AltWeeklies Wire
The Kult of Al Kaprieliannew
New England weather-caster Al Kaprielian is not at all like the smooth-talking and self-possessed meteorologists on the air in major markets. And his eccentric delivery has won him a cult following to rival -- well, David Bowie.
Boston Phoenix |
Mike Miliard |
02-05-2009 |
Movies
Robert Crumb's Return to the Undergroundnew
Rembrandt and Durer explored faith; Crumb, with the help of some psychedelics, opens the doors of perception to the infinite. Same difference.
Boston Phoenix |
Greg Cook |
02-05-2009 |
Art
Tags: Robert Crumb, comic art
Lincoln's Banking Crisis and Obama'snew

The parallels between Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln are many, but is there anything in the Lincoln lore to help Obama cope with the raging financial crisis and global economic meltdown he's facing as he takes office? Absolutely there is.
Congress's War on Toysnew

A new US law threatens to handcuff local indie artisans -- and could render certain kids' products contraband.
Boston Phoenix |
Lissa Harris |
02-05-2009 |
Policy Issues
Man and Myth: The Flood of Lincoln Books Goes Onnew
The 11 essays Eric Foner has gathered attempt to wrestle from the mists of history and hagiography a balanced picture of the man who is almost certainly America's most sacred martyr: a sad-eyed, dour man in a stovepipe hat and beard that every schoolchild knows saved the country a long time ago.
INDY Week |
Gerry Canavan |
02-05-2009 |
Nonfiction
The RIAA vs. Free Speechnew
The US recording industry is attempting to block the free public Webcast of its courtroom proceedings against Joel Tenenbaum, a Boston University grad student accused of illegally downloading music,
Boston Phoenix |
Kyle Smeallie and Harvey Silverglate |
02-05-2009 |
Civil Liberties
The Dark Side of Extra Lifenew
Extra Life’s 2008 debut Secular Works strikes a curious balance between angular instrumentation and ancient melody.
New York Press |
Chris Richards |
02-05-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Judge Dismisses RNC Protest Casenew

After their arrests at 2008's Republican National Convention, a group of protestors known as the Wall 7, asked for a jury trial -- and got what they deserved.
Boston Phoenix |
Jeff Inglis |
02-05-2009 |
Civil Liberties
What Pop Music Sounds Like Coming From the Pure at Heartnew
The charms of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the jangly guitars, dreamy boy-girl harmonies and atmospheric distortion, are hard to resist.
New York Press |
Amre Klimchak |
02-05-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
'Memorial Day': Boned and Readynew
Memorial Day displays major cojones with its graphic depiction of human brutality, but its in-your-face didacticism comes with loads of naivete.
New York Press |
Eric Kohn |
02-05-2009 |
Reviews
'Fanboys': Honoring Geek Eruditionnew
Dull social commentators compare Star Wars to religion, but Fanboys commemorates how crazily fans anticipated the opening of Star Wars Episode I:The Phantom Menace. Fanboys is actually about the sweetness of innocuous/inane adolescent passion.
New York Press |
Armond White |
02-05-2009 |
Reviews
Hip-Hop and the Obama Effectnew

Nas, Young Jeezy and others don't think Obama's presidency spells the end of hip-hop.
New York Press |
R.M. Schneiderman and Ray LeMoine |
02-05-2009 |
Music
Tags: Barack Obama, hip-hop
The Secrets (and Sadness) of Living in a Women's Dormnew
For $1,000 a month I’d get two meals a day and daily maid service. My room would be outfitted with a single bed, dresser, small closet, desk and sink. And I’d be surrounded with women of all ages and backgrounds. But I soon realized it was also utterly dispiriting.
New York Press |
Alyssa Abkowitz |
02-05-2009 |
Culture
Tags: New York City, communal living
Scintillating 'Coraline' Opens a Case of Curious Buttonsnew
Henry Selick, who also directed Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, presents an ingenious fusion of delicate stop-motion animation and splashy 3-D gimmickry.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
02-04-2009 |
Reviews
What Is the U.S. Mission in Afghanistan?new
The big stimulus bill isn't the only economic lifeline being tossed out by Team Obama. The Feds are also offering a generous subsidy to foreign policy columnists. The Obama administration's war strategy in Afghanistan is so unclear, newspapers have no choice but to keep paying people like me to help explain it.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Andisheh Nouraee |
02-04-2009 |
Commentary
Tags: War on terror, Afghanistan