Boston Phoenix, StuffBoston, WFNX

Regina Spektor – Eet [VIDEO]

Paul Driscoll — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:43:00 GMT

Halsey Burgund’s Ocean Voices

Mike Miliard — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:05:00 GMT

In my cover article for this week’s Phoenix, I explore the world’s imperiled oceans. It was a sobering story to report — learning that 100 million sharks are killed every year, or the that the seafloor is stripped of pounds of aquatic life, thrown back as waste, all in the interest of harvesting barely two thirds of a shrimp cocktail.

But if climate change, overfishing, and pollution have taken left the oceans worse for the wear lately, they still maintain their entrancing beauty and their primal hold on the human imagination.

Local musician and sound artist Halsey Burgund specializes in using the human voice, usually swathed in swirls of atmospheric music, to make aural art. Sometimes he travels around with his custom-made plywood recording booth, and asks people to speak into microphones. Sometimes he gathers recordings contributors make at home via the Web. People might respond to open ended questions, or they might expound extemporaneously on whatever they feel like talking about. In the past, he’s used the audio to make pointed social/political statements and has also put the field recordings to more purely aesthetic uses.

Burgund’s newest project, Ocean Voices, done in conjunction with marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, asks recordees to recount their feelings about the ocean. With prompts such as “what does it feel like to be in the ocean” or “describe what makes up the ocean,” or “where does the ocean come from?” Burgund seeks to get at the experiential essence of the sea.

He’s already gathered 300 recordings so far — including two of Jacques Cousteau’s grandchildren, Celine and Fabien. In fact, part of the motivation for his project is to celebrate Cousteau’s 100th birthday in June. Burgund will also perform a musical composition, incorporating those spoken tones, at the California Academy of Sciences for World Ocean Day 2010 that same month.

Mostly, however, the project is meant to simply focus attention on the fertile and fragile salt water ecosystems that cover the planet. As Burgund writes in his artist statement: “The ocean surrounds us and sustains us. We can only preserve life in the ocean by working together as a global community.... Open your mouth; open your ears; join the Ocean Revolution.”

Listen to some of Burgund’s recordings so far — and record your own voice — at OceanVoices.org.

Susan Collins on Fort Hood

Deirdre Fulton — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:23:00 GMT

At a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing yesterday.

There will be more blood

Peter Keough — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:17:00 GMT

A comment on a colleague's MyFace page jumped out at me recently. The discussion was about John Hillcoat's upcoming (November 25) adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's end-of-the-world-with-cannibals-versus-family-values novel "The Road." One of the participants in the thread said, "If you don't include the baby on the spit what's the point of making the movie?"

I reassured myself by thinking this a minority opinion. Hadn't the last sequel in the "Saw" series done relatively poorly art the box office? But then I spotted this story in "The Guardian" in which Peter Jackson recalled some changes he had to make in his adaptation of Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones" after showing an early version at a test screening:

"Warning: this story includes implied spoilers...

"...Jackson told Reuters that he had returned to the editing room to ‘basically add more violence and suffering'. ‘[The audience] wanted far more violence,' he said. ‘They just weren't satisfied.'

Viewers were particularly exercised about a scene in which a man falls off a cliff. ‘We got a lot of people telling us that they were disappointed with this death scene, as they wanted to see [the character] in agony and suffer a lot more,' said Jackson. ‘We had to create a whole suffering death scene just to give people the satisfaction they needed.'

"However, despite the extra violence, The Lovely Bones will still be released under the PG13 certificate in the US on 11 December. It opens in the UK on 29 January."

It reminded me of back in 1987 when Adrian Lyne discussed how he had to change the ending of "Fatal Attraction" for much the same reason.

So when the moral scolds get on the bandwagon condemning Hollywood for corrupting the country for showing so much violence (and sex) on the screen, remind them that nobody's holding a gun to their heads to see it (though some in the crowd might actually like that). They wouldn't make it if they couldn't sell it. It's what the people want.

