Cover Story
Get Out Of Town!
Every December since 2003, those of us at Weekly World Central have put aside the holiday cookies and brandy-infused eggnog for a bit to ponder how we could make our humble, dusty town just a little bit better. There’s a lot of stuff we could add to Tucson to improve things: More rain. A downtown,…
Talking Comics: Kiss Edition
Eric’s wearing makeup this week. Consider yourself warned. In other news, Eric Esquivel of Talking Comics fame has two comic books out this week (Blackest Terror and Zombies Vs. Cheerleaders #5), available everywhere comics are sold, but in particular at his home store, Heroes and Villains.
Michel Gondry Should Remake All the Movies
Michel Gondry is a strange man with peculiar interests, but I love everything he creates. I get the feeling he makes weird videos when he’s supposed to be doing something else, and to that end, here’s his “sweded” take on Taxi Driver. [Laughing Squid]
Try Fox Restaurant Concept’s Custom-Crafted Wine This Week
The folks at NoRTH at La Encantada are unveiling the newest vintage of Fox Restaurant Concept’s custom-crafted wine from 3 to 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 23. The new vintage was made at Misha’s Vineyard in New Zealand and is the eighth signature vintage Sam Fox’s restaurant company has produced. The wine will be availableMy wine…
Writer’s Block: Marie Miyashiro
Marie Miyashiro’s The Empathy Factor—Your Competitive Advantage for Personal, Team and Business Success has recently been published by PuddleDancer Press. ($19.95, 256 pages, www.EmpathyFactorAtWork.com.) Book summary:The Empathy Factor builds on Marie’s organizational research and consulting experience of over 28 years, focused on organization development, strategic planning and communication training. The book shows how building a…
Your Present Wrapping Skills Are Lacking
This seems like a vast improvement over my general “throw it in a bag with tissue paper” gift-wrapping policy. [The Hairpin]
The Not Quite Daily Tucson Weekly Poll: Redistricting Edition
Quipol It looks like we have maps (finally), but will fans of either major political party be happy?
We’ve Got (Tentative) Political Districts!
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission wrapped up their work late Tuesday night with congressional and legislative districts (tentatively) decided, and the chairwoman on the verge of tears. But the commission’s independent chairwoman, Colleen Mathis, wasn’t holding back tears of frustration or anger after casting her final vote of the night (which might be expected, judging…
Justin Bieber, Please Stop Rapping
Since I’m neither female nor does my age start with a one, I’m not really supposed to understand the appeal of Justin Bieber, but at some point someone’s going to tell the kid he can’t rap, right? I understand that he’s really rich and might just end up buying Canada in a year or so,…
The Loft Likes Movies I Wasn’t Cool Enough to See
I like the idea of movies, but I rarely actually get out of my house to see them, so I’m going to assume that all of the films selected by the staff of the Loft Cinema as part of their best of 2011 list are amazing. By this time next year, perhaps I will have…
A Candy Factory: An Arizona Family Tradition
For more than 40 years, the Cerreta Candy Company has been a fixture in Arizona. Patriarch James Cerreta, 84, is still going strong at the head of the company that has seen every member of his family be a part of the business. Cerreta and his sons, each leading a section of production on the…
Talkin’ Christmas With Fook – Round 3
For the last three weeks, I’ve been picking some unappreciated holiday songs for your listening enjoyment on KFMA’s morning show with Fook. In case you wanted to hear more of my selections, here they are in YouTube form for your enjoyment, starting with Rancid’s “Xmas Eve (She Got Up And Left Me)” above. Three more…
The Year in Music, Captured in One Onion Video
Of course her next single features Pitbull. Of course it does.
Tucson Mall Security Guard Needs Some Holiday Cheer
Hat tip to music photographer Elliott for sharing this video of Tucson band Roll Acosta’s holiday adventure at Tucson Mall. The trio set out to video themselves singing that wonderful heart-warming carol “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Well, the obvious exception is the security guard and people who don’t like wandering minstrels…
Someone Should Buy Me This Ham
Apparently it can be very difficult for people who aren’t fancy chef-types to get one of these Spanish Mangalitsa hams, so that must mean it’s crazy delicious, right? Clearly, I can’t afford to pay $438.99 (plus shipping) for a thirteen pound bone-in ham (with carving stand), but if you all pass the hat, it’ll nearly…
If You’re at the Westward Look, You Should Do This
One of my high school friends died from diabetes-related complications, so if you happen to be at the Western Look this holiday season, consider donating to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Westward Look Resort is lending a helping hand to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) this holiday season. Throughout most of December, Westward Look…
Maybe It’s Time to Rethink Reality Shows
Not that any human being should be watching Next Great Baker on TLC, which is a reality contest connected to a reality show about a guy making cakes, but if you were watching last night, you were in for an unpleasant surprise at the end of the show. Turns out the guy who was eliminated,…
Your 2011 Headline of the Year
We should all quit writing right now. It won’t ever get any better than this. [WRTV]
You Need to Dial 719-266-2837 Right Now
Seriously, do it. This very moment. Only awesome things will happen, I promise. [Tyler Coates]
Writer’s Block: Ryan Reinbold
Ryan Reinbold recently published Coma Notes: Witticisms of Unconsciousness. (132 pages, CreateSpace, $10). He writes, “You will find that my book is similar in format to the book by Justin Halpern called Sh*t My Dad Says or Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey.” The book is available at Antigone Books and on Amazon. Book Description: You…
Critter of the Week [Dog Edition]: Monet
Monet could use a home. Adore-a-bull Monet is anxious to fill that soft spot in your heart. The perfect combination of spunky and smart, Monet will eagerly show off her sit, down, shake and fetch in exchange for a hug or a treat. Surrendered to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona after getting into a…
