Cover Story
Understanding Islam
Steve Moore’s latest play makes a pilgrimage to the truth of a misunderstood faith
Making Grover Norquist Look Good
Statesman readers’ vitriol is boundless
‘Friday Night Lights’: Texas Highways Edition
[For more on NBC’s decision to continue shooting the excellent Friday Night Lights, see this week’s Film News.] The four regions the UIL uses for Texas high school athletics generally run clockwise along the state’s perimeter: Region I (West Texas), II (Dallas/North Texas), III (Houston/East Texas), and IV (San Antonio/South Texas). Teams from our neck…
He Supported School Vouchers, Sex, and Drugs
Beyond City Limits
Wranglers Acquire QB Adrian McPherson
Austin picked up quarterback Adrian McPherson from the Utah Blaze in exchange for future considerations. McPherson played college ball with Florida State (2001-02) and completed 80 of 155 passes for 1,017 yards and 12 TDs with 180 yards rushing in his sophomore season, serving as the Seminoles backup QB. He was selected in the fifth…
National Round-Up
Hoyer Dems Majority Leader: House Dems reject Nancy Pelosi’s choice of Rep. John Murtha for the post, choose Rep. Steny Hoyer as majority leader. Liberal media trips over self describing Pelosi’s first “defeat,” “loss,” “rebuff,” and (my favorite) “stunning push back.” Juice Pushes Pulply Tell-All: In signs that reality has morphed into a bad Chris…
DeLayed Reaction
DeLay’s staff disses Sekula-Gibbs
A Fitting Tribute
At the Ann Richards Congress Bridge dedication
Raise? Sure, I’ll Take a Raise!
They’ll breeze through it in time for their press conference, or they’ll save it for after lunch, but City Council’s set to tackle the topic of pay raises today. Councilmember pay was tacked on the agenda as a late addendum, probably in order to lob some softballs Statesman way. Thing is, they didn’t need to–…
Lady Longhorns Host Sweet 16 Matchup vs. Portland
Best weekend ever for soccer in Texas. While penalty-kick shootouts are still a terrible way to end a soccer game, this week I’ve gotta say: ‘They’re a lot better when you win ’em.’ First, the Houston Dynamo nabbed the state’s first Major League Soccer Cup (see below). And then on Monday, the UT Lady Longhorns…
Lone Star Weekend
The Houston Dynamo nabbed the state’s first Major League Soccer title with a 1-1 (4-3 shootout) win over the New England Revolution, after Brian Ching’s electrifying goal to tie the game with just six minutes left in the second overtime. And the city celebrated like it had won … well, a major sports championship. After…
Euro 2008 QualificationResults
Euro 2008 qualifying headed into its winter break with a light schedule Wednesday – seven games, in three of the groups. Highlights included Croatia’s 4-3 win on the road in Israel, behind a hat trick by Brazilian-born striker Eduardo da Silva; they and Russia established themselves as the leading contenders along with England in Group…
New Office, Same Battle
Sarah Wheat, long-time reproductive rights advocate, will be starting a new job next week when she takes over as public affairs director for Austin Planned Parenthood. For the past six years, Wheat has worked in a similar capacity with NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, where she served as political director for five years before taking over as…
No Parole for You!
Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, on Tuesday sliced the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles during an intense hearing to review the Sunset Commission’s report on the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice. Whitmire, a member of the Commission, took the BPP to task for its parole decision inconsistencies. “If you’d just followed your own guidelines, we…
Lotts of Problems There
Trent Lott: Minority Whip?
Congress Avenue Bridge Named for Ann Richards
Earlier this week, an item on the forthcoming City Council agenda raised some eyebrows. Item 40 was a vaguely worded ordinance naming the Congress Avenue Bridge – yet for who or what, it didn’t say. Well, the cat’s out of the bag. At their Thursday meeting, City Council will move to christen the famous structure…
Poor Homecoming for Perry
Oh, how did we miss this one? Thanks to the Houston Chronicle for pointing out that while Gov. Rick Perry won 215 of Texas’ 254 counties, the county of his birth – Haskell – wasn’t one of them. Haskell County results: Bell 32.68%, Perry 30.61%, Strayhorn 27.48%, Friedman 8.86%.
