Category > Now Hear This!
Perhaps it's simply the fact that I am older and a bit less cynical, but heavy music made with guitars seems to have become pretty terrible. I used to really enjoy it. Now, let me qualify that by stating that I probably don't know enough to really give an adequate estimation on the subject, but I hear lots of heavy music all the time — from super hardcore like Immolation to what fans of said band would call "pussy shit" …
Some film soundtracks have a way of defining a moment in modern times. Recently, Larry Gates of Curb Service showed us this truth by honoring one of the best soundtracks to a film at this Sunday's edition of The Great Cover Up: Pulp Fiction. Others to consider are A Hard Day's Night; Superfly; Easy Rider; The Graduate; Saturday NIght Fever; Fast Times at Ridgemont High; Top Gun; Dazed and Confused; Resevoir Dogs; Magnolia — the list could seriously go on …
With the holiday season officially in full swing, and Christmas music and Muzak being played from every speaker system in earshot, I thought it might be worth sharing this tune that I rediscovered over the Thanksgiving weekend. I love Peanuts as much as the next person; it’s as American as it gets and generally filled with decent tales or morality and humorous asides. The season calls for at least one, if not multiple, viewings of the famous A Charlie Brown …
Back in 2003, local Parasol-umbrella label Grand Theft Autumn rallied their friends and foes over the years to create a compilation album intriguingly titled Continue Reading… | Comments Disabled | Permalink
Near the end of my performing career, my band, Absinthe Blind, had the chance to open up for Starlight Mints at The Casbah in San Diego in August of 2003. Naturally, we did the chit chat thing with them upon arrival and following the show. It was learned soon thereafter that one of their members, Andy Nunez, also owned Opolis, an extremely hip all ages joint that does indie rock shows, in Norman, OK. He suggested that we hook up …
Around the turn of the century, Philadelphia was on drugs. Or so it seems any way. Evidence points to the huge uprising of bands that willfully gave themselves a “psychedelic” tag, culminating in the compilation and subsequent release of Continue Reading… | Comments Disabled | Permalink
I like to think I’ve led a bit of a charmed life. I believe that we all think that to a certain degree; one can’t look ahead to each day without holding on to a few nuggets from the past that brought smiles to our faces. For me, it was stuff like winning a Little League Championship, catching a home run ball at Wrigley, opening for bands like Swervedriver and then, ten years later, booking tours for Adam Franklin (their …
Like most children, I gravitated to the things I was not allowed to pursue. For music, that meant at least two of every five songs that we heard on MTV. My folks, bless their hearts, simply didn’t want my young mind corrupted by the likes of artists like Twisted Sister, Dead or Alive, Duran Duran (their early stuff was basically softcore porn in a song) and the like. One such artist that my father freaked out about was XTC. Unfamiliar …
With summer waning, there are few things left to keep the warm sun firmly in place. For me, one of them is to keep listening to The Lassie Foundation’s split CD with Duraluxe, I Duel Sioux and the Ale of Saturn. I’d argue that the first five songs on this album qualify as the most depthful pop music to come out of the west coast in this decade. Those who had the pleasure to watch the band perform can attest …
After watching a poorly attended but completely incendiary performance by the upstate New York band Hopewell on Friday night, I was inspired to start digging out some of my other favorite Catskill Mountains musicians. One such performer goes by the name of Grasshopper, who is better known as a guitarist and songwriter of one of the world’s (arguably) most influential rock bands of the past twenty years: Mercury Rev. And while I’d love to post the whole of Deserter’s Songs …
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represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
That article almost looks like something out of The Onion
Thanks! I’m looking forward to writing even more….
Yay! Love this! Welcome to the family!
that last photo’s a doozie, Chris. good work.
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Most Recent Comments
Did the Crave Truck get a permit to park in city metered spots and city right of way? Or did they just get a permit? The city clerk’s office seems to be a suspect here, but it’s not clear they did anything wrong. Did the Crave Truck…
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
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Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/