WIN STELLASTARR* TICKETS

FNXAdmin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:54:00 GMT

Join WFNX for Stellastarr* at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on Friday, December 18th. The doors open at 8pm and the show is 18+ - all IDs will be checks upon entry. What could be better than seeing Stellastarr*? Seeing Stellastarr* for FREE! Enter to win tickets HERE! *******************************************************************...(read more)

The Globe, Scott Brown, and abortion

Adam Reilly — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:52:00 GMT

Today's Globe profile of would-be US Senator Scott Brown is a fascinating read--largely for its revelation that, as a young adult, Brown had a pretty tough and troubled life. (Brown's relish in recounting his own physical fitness is interesting, too.)

I wonder, though, if reporter Brian Mooney struck the right note in describing Brown's stance on abortion rights. Writes Mooney: "On abortion rights, Brown is basically in favor but with nuance." He then quotes Brown on the subject:

"Roe v. Wade is the law of the land, and I don’t plan on overturning it, but I’ve always felt that, you know, I’m against partial-birth abortions and believe in parental consent, a strong parental notification law,’’ Brown said, adding that he would not apply an abortion rights litmus test in Supreme Court confirmations.

Brown is right: Roe v. Wade *is* the law of the land--but stating that isn't the same thing as saying that's a good thing. What's more, Brown's lack of a plan to overturn Roe v. Wade could be an acknowledgment of what's possible, rather than what he thinks should be in an ideal world.

I've emailed Brown's press secretary to ask of calling him "bascially in favor" of abortion rights is accurate or not. I'll provide his response when I hear back.

Is your doctor a greedy scumbag, or just a good Massachusetts liberal?

Chris Faraone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:04:00 GMT

The most entertaining theater in this grand health care showdown has been that in which physicians play the victim. Look at homeboy right here; don't you just feel awful about the potential impact of "Obamacare"? Make you want to donate five cents a day so Dr. Dickstain can move from the bay side to the ocean?

Unsurprisingly, Glenn Beck and other Fox News comics have ambitiously courted docs to blast the House and Senate health care bills. That contrarian crop has included more than a few plastic surgeons, who must have worked miracles on one another to keep straight faces while gargling such transparently self-serving talking points. (My colleague Mike Miliard suggested that Fox keeps nip-tuckers on-hand to perform routine service on the network's fleet of plastic blonde whores).

Like every other measure in the health care debate, it seems impossible to calculate how many MDs support the particular progress under way in Washington. Groups like the deceptively-named, doctor-designed Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights want you to believe there is an army of white coats behind them; but a September 10 D.C. march planned by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons drew less than 1,000 supporters.

Here in Mass, our agitators are at least progressive. You might have noticed the ad on page A13 of Wednesday's Boston Globe headed: "To Our Patients - From Massachusetts Doctors." Placed by Physicians for a National Health Program - and signed by nearly 200 docs from across the state - the spot declares: "This is bad medicine: We need single payer national health insurance - Medicare for All."

As someone who is not about to blow kazoos and celebrate the gutted bill that might surface when the smoke clears, this approach puts me in a tough position. My instinct is to criticize these Mass doctors for concealing conservative gusto in left-friendly packaging; on the other hand I agree with them. Surely this deserves further vetting; but until then - if you have a check-up between now and the end of this grueling struggle - put your doc on the spot. Is she or he is a greedy fraud or not?

LEFTOVER LUNCH 11-20-09

Julie Kramer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:34:00 GMT

EDDIE GRANT-ELECTRIC AVENUE

ENGLISH BEAT-MIRROR IN TEH BATHROOM

JOY DIVISION-LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

U2-OUT OF CONTROL

BILLY IDOL-DANCING WITH MYSELF

DEAD MILKMEN-PUNK ROCK GIRL

GARBAGE-#1 CRUSH

PIXIES-MONKEY GONE TO HEAVEN

TEMPLE OF THE DOG-HUNGER STRIKE

DAVID BOWIE-ZIGGY STARDUST

MEAT PUPPETS-BACKWATER

PETER SCHILLING-MAJOR TOM

LOVE AND ROCKETS-SO ALIVE

UNDERWORLD-BORN SLIPPY

SUGARCUBES-BIRTHDAY

Tea Party Shake-Up?

