who aren’t so savvy with the google…“ You know, the way I’m not so savvy with the typing. That page I linked is one of the best things I’ve seen on the internet, though.
Yeah, I did a little googling and found it. I’d forgotten that there was finally something going into the Boston’s space. But when I was reading the article I was thinking that that kind of info would have been nice for the people who savvy with the google: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_wants_to_be_your_one_true_login.php#comments
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Mike — Here you are: http://champaign-taste.blogspot.com/2010/03/kaiyo-japanese-restaurant.html
I am embarrassed to say that I gorged on sushi at Kaiyó over the weekend. (Who wants to eat one more grain of vinegar-scented rice? Not I!) In any event, if you’re looking for quantity over quality, Kaiyó is the place to go. ...if you’re looking for…
I believe there were bands all 26.2 miles of the marathon. But yeah, I’ll read more closely next time ;)
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Very nice preview…I’m stoked to be seeing The Young Republic