Monthly Archives: February 2009 »
Tom Bergin’s Tavern: Los Angeles, CA
Tom Bergin’s Tavern 840 S. Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles , CA 90036 (323) 936-7151 www.tombergins.com As the saying goes, the only “authentic” Irish pub is one closed on St. Patrick’s Day. Tom’s vast, wooden
Read More »Bolognese Sauce
I’m a peaceful man – there are few things in this world that I can absolutely say I hate. There are irritations, annoyances, even occasional peeves, but I reserve the white-hot venomous term “hate”
Read More »Lithuania and the Collapse of the USSR
Lithuania and the Collapse of the USSR Dir: Jonas Mekas Rating: 3.5 Anthology Film Archives 289 Minutes In 1992, German experimental filmmaker Harun Farocki and Romanian writer Andrei Ujica released their film Videograms of
Read More »Goodbye: Silver Jews
Although he has always operated on the fringes of the indie world, it’s impossible to overstate Berman’s importance to and influence on the best songwriters of the past two decades. Without Berman, there would
Read More »Alela Diane: To Be Still
Alela Diane To Be Still Rating: 3.0 Label: Rough Trade More than two years after the release of her self-released debut The Pirate’s Gospel, Alela Diane’s latest album To Be Still has been labeled
Read More »Ben Kweller: Changing Horses
Ben Kweller Changing Horses Rating: 2.0 Label: ATO buy it at insound! Ben Kweller has recorded a country album, the supposed product of a Texan childhood spent listening to Garth Brooks. But of course,
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Oscar Round-up 2009
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Academy Awards, or as it’s known in our house, Passover!” – Bob Hope, 18-time Oscar host Well, I’m not proud of myself, but I did it again. I
Read More »Vetiver: Tight Knit
Vetiver Tight Knit Rating: 3.5 Label: Sub Pop Vetiver mainman Andy Cabic picked the perfect name for his indie-folk project. Vetiver is a grass native to Asia and often used in the home for
Read More »Fol Chen: Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made
Fol Chen Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made Rating: 2.5 Label: Asthmatic Kitty Records buy it at insound! The first decade of the 2000s might wind up being one of the few in
Read More »Concert Review: El Guincho
I fell in love for the first time in Spain. I was 16 years old, living in the Valencian town of Alicante. The Mediterranean Sea was just a short bus ride away. It was
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