David Scharfenberg — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:23:00 GMT

UPDATE: Marina Peterson called N4N to say that she cannot yet publicly discuss her ouster from the Rhode Island Tea Party. But she says she has been informed by the other two leaders of the group, Colleen Conley and Nan Hayden, they are planning to vote her out of the triumvirate. Once the vote is official, Peterson says, she'll be willing to talk

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Curious message today, to the Rhode Island Tea Party faithful, from one of its lead organizers - Marina Peterson. Just ahead of a key organizational meeting for the group, which is trying to shift from protest group to political force, Peterson says she is out. N4N has a call into her to inquire as to why.

For the last nine months I have spoken to you as Treasurer of the RI Tea Party and as a director of the RI Tea Party Corporation.

I am writing to let you know that I am no longer a part of the leadership of this group. I only learned of this yesterday and I wanted to pass on the information as soon as possible because I have spoken to so many of you regarding the upcoming open meeting and wanted to explain why I would not be present, after asking that you attend.

The first Public Meeting will be held in Warwick on November 24th from 6:45 to 8:30. I urge you to attend this meeting and be heard. It promises to be an interesting one, and there will be an open forum portion for those of you who have questions or ideas.

I will continue on with Tea Party Nation and some of the other groups that I am active in, and will be writing to you from time to time with important issues that need action. Please feel free to contact me with any information that you feel should be "out there" and I will pass it on. We all have to work together if we are going to take back our country!!

It has been wonderful meeting you all and working with you and I thank you for your personal notes and emails. Let's all stay in touch!

Brand New at House of Blues | November 17

Alexandra Cavallo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:59:00 GMT

^{Brand New plays "You Won't Know" at the House of Blues. Click here to see a full gallery of photos from the show}

I'd like to say that veteran emo-punkers Brand New's fans have matured with the band, if only because it would make a good opening line, but it wouldn't be true. The sold-out show at the House of Blues Tuesday night attracted the usual motley crew of spotty adolescents, mopey emo kids, and angular young moshers. Of course, there were also those of us who've been there since frontman Jesse Lacey was still penning lines like "This is the first song for your mix tape/And it's short just like your temper." On a side note, I counted an inordinate amount of beards in attendance -- crazy, something-might-be-nesting-in-there, mountain-man beards. The place looked more like a Molly Hatchet concert than an emo show.

But there's one thing both hirsute and hairless emo kids have in common, and that's a love of all things loud. Openers Glassjaw set the tone for the night with their particular brand of raw screamo. The Yonkers-bred boys hurled their bodies around the stage like weapons of mass destruction, pausing only long enough for lead singer Daryl Palumbo (he also fronts far-tamer Head Automatica) to address the sound guys. "Could we turn down the vocals?" he rasped. "My ears are fucking bleeding." But no one else was complaining, because aural hemorrhaging was obviously part of the bargain. When Glassjaw left the stage to impressively big applause for an opener (I think a good portion of the crowd actually came just for them) everyone was primed and ready for Brand New to keep the good times going.

The good times stalled momentarily, however, for reasons that were never made clear. The band didn't appear for a good half hour. The crowd waited it out expectantly, drawing a collective breath whenever a new tech guy strode onstage and all but exploded when, at last, the Long Island alt-rockers took the stage. Brand New got right down to business, opening with "Sink." They howled: "We're coming to get you" -- which, it was clear, they were. Luckily, we were all willing hostages.

Clad in a basic red hoodie and jeans (a welcome antidote to the typically overwrought hipster uniforms I've seen paraded across the HoB's stage), Lacey sized up the audience for a moment before remarking, "You all want to hear some old stuff, don't you?" We did. The band complied, playing a well-chosen mix of fan favorites mostly off their first two albums, particularly 2001's Your Favorite Weapon. During "You Won't Know," Lacey sent the churning crowd into apoplexy when he briefly played his guitar with his teeth. He then granted his bandmates a short reprieve while he went at it alone for an acoustic version of "Limousine," which also flaunted the group's strongest asset: Lacey's expressive, often hypnotically tortured vocals. The rest of the band rejoined him abruptly, their instruments pounding in to close the song as the fans roared.

