Month: September 2009
Alex Caldiero: Poet or Wizard?
Alex Caldiero is stuck in a strange balancing act: On one hand, he tries to defy the “poet” label in order to avoid being categorized and pushed aside as such. On the other hand, he longs to be recognized and remembered for his life’s work and art. … read more
The Used: Fuck You Cakes and French Movies
Say what you will about Orem’s The Used, but I have a small place in my heart for the first local band I ever interviewed on air and the first rock band to really “make it big” outside this small bubble. The last time we spoke, it was to reminisce about Asian massage parlors on Pico and Bundy (no shit). This time it was a bit more professional. … read more
Este: Forks, Ranch, Pineapple and the Red Sox are for...
I’m not sure how closely Este follow the regulations put in place at the original location involving no forks, no ranch, no pineapple and no Red Sox attire, but I am often tempted, when I’ve got my pizza at home, to flip on a Red Sox game, throw some pineapple on top of the pie, grab a knife and fork and dip that fuckin’ slice in some ranch dressing. … read more
A Sunday at the Market
Ah, it’s another beautiful Sunday afternoon at the market. One of the vendors is taking a break for a moment to huck a few lines in the skatepark. The lady over there is offering a free coconut hand scrub, and the group meditation is going to start in 20. Wait—which market are we at again? … read more
Spinnerette: Changing in a Big Way
Spinnerette’s first album opens with erraticly grunged-up guitar and the unmistakable voice of frontwoman Brody Dalle letting you know she’s just a “girl out looking for love.” Before you react with your preconceived notions about what that might mean, she’s a lot more settled down than her lyrics and image might suggest. … read more
Antipop Consortium: Continuum
Saying that Antipop Consortium is like any other hip hop group is not only a grossly uninformed generalization, it’s objectively wrong. Each member brings a different background and paradigm of influences to the collective making possible their signature blend of unorthodox lyrics and experimental production. … read more
Hepcat: Right on Time
During the 90s, there was no other ska band in the world like Hepcat. While other bands from the era built upon the punk-influenced ska of 1970s England, Hepcat created a potent mixture of 1960s Jamaican ska, jazz, latin music and American soul for a smooth, cool sound all their own. … read more
Covering the Con
Thirty-nine years ago, the greatest gathering of sci-fi nerdary and fantastical dreams known as Comic Con International: San Diego only attracted 145 comic book enthusiasts. Fast-forward to present day, and the once humble congregation has exploded into the largest convention of its kind with over 125,000 attendees … read more
Summer of Death: Road Warriors
I pulled under 600 North, astonished by the number of people that had gathered for the fourth year of SLUG’s street-style skate contest. It was half an hour before Summer of Death: Road Warriors started and more the 50 people were already on the scene shredding and sipping some undercover, frosty, adult beverages. … read more
Devin York: A Cinderella Story
Devin York is a bit of an anomaly. He was a child prodigy who could salad grind handrails at the age of 13. He grinded a double-kink that most pros wouldn’t touch during his sophomore year of high school. Yet in this day and age of Shecklers and Hustons, York never quite received the “extreme” sponsorship he deserved. … read more