Austin Round Up
Austin Business Journal: Cap Metro Goes Wireless Granted, it’s only for Express buses, but I guess the Metro pendulum has swung from broke-ass to cash-flush again. (It’s so easily swayed, especially during labor negotiations!) Grits for Breakfast: Red Light Cameras Targeted for Ban Scott Henson sifts traffic-camera banning legislation from all the bills freshly filed…
Discussion Questions and Study Topics for the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Arizona Cardinals, Nov. 12, 2006
1. Should the NFL continue to consider beating the Cardinals as an actual win? Why or why not? 2. In the same light, should losing to the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday count as a loss? 3. Does the sweet musk of success make Peyton Manning more sexually attractive than poor, poor Matt Leinart? If not,…
The FOX 7 Pregnancy Edge!
Buried at the bottom of In Fact Daily, we see Rep. Mark Strama is clearing his CAMPO calendar around early February. Turns out his wife is preggers, their child due to arrive February 4. Nice enough – until you remember that his wife is none other than FOX 7 city hall reporter Crystal Cotti. Damn.…
Lady Longhorns Advance to Host Portland Sunday
The UT Lady Longhorns snuck past host Connecticut on Monday winning 3-1 in the penalty-kick shootout, after playing to a 1-1 tie through 110 minutes of regulation and overtime. Defender Kasey Moore tallied the Horns’ only goal in regulation, with an assist from fellow defender Stephanie Logterman. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, but…
Kubiak’s Gutsy Call Clinches Victory
Hello. Any Texans fans out there? Am I last the last one? Apparently the fine folks at our local CBS affiliate aren’t big fans as they chose to show golden boy Vince Young and his Tennessee Oilers almost beat the Baltimore Ravens instead of the Texans winning their third game of the season 13-10 over…
‘Pig Skinny’: BCS Standings
November 2006 sure looks a lot like November 2001. Top 5 teams got stuffed weekly in turkey month that year, and this year is no different. A few weeks ago, it looked like the winner of the Louisville/West Virginia game was in if they both got by Rutgers. Not so much. Now, it’s looking more…
Note to Texas Coaches: Success = Opportunity + Preparation
Let’s get one thing straight up front: It wasn’t Jevan Snead’s fault that Texas lost to lowly Kansas State. Offensive Coordinator Greg Davis did it with the full support of Mack Brown. Burnt Orange faithful were looking for the second coming Saturday. Remember how Snead was touted as every bit the quarterback as Colt McCoy?…
So Much for a Brick Wall
The New Orleans Saints went up to Pittsburgh and allowed Willie Parker to conjure breakaway images of Barry Sanders as the first running back in quite some time to rack up multiple runs of more than 70 yards in a single game. Aside from a solid effort from Shane Shanle, the Saints’ linebackers were nowhere…
Oasis: Lord Don’t Slow Me Down
Oasis: Lord Don’t Slow Me Down 2006, NR, 95 min. Directed by Baillie Walsh. This intimate rock document of Oasis’ 2005-06 Don’t Believe The Truth tour is being released at the same time as Oasis’ new best-of album Stop The Clocks. Free admission but tickets must be reserved at www.columbiarecords.com/oasisscreening.
Light in the Dark: A Spiritual Film Festival
Light in the Dark: A Spiritual Film Festival Ten features and documentaries are included in this festival, along with special guest and musical performances. Some of the titles include the Southwest premiere of Sound of the Soul, a documentary about a sacred music festival in Morocco with director Stephen Olsson present; Khyentse Norbu’s Travellers &…
‘Friday Night Lights’: Running the Numbers
This is it, folks. Last night of the 2006 regular season. Next week the second season, which lasts almost as long, begins with the bi-district playoff round. Here’s what the Central Texas playoff picture looks like, district by district. Bear in mind 5A sends four teams per district to the playoffs now, two apiece to…
Blogger’s Depression Linked to Ice Bats Slow Start
I’m depressed. And it’s not just because my personal life is in shambles. That I’m used to and can deal with. The Ice Bats agonizingly slow start to their 06-07 campaign on the other hand is a situation that I’m not quite sure how to handle. Everything looked so great on paper. They moved out…
Wranglers Host Open Tryouts, Sign Players/Hire Coaches, and Donate Defibrillator
Vince Papale did it, why can’t you? The Wranglers will be hosting an open player tryout on Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Round Rock ISD Stadium (10211 Parmer Ln.) beginning at 9am (registration begins at 8am). Participants will be tested on an artificial grass surface in the 40- and 20-yard dash, short shuttle, broad jump,…
Two Former Longhorns Heading to Toros Training Camp
The Toros announced yesterday that they will be bringing two former University of Texas stars with them when training camp starts this Saturday. The two players, Brad Buckman (’06) and Kris Clack (’99), both Austin natives, were assigned to the Toros by the D-League as “allocated players,” or players with close ties to the local…
Murder by Numbers
I was just analyzing some election numbers, which I love to do, and picked up on a couple of interesting tidbits: 1. So much for that “more conservative” Congressional District 25. After his district got realigned for the third time this decade, we noticed that Lloyd Doggett would be facing a somewhat more conservative electorate…
Call Blocker
And so it turns out the the most divisive figure of the campaign season is none other than Austin actress Johanna Goldsmith. Appearing in the Republican National Committee’s smear ad against Tennessee Senate candidate (and African-American) Harold Ford Jr., her sign off at the end – “Harold! Call me!” – was widely decried as needling…
It Ain’t Safe No More
I guess election season makes everyone crazy. First Rick Green (allegedly) throws a sucker punch at Patrick Rose on the steps of their Dripping Springs polling place. Now the Houston Chronicle is reporting that Dem Reps Tracy King (Batesville) and Pete Gallego (Alpine) mixed it up in a closed-door strategy session. Sez the Chron, “King…
Boynton Beach Club
Although this movie about residents of an “active adult” retirement community in Florida has a certain niche-market appeal, it’s really a movie for anyone who enjoys a solid romantic comedy.