The second half of the roughly 90-minute set drew almost exclusively from Brand New's last two albums: 2009's Daisy and 2006's The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (their slickest record to date). This is where the band took the opportunity to show us just how far they've come, both as lyricists and musicians. Brand New's recent work is darker, tighter, and far more insightful than that of Your Favorite Weapon. And apparently, they felt compelled to prove it to us with visual aids. A screen lowered, and for the remainder of the show, grainy black-and-white footage of predatory spiders, women with blood-smeared mouths, cats sparring in a boxing ring (?), and other equally creepy images looped on a reel behind them. Watching it, I felt a bit like I had stumbled into that terrifying, psychedelic boat-ride scene from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

Honestly, Brand New could've done without the theatrics, because they simply don't need them. They're one of the few bands of their ilk who sound just as good (and just as consistent) live as they do on their albums. And Tuesday's show delivered nothing less than what Brand New fans have come to expect: cleverly crafted lyrics, raging instrumentals, and some good old-fashioned artistic angst that resonates long after the lights have dimmed.

ZOMG NOMNOMNOM more free chocolate!

Jeff Inglis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:16:00 GMT

Yes, we know. We're chocoholics and proud of it. And when you mix chocolate and alcohol, well, you are just about our favorite person on the planet.

And a steady (in fact, near-constant) competitor for the Our Favorite Person On The Planet award is Dean from Dean's Sweets. He and his wife Kristin are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their store (82 Middle Street, right between Rabelais and Pepperclub/Good Egg) by giving away truffles made with champagne fillings.

FREE. Through December 12.

We're on our way there later today. But our anticipation has prevented us from delaying this blog post until after. And anyway, if it's anything less than completely amazing, we'll be blogging back here in like two secs to tell you that aliens have possessed Dean and are messing with his recipes.

So stop by the store, have a free sample - and hey, moron, buy a few too! Support people who give out free chocolate to strangers. We do.

Kelly's Roast Beef is taking the space in Allston where Marty's used to be

Ryan Stewart — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:06:00 GMT

Fletcher from the Sandbox on WFNX passes along this bit of news: Kelly's Roast Beef is opening in Allston.

The 58-year-old restaurant chain that takes credit for inventing the roast beef sandwich plans to revamp the former Marty’s Liquor store in Allston into its first Hub location. The 140-seat eatery will be the sixth for the Saugus chain that’s been named the 2009 Restaurant of the Year by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

I found this passage interesting:

With its Allston location at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard Street, Kelly’s hopes to finally tap into the college market, which it’s been serving by catering for Boston College athletic teams and visiting schools.
McCarthy did some “research” on his plan’s viability by spending weekday nights in April through July having a few beers at Boston bars and quizzing college students about where they go to eat.

Not sure field research was necessary to figure out that a place like Kelly's, which is relatively cheap and offers some pretty big portions, would do well in a neighborhood full of college kids (this is a neighborhood where Redneck's has been operating for . . . how long now?). But at the same time, it's nice that a locally-owned establishment is taking that space.

Mega Robo Thunder Phone Query - When Do You Leave The Party?

Special Ed — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:29:00 GMT

There is no debating that we all like to have a good time. Sometimes those good times can go deep into the night/morning.

And sometimes it is just smarter to go home before the party goes that late.

Benefits of going home early? More sleep. Less chance of hangover. Probably won't embarrass yourself in front of others.

Disadvantages? You could miss something. Like your friend putting his head through a window. Or YOU putting your head through a window!

So, when do you leave the party?

Party on in the comments!

Tisei, Gay, By The Way

David S. Bernstein — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:22:00 GMT

Is this the most casual self-outing by a gay Republican in the history of politics or what?

