AltWeeklies Wire
Ex-Vels Frontwoman Alice Cohen Plants 'Sky Flowers'new
Anyone familiar with Cohen, or the "Alice Desoto" who led Philadelphia's the Vels through the New Wave '80s, wouldn't be surprised by her solo album's distance and its flash of tenderness.
Philadelphia City Paper |
A.D. Amorosi |
04-29-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Rich Westcott's Bio of Roundball Legend Eddie Gottlieb is a Slam Dunknew
Westcott tracks down most of Gottlieb's surviving friends and players (he died in 1979 at age 81) to present an unusually well-rounded portrait.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Andrew Milner |
04-29-2008 |
Nonfiction
Preachy Politics Spoil Thomas McCarthy's Otherwise-quiet Character Studynew
For his sophomore effort McCarthy has burdened his slight character drama with a capital-M Message, which weighs down even the most intimately observed character moments.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Shaun Brady |
04-29-2008 |
Reviews
Mathematics Professor Manil Suri Finds Success in Novel Trilogynew

In his small, spare office in the inner halls of the UMBC Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Suri is carefully juggling two lives.
Baltimore City Paper |
John Barry |
04-29-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Portishead Forgets Everything It Knows About Dreadnew
Third feels like an exploratory exercise and a reintroduction rolled into a somewhat flat, frowny package, wrapped in rough burlap. In 2001 or '02 it might have registered as a rudderless junior slump; in 2008, it's just lame.
Baltimore City Paper |
Raymond Cummings |
04-29-2008 |
Reviews
Out and Proud Neil Patrick Harris Loves Playing Comedy's Favorite Pussy Houndnew
The result of Harris' willingness to poke a little fun at himself is a new Cult of NPH, with T-shirts and even a (New Line-run) What Would NPH Do? web site that Harris says confuses him more than flatters him--though he admits, with a smirk, to visiting it more than he probably should.
Baltimore City Paper |
Cole Haddon |
04-29-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Emos, Mexico and Timbiriche's Sweet Nostalgia Tripnew
Part of me wants to condemn Timbiriche, a 1980s-era teen-pop group that reunited this year to tour across Mexico and its American territories. But there is much to enjoy about the band -- and I’m not just talking about the spicy señoritas.
Skanky Club Clothing vs. Classy-But-Still-Hotnew
It's rare to see someone young manage to preserve sophistication and attractiveness during a night on the town.
The Best (and Worst) at the Newport Beach Film Festivalnew
Many of this year's selections center on the idea of the unlikely hero: From the out-of-shape failure who rises to face a mighty foe (305, Big Man Japan) to unheralded real-life heroes like Max Lesnik and Barney Rosset, this is the year of protagonists who are more than they seem to be at first glance.
Is Monotonix the Best Live Band?new
Though a studio recording, Monotonix's Drag City debut EP Body Language is best appreciated as a memento of the delirious tumult this band puts on live.
Houston Press |
John Nova Lomax |
04-29-2008 |
Reviews
A New Radio Home for Indie Artistsnew
Welcome to The Movement Radio, a new internet broadcast based out of Pompano Beach.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Jonathan Cunningham |
04-29-2008 |
Music
Rootz Underground Takes Spiritual Reggae to Higher Heightsnew
The group's music thumps with rebel basslines and thought-provoking lyrics, not just of yesteryear, but rather it transcends time, a key ingredient of the sound they've been creating in the eight years since the band first formed.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Jonathan Cunningham |
04-29-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Trying to Make the Homeless a Meaningful Political Constituencynew
"Most of the homeless are actually surprisingly politically aware," says George Smith, a formerly homeless vet volunteering for the Vote for Homes coalition. But political awareness doesn't always translate into political power.
Philadelphia City Paper |
E. James Beale |
04-29-2008 |
Politics
A Biologist Exposes the Dangers of bisphenol A and Earns the Wrath of the Plastic Industrynew

Missouri biologist Frederick vom Saal's willingness to speak frankly about his findings is alarming to the top five makers of bisphenol A: Dow Chemical, Bayer Material Science, Sunoco Chemicals, SABIC Innovative Plastics and Hexion Specialty Chemicals. And now, after years of quietly publishing studies in scientific journals and presenting papers at toxicological conventions, he is starting to be heard.
The Annotated Alberto Gonzalesnew

Gonzales is having trouble finding employment, so to help, we're providing his resume, annotated as a service for prospective employers.
Houston Press |
Richard Connelly |
04-29-2008 |
Comedy