Archive for February 18th, 2008
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars
Who knew that being a refugee could be so much fun? In what may be the understatement of the century, Reuben Koroma, lead vocalist of the Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, said at the start of one of his songs, ‘Living like a refugee, it’s not easy.’ But you would never guess it from watching [...]
Mika Takes Audiences to the Candy Shop
The Wiltern, coined for its location on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, is not unlike several older Los Angeles theaters. True to art-deco form, the main foyer and theater feature ornate moldings in shades of powdery blue mixed with burnt copper. In 2008, the venue has just enough kitsch to be the [...]
Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ Turns Silver
Twenty-five years ago, Michael Jackson released his magnum opus ‘Thriller’ and inspired a generation of performers.
Yet, with the campy video for the album’s title track he also inspired enough parodies to last for generations to come. As such, I give you the top five Thriller parodies to date.
5) South Park Parody. Although South Park may [...]
Grammy Awards Drunk on Winehouse
At least we’ve got something reputable like the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to make us feel better about who gets what Grammy Award. However, that just didn’t cut it for those egocentric music elitists hiding behind that overly obscure shoegaze band and a pair of vintage Ray Bans.
In its 50th year, most [...]
Only ‘Foos’ Fall in ‘Lust, Lust, Lust’
Unlike their Danish peers, such as Aqua and Junior Senior who helped put Denmark on the musical map with their own brand of dance-pop, The Raveonettes bring their own twist to pop with their most recent effort, ‘Lust, Lust, Lust.’ Incorporating fuzzy guitars and shoegaze influences that recall My Bloody Valentine, The Raveonettes are set [...]
The ‘British Sea Power’ Are Coming
Back in 2003, there was a little band by the name of British Sea Power that got signed to Rough Trade Records thanks to their energetic live shows. Later in September, the band released ‘The Decline of British Sea Power,’ one of the year’s best records, an album that did justice to their versatile live [...]
Micro Celebrities
Four brunettes stand together for a picture. They wrap their arms around each other’s necks and press their faces so closely together it’s only possible to see one face. Actually, just one girl’s lavender eye shadow and a slender nose are visible. They might be kissing. The boy in the background looks either surprised or [...]
The Six Superpowers Every Woman Should Have
I was flipping through Glamour last week (a women’s magazine, for people living under a rock), and amidst all of the do’s (trendy haircuts on guys? Really?) and don’ts (apparently, over-the-knee boots are so last season), the spring style countdown (khakis, bangles, blah, blah, blah), a feature on how to get a brand new butt [...]
Reflections on Dunkaroos, Star Trek and Hannah Montana
My parents just called. Shit. They’re coming already.
Last night we had friends over and what was originally going to be three friends turned into probably 15. Now all that remain are empty bottles of Stella, four or five bottles of two-buck Chuck and I. Four years ago, I packed all of my belongings into my [...]