It will be interesting to see how the GOP base in the state reacts. If Charlie Baker does pick Tisei as his LG, it's possible that someone could run against him on an anti-gay platform -- and potentially beat Tisei in the GOP primary. That would be a disaster for Baker, and the state party generally.

The Sandbox Recap 11.20.09 by Intern Sabrina

SandboxIntern — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:48:00 GMT

Gooood morning!

Info Burrito in 101.7 Seconds

The silver line will not be extended to Mattapan and Dorchester. Metric plays the House of Blues tonight. Bruins managed to get a win last night, but no goals for Andrew "The Firefly" Ference. John Kerry's daughter was arrested for DUI last night. Amy Winehouse went to the hospital because one of her breast implants sprung a leak. The Metropolitan Planning Organization has approved spending $9 million in federal stimulus money to build a footbridge to nowhere. A new survey from Dunkin Donuts finds that most of us like to take a nap after stuffing ourselves with turkey on Thanksgiving so we don't have to deal with annoying relatives. A bad pumpkin harvest is responsible for a shortage of pumpkin pies this year. The unemployment rate in Massachusetts has fallen for the first time in two and a half years.

The Sandbox Office Report

Well, it's New Moon Friday here on The Sandbox. After some audio from the movie, Special Ed is at a loss for words. Well, Fletcher says, this is important stuff. Bella finds out that Jake is a sexy werewolf. No, Ed says, he is not a werewolf... he is a shape-shifter! Werewolves go through very painful transformations and they're half wolf, half human. Jake, on the other hand, instantaneously transforms into a full wolf. Stephenie Meyer ruined vampires and now she's trying to ruin werewolves. But if you're a fan of the books and you want to see it, you're going to enjoy this movie. Charlie points out that it looks like an action movie, but Fletcher says this is something the whole family can go see. Young girls and old women are all going to love it. But they definitely could have chopped off about 45 minutes.

Whatever you do, don't take the children to see Planet 51. Go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs again or just wait for Toy Story 3. It was terrible.

And we had a surprise guest! Robert Pattinson called in from Italy to tell the guys New Moon is the greatest movie ever created in the history of movies. He is a real vampire, he says. And Stephenie Meyer got it right again!

Cleaning Guy Pat D's Pats Preview

Today was not so much a preview as it was a playback. Pat loves Belichick and is standing by him. This was a great play - there were just bad results. Everyone is giving Belichick crap and they're all douchebags. Pat says Belichick had a 30% chance of winning the game and a 70% chance of losing. If he punted he only had a 20% chance of winning and an 80% chance of losing. He made the right choice. And it wasn't just that call that led to the Patriots' loss; there were other things going on too. For one, we need to take into consideration the timeout Brady called, and we can't forget about that fumble from Maroney. It was Peyton Manning out there! A future hall-of-famer! It doesn't matter where you give this guy the football, he is going to score a touchdown. The Pats are going to play the Jets in a few days, but f*** the Jets. Belichick will not make another bad call.

Adam Sessler

Adam Sessler from G4tv was on the air today to talk about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2! The game made $550 million in 5 days, and is being called the biggest entertainment launch of all time. Charlie wants to know, what is the draw to this game? Technically, Adam says, it almost has no parallels. The graphics are great, and you can almost feel the atmosphere. There's a sense of realism that no other games have accomplished. They take that realism and drop you in the middle of the action, which is something very few games have done. Fletcher points out that this seems like something that could actually happen, making it even cooler. It's like scary movies... they're scarier when the things happening in the film could happen in real life.

The Qdoba Mega Robo Thunder Phone Query

Fletcher likes to party and stay out all night. And sometimes that escalates into something crazy. Charlie, on the other hand, is usually one of the first to leave. Fletcher and Ed think they may have gotten kicked out of a WFNX event last year and poor Fletcher feels really guilty when he doesn't remember something like that happening. Well, Charlie says, if you leave earlier in the night you're better off. You see your friends, have a few drinks, and you're not sloshed driving home. So today's query: When do you leave the party? Do you bail early or do you shut it down?

