AltWeeklies Wire
What Has Happened to Our Country?new
Nothing the Bush administration has done has damaged America as much as the torture and murder of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay.
Illinois Times |
Rod Helle |
02-05-2005 |
Commentary
Ex-Officer Tells Her Side of Scandalnew
Renatta Frazier¹s "tell-all" book coughs up answers about, and a few mistakes in, the life of a Springfield cop. Frazier is the black female cop who was wrongly accused of failing to prevent a rape.
Illinois Times |
Dusty Rhodes |
02-05-2005 |
Nonfiction
Illinois's Anti-Discrimination Law Could Lead to Other Rightsnew
Lawmakers who passed the landmark bill were careful to distinguish between sanctioning gay marriage and protecting basic civil rights, but some gay-rights activists see the new law as a first step.
Illinois Times |
Todd Spivak |
01-28-2005 |
LGBT
Remembering Junior Kimbroughnew
An independent label founded by blues maniac Matthew Johnson takes the timeworn "tribute to a bluesman" concept and turn it into something that seems not only sincere but also necessary.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
01-28-2005 |
Reviews
When Will Barack Obama Find His Voice on Iraq?new
The new senator from Illinois was an early opponent of the war, but now his silence is showing.
Illinois Times |
Fletcher Farrar |
01-28-2005 |
Commentary
Balancing Liberty and Securitynew
Although this book is light on discussion about the war on terror and the Patriot Act, the historical lessons learned by previous encounters with First Amendment restrictions can serve as a valuable lesson for those willing to reflect on our history.
Illinois Times |
Stuart Shiffman |
01-25-2005 |
Nonfiction
The Chicks Dig Itnew
Buckner's sex appeal makes perfect sense when you listen to his voice, a reedy baritone that keens and moans and subsides in a flourish of bright curlicues. He's seldom content to sing one note where three or four might do.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
01-25-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Richard Buckner, Dents and Shells
A Practical Vision of the Futurenew
Styrofoam marshals hissy beats, sissy singing, glitchy samples, and blissed-out guitar hooks in the service of futurist pop -- a future that assumes that tomorrow's people will want catchy melodies, memorable choruses, and a good beat you can dance to. Also reviewed is Hem's Eveningland.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
01-25-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Nothing's Lost, Styrofoam
The Origins of Persian Aversion of the U.S.new
What the United States did in Iran in 1953 set in motion a chain of events that led to the 1979 hostage crisis and provides a background for understanding of the 9/11 attacks and the almost global antipathy toward America.
Illinois Times |
Rod Helle |
01-24-2005 |
Commentary
Illinois Makes History With Gay-Rights Legislationnew
The lame-duck legislature of blue-state Illinois approved landmark legislation protecting gays from discrimination. The bill was signed into law Jan. 21.
Illinois Times |
Todd Spivak |
01-24-2005 |
LGBT
State Ethics Training Violates Professor's Ethicsnew
After failing the state's new ethics test, an Illinois State University professor declares himself an "ethics outlaw."
Illinois Times |
John K. Wilson |
01-10-2005 |
Commentary
Overturning the Conventions of Rapnew
Although the pocket-protector set hangs on his every syllable, Beans has yet to seduce the hoi polloi. Maybe it's because he scorns the usual hitmaking tricks. Also reviewed is Handsome Boy Modeling School's White People.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
01-10-2005 |
Reviews
Left-Wing Coalition Tries to Hit Sinclair in Pocketbooknew
The group, led by Media Matters for America, has launched a national letter-writing campaign to Sinclair Broadcast Group's advertisers that charges the company with misusing the public airwaves.
Illinois Times |
Todd Spivak |
01-10-2005 |
Media
A True Entertainment Bargainnew
Chicks on Speed kick out dizzy cheers and brittle beats, crafting a propulsive, surprisingly funky blend of '80s-flavored electropunk and experimental glitchcore. Also reviewed is Kimya Dawson's Hidden Vagenda.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
12-29-2004 |
Reviews
Tags: 99 Cents, Chicks on Speed
The Latest from Hip-Hop's Sad Sisyphusnew
Only Eminem can make the subject of his own creative stagnation remotely interesting, although it's not always interesting enough. It helps that he's got Dr. Dre, whose grim and elegant string snippets invest even the weakest tracks with an apocalyptic gravitas.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
12-29-2004 |
Reviews