After a Fashion
I scream, you scream, but when Stephen scream’s for ice cream, it’s an entirely different tune…
Peace Offering
A Benefit for Tarantula HillLess Self Is More Self (Ecstatic Peace!) Baltimore’s Tarantula Hill was a live venue, art space, and home for Twig Harper and Carly Ptak until earlier this year, when much of it was destroyed in a fire – an immense loss for the noise/junk duo otherwise known as Nautical Almanac. Ecstatic…
Motorist on Bicyclist Accidents in Austin
Jan. 3, 2005, through Sept. 10, 2006
The Hightower Report
Exporting Patients; and Change the Course
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker
Based on the first of a series of youth adventure books by Anthony Horowitz, this film introduces the teenage spy to film audiences.
Day Trips
Twister Alley is an art gallery of mobiles, pinwheels, and windmills created by craftsman Don Taylor
Phases & Stages
BeckThe Information (Interscope) What about the hats? Customizing The Information booklet and CD inset tray from the enclosed sticker sheet matrixes third eyes galore, mirrored orbs, killer klowns (one merely drooling), and a vulnerable woodcut. Yet the headgear only makes it onto the accompanying DVD, matching Flaming Lips cable-access visuals to high-gloss “Elevator Music” byte…
Letter to a Driver
Editor’s note: According to bicyclist and attorney Brad Houston, one way of responding to overly aggressive drivers is to record their description and license and report the incident to police. In a recent instance, he wrote the following notice letter to the car’s owner (here called “John Smith”) as a deterrent to further reckless driving.…
Fall Films
Discussed: ‘Babel,’ with Alejandro Gonz�lez I��rritu, ‘For Your Consideration,’ with Catherine O’Hara; ‘The Fountain,’ with Darren Aronofsy; ‘Shut Up and Sing,’ with Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck; and ‘Sleeping Dogs Lie,’ with Bobcat Goldthwait
Soccer Watch
Lady Longhorns awarded No. 1 seed, and more
Phases & Stages
Pere UbuWhy I Hate Women (Smog Veil) Pere Ubu singer Dave Thomas wanted their latest album to re-create a Jim Thompson novel, which could explain the cold title and grifter’s heart that lies beneath the Cleveland group’s musings. Pere Ubu has never really played accessible since the late Seventies, when Thomas coined the term “avant-garage”…
Election 2006: Local Results
Democrats score a shutout in Travis and Hays
Fall Films
Darren Aronofsky on ‘The Fountain’ “You’re reckless,” Ellen Burstyn’s character tells Hugh Jackman’s as they argue in the research lab where much of The Fountain’s present-day narrative – one of its three – is set. “You’re losing perspective.” An early moment in a film that famously covers a millennium in an hour and a half,…
To Your Health
Hives is usually considered an allergic reaction and treated with antihistamines such as Zyrtec or Claritin, but the allergenic trigger is often unknown
Phases & Stages
The DecemberistsThe Crane Wife (Capitol) It’s a tall tale only Colin Meloy could spin out of his hyperrustic imagination: Scrappy scullery maid makes good and swaps her ratty dress and stained apron for drippy jewels and haute couture. For the Decemberists’ fourth full-length album, the Portland, Ore., quintet signed to Capitol Records after years of…
Local Results
Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe (D)*: 146,345 / 78.7% Matt Turner (L): 39,555 / 21.3% Travis County Clerk James Crabtree (R): 66,054 / 30.3% Dana DeBeauvoir (D)*: 139,399 / 64.0% Allan Juranek (L): 12,496 / 5.7% Travis County Treasurer Dolores Ortega Carter (D)*: 148,412 / 81.0% Robert Brushaber (L): 34,738 / 19.0% Co. Commissioner, Pct.…
Fall Films
Alejandro González Iñárritu on ‘Babel’ Alejandro González Iñárritu doesn’t make movies that go down easy. Both his 2000 breakout film, Amores Perros, and his American follow-up, 2003’s 21 Grams, were fatalistic tragedies of circumstance that put their protagonists through almost unbearable wringers of emotion. His latest, Babel, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, is no…
The Common Law
Filing a complaint against a doctor (part 2)
Phases & Stages
Widespread panicThe Backyard, Nov. 2 & 4 The Grateful Dead still live – ask Widespread Panic’s fans. Just look at the hippie kids (‘spread heads?) thrusting one finger in the air at every venue they play. With the Dead on semipermanent hiatus and Phish gutted, the Athens, Ga.-based sextet is feeling the waves of jam-band…
Election 2006: Control of Congress
Democrats conquer Congress, and even conservative Texas helps out
Fall Films
Bobcat Goldthwait on ‘Sleeping Dogs Lie’ Nearly 15 years after breaking into film direction with Shakes the Clown – a comedy about a clown whose red nose is the result of booze, not laughter – Bobcat Goldthwait is back behind the camera with Sleeping Dogs Lie. In Austin last month to present his new film…
Yoga Drama
For a year, Austin will be practicing daily public acts of creative expression through the national festival 365 Days/365 Plays
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Peppermint Patty’s broken home, and the sperm vs. hair debate rages on
Phases & Stages
The “Children of the Grave” congregate around the sacrilegious sludge of Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Master of Reality. Dragged slowly “Into the Void” by the gravitational pull of Earth’s ominous undertones, past Sleep, new terrain in the metal underworld is unearthed. At this Altar, minimalist Black Ones Sunn O))) and Japanese doom-metal trio Boris, cloaked…
Congressional Results
*=incumbent (Travis Co. • Texas Total) U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R)*: 95,690 / 42.8% • 2,629,760 / 61.6% Barbara Ann Radnofsky (D): 118,950 / 53.2% • 1,533,192 / 35.9% Scott Lanier Jameson (L): 8,901 / 4.0% • 103,721 / 2.4% U.S. Rep., District 10 Michael T. McCaul (R)*: 28,558 / 38.5% • 97,618 /…
Fall Films
Catherine O’Hara on ‘For Your Consideration’ Catherine O’Hara has appeared in more than 40 films, and her unforgettable characters in three previous Christopher Guest efforts – Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind – have earned her a following and the reputation as one of the finest comedic actresses of her generation.…
365 Days/365 Plays
365 Days/365 Plays started in November 2002, when Suzan-Lori Parks committed to writing a play a day for the next 365 days. From Nov. 13, 2006, to Nov. 12, 2007, the 365 Days/365 Plays National Festival will present the work simultaneously in more than 15 communities across the country, creating the largest collaboration in the…
Oops!