Looks like we have quite a few party animals listening to the show. Most of you think you should go big and stay late.

Name That Tune

A Friday tradition, we played Name That Tune this morning to give away tickets to see the Pixies and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones! Paul from Waltham was our victor this morning. So congratulations to Paul... finally! He's been trying to win for a while.

Diskin!

There's a lot going on this weekend. First, there was a grand opening of a The Ames hotel in Boston. And they're offering super cheap rates right now so you can go check it out. It's another great weekend for food, too! At the big Herb Chambers Lexus showroom in Sharon, there's the 3rd annual Platinum Plate Gala tomorrow. Tickets are $100 but it's for a good cause, Cradles to Crayons. Twenty of Boston's best restaurants will be there serving food. And finally, Mike's favorite, The Boston Hat Revolution Part 1. Some people have decided that Boston needs to become a hat city, so at 5pm tomorrow they're meeting at 25 Newbury Street where they'll hang out for a little bit before migrating elsewhere. They're looking for creativity, people!

112009 Get Out

Stuff Boston — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:11:00 GMT

We're always up for any excuse to LOL (IRL, that is), and here's one comedy event that gives us three. Jonathon Gates Presents: The Next Generation, a night styled in the vein of HBO's Def Comedy Jam, brings together a trio of comedians that should have you rolling in the aisles (when you're not dancing in them, courtesy of a DJ spinning R&B and hip-hop). There's the titular Gates, himself a Def Comedy Jam vet; Chris Tabb, whose edgy energy has helped him open for stars like Genuine and Ne-Yo; and Bethany Van Delft, a founding member of ColorStruck, New England's first women-of-color comedy showcase. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday night at the Strand Theatre (543 Columbia Road, Dorchester, 617.635.1403). Tickets are $20 at the door or in advance at telecharge.com.

112009 STUFF We Love

Stuff Boston — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:10:00 GMT

If you’re anything like us, your craft projects may have been limited to Popsicle stick coasters and the occasional haphazardly sewn-on button. If you love the look of indie designs but lack the skills to create homemade gifts you could actually give to friends (at least to ones you want to keep, anyway), have no fear: the Design Salon has got your back. Formed in 2007 by a small group of female design professionals — ceramists, architects, fashion designers, sculptors, and the like — the Salon is a Boston-based all-female collective that has grown to include more than 200 members. You can sample their beautiful wares from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the 2nd Annual Holiday Sale at the Kingsley Montessori School (26 Exeter Street, Boston), where 19 select Salon members will exhibit their home accessories, artwork, jewelry, clothing, and sundry items for your discerning eye. Some of our picks include pieces by Salon founder Jill Rosenwald, a ceramist whose bright and swirly designs we featured in our September 8 issue. Also check out Jill Bent’s soft virgin wool scarves, amazing beaded jewelry by Flauxy, and Laura Finnerty’s colorful giclée prints. Go get your shop on without having to suffer the crowds at Cambridgeside, and do it for good: 20% of all proceeds go to the Montessori School, the rest to the artists. So what if the catchphrase “girl power” is as dated as your white vinyl platform boots? We can certainly get behind these designing women.

Vampire Weekend – Cousins [VIDEO]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:58:00 GMT

Vampire Weekend's forthcoming release Contra is out on 1/12 via XL.

Hey, look! Former Phoenix intern in Daily Show bit on Palin book

Deirdre Fulton — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:42:00 GMT

We're proud to say that former Phoenix intern Sam MacLaughlin (bro to former Web Managing Editor and scribe Nina) is featured in this Daily Show clip about the ~~mad rush~~ slow crawl to buy Sarah Palin's new book ("So you've come in character as everything that's wrong with America!"). He's the bookish lad around the 2:45 mark: "One more than seven!"

