AltWeeklies Wire
Eyes Wide Open: Blind Pilot Really Sees the Roadnew
For touring bands, a bicycle may not be the optimal form of transportation, but for Blind Pilot, riding velos and seeking adventure along the West Coast sent them soaring down the fast track to success.
Boise Weekly |
Mathias Morache |
07-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
What the Cluck? Urban Chicken Raising Gets Hipnew
Does simplifying agricultural traditions -- and contracting out the unpleasant aspects of rural life -- make the desire for a slice of the country in the city any less genuine? Most would say no and that it takes more than Google to learn how to properly kill a chicken.
Boise Weekly |
Tara Morgan |
07-08-2009 |
Gardening
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden Defends His Health Plannew
Wyden has taken a lot of heat over his proposal to resolve the health care crisis from unions and others on the left, who want a public option in any reform. But Wyden's Healthy Americans Act focuses instead on blowing up the link between health insurance and employment. The bill would give workers their health benefits in the form of a pay raise (along with a tax cut for most on that pay increase), making them responsible for going out and buying their own insurance.
Willamette Week |
Henry Stern and Mark Zusman |
07-08-2009 |
Politics
Beyonce: How Much is Enough?new
Entertain a morbid thought: If Knowles were to crash and burn her Thierry Mugler motorcycle breastplate during her current "I Am ... Tour" -- said to out-razzle-dazzle all predecessors with its aerial flips and 70-some costumes -- would she be revered like Michael Jackson?
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Kimberly Chun |
07-08-2009 |
Music
'Downloading Nancy' Interrogates Sacrifice in the Hyperdigital Zeitgeistnew
Swedish music video director Johan Renck's first feature is largely a meditation on metaphysical atmospheres -- the suffocating air of tract homes, the cold showers of sexual dysfunction, the liquid plasma of the sickly blue computer screen -- and one woman's compulsion for escape.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Erik Morse |
07-08-2009 |
Reviews
With Media General in Financial Trouble, Could Charlottesvill Lose its Daily Paper?new
Are The Daily Progress' cost-cutting measures an unfortunate example of a community paper suffocating under the weight of its parent company's debts? Or is the paper independently suffering significant revenue declines of its own?
C-Ville Weekly |
Katherine Ludwig |
07-08-2009 |
Media
They're One of the Biggest Acts in San Diego -- So Why Does Everybody Hate Shark Attack?new
Since Shark Attack's formation, they've faced vitriol and criticism at nearly every turn despite packing crowds into clubs. And while they've gained respect in much of the DJ community, chances are that if you mention Shark Attack to someone in the scene, you'll get an earful of disdain.
San Diego CityBeat |
Seth Combs |
07-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Futurebirds Reinvent Choral Alt-Country With Contradictions Aplentynew
At first listen, the music of the Futurebirds might sound like some forgotten gem from the 1970s, but halfway through the group's eponymous debut EP, it becomes clear why this Athens-based band is generating more buzz than a beehive hit with a stick.
Charleston City Paper |
Andrea Warner |
07-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Futurebirds, alt-country
Sacha Baron Cohen Hunts for Narrow-Minded Bigots in 'Bruno'new
While so many public figures are deliberately shocking and offensive because they want us to join them in being small and mean and petty and tribal, Baron Cohen does the same thing but for the very opposite reasons. That is a good thing, and a thing very much worth celebrating -- and it's also outrageously funny to watch, too.
Charleston City Paper |
MaryAnn Johanson |
07-08-2009 |
Reviews
Norwegian Death Metal Doc 'Until the Light Takes Us' Aims High(brow)new
Norwegian death metal is a fascinatingly dark corner of the musician-as-fanatic landscape. Until the Light Takes Us is an attempt to create the definitive film on the subject, but directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell instead offer a passive, jumpy synopsis that's more artsy than insightful.
My Worm Compost Bin Produces a Great Garden ... and a Clear Consciencenew
Why would anyone willingly keep hundreds of worms in her kitchen? Because the United States produces more than 30 million tons of organic waste each year, and when that material ends up in either the incinerator or the landfill, it creates far more problems than benefits.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Rachel Hutton |
07-08-2009 |
Gardening
Mark Sanford Turns to God in Sex Scandal Crisisnew
It's hard to say what part of it is a politically motivated attempt to strike a sympathetic chord with evangelical constituents and what is legitimately coming from Sanford's strong religious background. Either way, his faith is a double-edged sword, giving sincerity to his apologies, but also highlighting his hypocrisy.
Charleston City Paper |
Greg Hambrick |
07-08-2009 |
Politics
How Will Virginia's Gubernatorial Election Affect UVA?new
One of the largest impacts the incoming governor will make on the University of Virginia will be his appointments to one of the most senior decision-making bodies at the University -- the Board of Visitors (BOV). Among other tasks, the BOV allocates funds and approves the university budget.
C-Ville Weekly |
Caitlin Speaker |
07-08-2009 |
Politics
Viva la Vinho Verde! Cheers to Portugal's Green Goddessnew
Termed "green wine" for its youthfulness rather than its color, Vinho Verde is low in alcohol (typically 9-11 percent), high in acidity, and often retails at less than $10 a bottle. Your goal is to drink it within a year after bottling, at its first flush of youth.
C-Ville Weekly |
Megan Headley |
07-08-2009 |
Food+Drink
Tags: Vinho Verde, wine
Service Animals Are a Big Bone of Contention in Grocery Storesnew
Grocery stores are on a short leash when it comes to excluding pets deemed by their human companions to be service animals, because animals are considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified for that function by a state or local government.
Willamette Week |
Megan Brescini |
07-08-2009 |
Animal Issues