Our latest batch
Phases & Stages
Jerry Lee LewisLast Man Standing: The Duets (Artists First) Twenty-one gun salutes don’t normally take half a decade to execute, but Last Man Standing acquits duet as a four-letter word. The Everlys go AWOL, but dual-vocal patent holder George Jones ambles along prior to Pancho (Willie) and after Lefty (Merle). “Evening Gown,” Jagger’s signature solo…
Election 2006: Key Texas Races
Key Texas election returns
Fall Films
Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck on ‘Shut Up & Sing’ Filmmakers Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck were Dixie Chicks fans long before lead singer Natalie Maines’ shot heard round the world. Intrigued by the arc of their career in an industry known to skew conservative, they were disappointed to learn another filmmaking team was already…
Art From the Streets: Taste the rainbow of flavors
What makes the annual “Art From the Streets” exhibition and sale interesting is the way it shows not how different homeless people are from us, but how much we all have in common
Will Travel for Food
San Antonio New World Wine and Food Festival
Phases & Stages
Bob SegerFace the Promise (Capitol) Bob Seger is a badass. Really. Remember “Rock and Roll Never Forgets”? Shit, without “Night Moves,” millions of Americans now in their late 20s wouldn’t even be here. Face the Promise is his first album in 11 years, and Seger, now 60, sounds hungry. He may be a lion in…
State Results
*=incumbent (Travis Co. • Texas Total) Governor Rick Perry (R)* 59,758 / 26.5% • 1,712,201 / 39.0% Chris Bell (D) 101,886 / 45.1% • 1,306,980 / 29.8% Carole Keeton Strayhorn (i) 31,065 / 13.8% • 787,877 / 18.0% Richard “Kinky” Friedman (i) 30,479 / 13.5% • 552,402 / 12.6% James Werner (L) 2,771 / 1.2%…
Son, You Got a Baggie on Your Head
An almost-exclusive report from the set of the Duplass Brothers’ follow-up to ‘The Puffy Chair’
‘Con Mis Manos’: Everyone’s familia
Misael Martinez’s ‘Con Mis Manos’ takes place in el Valle, and few Latino plays conjure the same sense of place while sensitively portraying a family coping with cancer
I Was a Judge in the Kosher Chili Cook-Off
And this is my story …
Phases & Stages
The Black KeysMagic Potion (Nonesuch) The Black Keys have alchemized two equally potent versions of retro rock. One pays homage to its inspiration – this year’s Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough EP, Robert Pete Johnson’s “Grown So Ugly,” the Beatles’ “She Said, She Said.” The other cooks in the blues tradition, mixing sleight-of-hand rearrangements…
No Surprises: City snafu over WTP 4 continues
Auditor’s report raises questions about city’s site-selection process for new water treatment plant
‘SXSW Presents’
‘Witches in Exile’
TCB
Thunderpalooza goes down in flames, the Chumps rise from the ashes, and Mondays at Nasty’s keep on keepin’ on
Arts Review
Austin Playhouse’s revival of ‘The Night Hank Williams Died’ boasts a strong script and acting but so carefully skirts anything ugly or messy that it’s all surface: bloodless, polished, and clean
Hyde Park Bar & Grill
While Hyde Park isn’t an excessively distant drive, South Austinites rejoiced at the news that this institution was opening a second location on West Gate
Phases & Stages
Emily Haines & the Soft SkeletonKnives Don’t Have Your Back (Last Gang) Joining Leslie Feist, Amy Millan, and Neko Case, Metric’s Emily Haines rides the wave of Canadian female artists breaking away from their male-dominated co-ops with her debut, Knives Don’t Have Your Back, a collaboration with myriad Toronto/Montreal scenemates. Yet where those aforementioned Canuck…
Patterson Appeal Denied Again
Thirteenth Court of Appeals denies for second time the appeal of Frederick Patterson, one of 29 black residents in Edna rounded up and charged with dealing crack
The Austin Asian Film Festival
Through Sunday, Nov. 12
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
A stilted, manipulative, and altogether unfun film starring Tim Allen and Martin Short.
Arts Review
Rebecca Beegle’s ‘Have You Ever Been Assassinated?’ plays out like a fever-dream version of ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy,’ deliriously mashing up vaudeville acts with American history
Madam Mam’s West Gate
The Guadalupe location has been a resounding success from the get-go, and now they have added a South Austin location
Phases & Stages
The WalkmenPussy Cats (Record Collection) The Walkmen’s track-for-track redux of Harry Nilsson and John Lennon’s classic 1974 “lost weekend” buddy album could have stayed a boozy 3am idea that never comes to fruition. It’s no secret the NYC lads love Nilsson, but their Pussy Cats have regurgitated a painfully indulgent hairball. “Many Rivers to Cross,”…
WilCo Sheriff’s Office Lawsuit: ‘Stuff rolls downhill’
Williamson Co. and its sheriff, James Wilson, could stand trial on civil charges for violating the First Amendment rights of two former deputies and the Texas Whistleblower Act
DVD Watch
“Oh, the thrill of identifying unknown films!”
Stranger Than Fiction
A good movie but not a great one, Stranger Than Fiction is reminiscent of the films of Charlie Kaufman but lacks that writer’s conceptual rigor and imaginative power.