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Excitement Over Sarah Palin's Book Release

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

LEFTOVER LUNCH 11-19-09

Julie Kramer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:41:00 GMT

THE THE-UNCERTAIN SMAILE

BAD RELIGION-21ST CENTURY DIGITAL BOY

SIMPLE MINDS-DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME

B-52'S ROAM

CORNERSHOP-BRIMFUL OF ASHA

U2-UNFORGETTABLE FIRE

NIRVANA-SOMETHING IN THE WAY

KATE BUSH-RUNNING UP THAT HILL

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET-WALK ON THE OCEAN

MORRISSEY-EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY

LEMONHEADS-IT'S A SHAME ABOUT RAY

PRETENDERS-BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG

BOB MARLEY-REDEMPTION SONG

Portlander wins National Book Award!

Deirdre Fulton — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:31:00 GMT

Portland resident Phillip Hoose won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature last night, for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). The book tells the story of Colvin, a near-forgotten civil-rights heroine; Colvin was in the audience with Hoose at the awards ceremony in NY, and was "shaken with emotion as she joined Hoose on the stage," according to an AP report.

From the NY Times article:

Perhaps the most moving moment of the night came with the presentation of the award for Young People’s Literature, which went to Phillip Hoose for “Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice,” a biography of Ms. Colvin, who as an African-American teenager in 1950s Montgomery, Ala., refused to give up her seat on a bus nine months before Rosa Parks took the same stand.
Mr. Hoose brought Ms. Colvin onto the stage to accept the award. 'My job was to pull someone who was about to disappear under history’s rug,' he said.

From that same article, this priceless description of Gore Vidal's acceptance of the award for the Distinguished Contribution to American Letters:

In wandering remarks, Mr. Vidal cited anecdotes about President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. In his only comments about publishing, he puzzled the audience by noting, “Nowadays it seems the progress of literature is to first print the book and then pulp it,” adding: “It saves such a lot of time. It’s fun for everybody.”

Also, this picture:

(That's not Saruman, btw, that's the winner of the NBA for poetry, Keith Waldrop. Love him!)

Burrito, eBag, Maura and WTF

Charlie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:23:00 GMT

The Info Burrito, eBag, Maura Johnston and both WTF Lines make it into todays The Sandbox Podcast!

Listen here!

Put us on your iPod.

The Sandbox interviews Wyc Grousbeck

Charlie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:55:00 GMT

The Sandbox interviews owner of the Boston Celtics and drummer Wyc Grousbeck!

Listen here!

Put us on your iPod.

Start your 2010 engines: Beach House's "Teen Dream" leaks, is awesome

Ryan Stewart — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:28:00 GMT

As we just got through saying, we are firmly in year-end list season. And since it's 2009, we're also in decade-end list season (vote here! You're telling me you don't have an opinion on the Knife vs. LCD Soundsystem? Or In Rainbows vs. Veckatimest?). And all that's fine. It's kind of fun, even, sometimes. But why spend all your time in the past when 2010 is roughly six weeks away?

Enter Baltimore dream-pop duo Beach House, whose forthcoming Teen Dream debuted on ye olde internette this week. And I must say: it's really good. Not that I didn't have reason to expect greatness or anything. Their previous record, Devotion, is pretty solid. I'd heard some new stuff at their recent Boston appearance, which sounded pretty good. And Ed Droste was raving about it on his since-deleted Twitter. But still: Teen Dream - good luck with that particular Google search, by the way - is a big step forward for Beach House. They've expanded and improved their sound without fundamentally changing anything. Listen to "Norway" below:

LISTEN: Beach House, "Norway" (mp3)

Good News, For A Change

David S. Bernstein — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:07:00 GMT

Hey, here's some news to crack a few smiles in the governor's office: the Massachusetts unemployment rate dropped from 9.3% to 8.7% in October -- the first monthly decline in 28 months.

Total net job losses for the month were under 1000. Construction jobs eked positive for the first time since February -- perhaps a sign of federal stimulus money at work.

The overall numbers were helped by the federal government hiring of 1000 Census workers -- but that happened throughout the country, and the national employment rate jumped in October anyway.

So here's the big question: will the combination of positive jobs news, stabilizing home values, and stock-market gains reflected in people's quarterly 401(k) statements put people in a more confident mood as they start their Christmas spending?