Arts Review
Art Palace’s ‘East Meats West’ shows how Heyd Fontenot and Louie Cordero may have different styles, but they share an enjoyment in contemplating the body that’s palpable
Food-o-File
New arrivals and exciting departures
Phases & Stages
The DearsGang of Losers (Arts & Crafts) Out of nowhere, heavily orchestrated Montreal band led by married couple turns in a stunning album about isolation and loneliness. Hmm … sounds strangely familiar. Yet as time ticks away for the Arcade Fire to follow up Funeral before the fickle indie rock public forgets all about them…
Naked City
Quote of the Week “That big plan for a permanent Republican majority? It crawled out into the Iraqi desert, rolled onto its bristly back, and died.” – Salon.com’s Andrew O’Hehir Headlines• Get your tissues and hankies out. Donald Rumsfeld stepped down Wednesday from his post as secretary of defense. Robert Gates, former head of the…
TV Eye
You might think a TV columnist without a TV has little to offer. Think again.
Babel
Four disparate stories are woven into an eloquent and electrifying depiction of mankind’s increasingly fractured state.
Culture Flash!
Hunting PLC wants to give a Texas artist $50K, puppet people want you, a Beegle play is Louisville-bound, ‘Cantanker’ publishes again, and KDHDC and Yellow Tape partying for your cash
Event Menu
Can fun fill your tummy? Maybe not.
Phases & Stages
The WhoEndless Wire (Universal Republic) Pete, sweetheart. Enough with the rock operas already, “mini” or otherwise. The age of grand statements died with Keith Moon. Thankfully, Endless Wire’s first nine Townshends garrote their predecessor, 1982’s It’s Hard. “A Man in a Purple Dress,” “Black Widow’s Eyes,” and Supreme Being “God Speaks of Marty Robbins” bust…
Toxic Sweatshops Exposed by Whistle-Blower
Report released recently by coalition of public interest and environmental groups delivers incisive look at how Federal Prison Industries profits from electronic recycling and puts employees and prisoners at risk
Army of Shadows
Although made in 1969, this French masterpiece by Jean-Pierre Melville is receiving its first stateside release.
Readings
It would be reasonable to imagine that all roads inside lead to Snoresville, but it would also be wrong
Explosions in the Mind
Thurston Moore brings Ecstatic Peace! above ground
Phases & Stages
The KillersSam’s Town (Island) The Hold SteadyBoys and Girls in America (Vagrant) As Bruce Springsteen explores the gospel-folk of idol Woody Guthrie, a clutch of younger artists have instigated a free-for-all to be king of the grandiose, all-American rock hill. The two obvious front-runners are Vegas upstarts the Killers and Brooklyn-via-Minneapolis sluggers the Hold Steady.…
Who Should Pay for Lobbying?
Proceedings begin in lawsuit about taxpayer-funded lobbying
A Good Year
It’s difficult to reconcile this romantic trifle starring Russell Crowe with Ridley Scott, the director who made Blade Runner and The Gladiator.
Readings
Norman Partridge returns to his horror roots
Be Your Own Pet
Jemina Pearl, the bleach-blond screamer of Be Your Own Pet, will steal your virginity (or what’s left of it), take your money, and grind up and snort that Adderall on the counter, all in less than a minute and a half. Pounding proof can be found on “Bunk Trunk Skunk,” from the band’s eponymous 2006…
Phases & Stages
Yo La TengoI Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador) Solid Yo La Tengo albums are like solar eclipses – they don’t happen often and can burn your retinas. After the scorching 10-minute opener, “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind,” Hoboken, N.J., and NPR’s favorite rock band has reached…
Point Austin: What’s Next?
A day or two for cheering, and then back to work
Cocaine Cowboys
Documentary shows how Miami was once a sleepy seaside hamlet with a permeable border and largely unprotected coastline before the cocaine economy took over.
Letters @ 3AM
Something in me still wants to be a World War I fighter pilot – which is not only nuts, but helps me understand why we will always make war
Awesome Color
The collective hue of Awesome Color blends the slacker psychosis of Dinosaur Jr.’s Green Mind, Blue Cheer’s “Summertime Blues,” and the swaggering sexuality of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” to unveil an astral spectrum of vintage rock & roll kicked straight out of the Motor City. “We play the most primitive form of high-octane music that…
Riding at Risk
Austin’s streets still a hazard for two-wheeled transportation
Beside the Point
Council members head to conference center/day spa for “team building,” “agenda setting,” and inner council member exploration
Luv Doc Recommends: Double Exposure
You can go ahead and peel off that “I voted” sticker now. Show’s over. No use sitting by your mailbox waiting for Governor-Elect Friedman’s coke binge/casino gambling/varmint rescuing inaugural ball invite. It would have been fun, but unfortunately, your boxcar was hitched to the little engine that couldn’t: the one with just enough steam to…