Get Your Food Truck On Tonight
The third Tucson Food-Truck Roundup takes place tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 20, and this time there’s a holiday theme! There will be a dozen food trucks or more this time, too, so bring your appetite. The area around Dinnerware Artspace, where this event takes place, has certainly been hopping lately. The opening of Borderlands Brewing, which…
Perry For President! (Al Perry, That Is)
Tucson rock ’n’ roll legend Al Perry is throwing his hat into the presidential race. “Somebody has to run,” says Perry who is well known to area music fans as the singer-songwriter who has penned songs such as “Loserville” and “Little By Little.” “I don’t agree with any of the candidates, at all, whatsoever,” said…
John Daly Sings Bob Dylan (In a Flag Jacket)
I’m not sure why this happened, but it did. [The Awl]
It’s Time for KXCI’s On Air Festival of Holiday Music
If you enjoy holiday music far better than the crap on endless repeat on 94.9, you’ll want to tune in to KXCI today from 5 to 9 pm for the 10th annual Sonic Solstice Broadcast, hosted by Laurie Starr and Matt Milner. Here’s more information from the station: KXCI invites you to tune in to…
Let’s Watch Some Videos From The Great Cover-Up
Thank you, Tucsonans with video cameras, for uploading some performances from this weekend’s Great Cover-Up to YouTube. Above, the mashup of the Modeens and Seashell Radio perform the Beach Boys’ “In My Room”. Below the cut, performances by Some Of Them Are Old, Muddy Bug, the Jons, Emergency Broadcast System, and Sergio Mendoza and friends.…
Songs From Sleep Driver: Week 3
Sleepdriver-05-thingstocome by TucsonWeeklySleepDriver The guys from local instrumental rock outfit Sleep Driver were nice enough to share with The Range four tracks from their new EP “Signals”, available January 2nd online and in limited edition physical form. We’ll post a track each Monday in December [week 1; week 2]. This week, you can stream “Things…
My Life As a Pudding Judge
Rita Connelly My writing takes me to the most amazing places. The Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue invited me to be a judge at their Noah’s Pudding contest. I had never heard of Noah’s Pudding, also called Ashure. So I had to do a little research.Noah’s pudding gets its name from the dish Noah made when…
Writer’s Block: Guano
Earlier this year, a local writing collective published American Guano. ($12, 172 pages, Give Whitey Five Press.) The book is available at Amazon.com. Book summary: America’s heart was touched by New York Times bestseller Marley & Me, the unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what…
Coming Soon: U Like Buffet
Two locations of a new restaurant called U Like Buffet are expected to open in the coming months. Co-owner Daniel Lu tells us the location at 330 S. Wilmot Road should be open in mid-January. The other location is expected to open in March at 5101 N. Oracle Road. Both locations were formerly Home Town…
The “Dark Knight Rises” Trailer Is Out
The release of a movie trailer isn’t generally news, but this one, for the last film in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight series, seems like an exception. [Pop Culture Brain]
Today’s TucsonWeekly.com Poll
Quipol This may or may not become an actual regular feature, but I found this snappy new site to make polls, so it seemed worth checking out.
Genghis Grill Opens Today
The first Tucson location of the chain restaurant Genghis Grill opens today at 4386 N. Oracle Road, No. 150. You pick from about 70 ingredients and the employees take your meal for a wok (ha!). Sorry about that. Anyway, the legend goes that Mongolian warriors cooked their meals on their shields while away at battle,…
Help Some Local Musicians Get Their Stuff Back
Keep an eye out, Tucsonans, and help some of Tucson’s best musicians retrieve their instruments from the hands of thieves. From Gabriel Sulllivan’s Facebook page: My van was broken into Saturday night on 15th st. between 6th ave and Stone. My guitar, Brian Lopez’s guitar, and Geoffrey Hidalgo’s bass were stolen. They were…. -Airline Town…
Mark Kelly on Arizona Week: Gabby’s Decision on Reelection “Hinges on How Well She Can Do the Job”
Michael Chihak of Arizona Public Media’s Arizona Week got a lengthy interview with astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Chihak reports: U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is speaking in full sentences now, says her husband, an improvement from a month ago when she uttered several phrases in a national television interview. Retired Navy…
Occupy Tucson Drama Continues, This Time Thanks to Shaun McClusky
Shaun McClusky hasn’t exactly kept it a secret he’s not a supporter of Occupy Tucson on our blog or his Facebook page, which is why it looks like an idea he’s cooked up is more about disrupting Occupy and less about charitable giving (By the way, we did try to reach him for comment, but…
TUSD Governing Board Candidate Update
According to Ricardo Hernandez, Pima County Superintendent of Schools chief financial officer, interviews for the Tucson Unified School District’s governing board member position should be complete by the evening of Monday, Dec. 19. “All but 9 candidates will be remaining by the end of today (Friday 12/16). The Committee will finish all interviewing of the…
Jax Kitchen Will Give You a Dessert if You Donate Some Canned Goods
Jax Kitchen at 7286 N. Oracle Road is collecting canned goods for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, and if you donate four or more they’ll give you a dessert of your choice. Lots of restaurants collect canned goods this time of year, but offering up free eats – especially the amazing desserts available…
Political Roundtable: SB 1070, Sheriff’s Joe’s Federal Troubles and an Interview With Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne
This week’s Political Roundtable: Republican strategist Jonathan Paton and Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod join Arizona Public Media reporter Christopher Conover and host Jim Nintzel to talk about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear the challenge to SB1070, Sen. John McCain’s criticism of the end of the Iraq war and Sheriff Joe’s latest troubles with…
This Is The Saddest Video of the Week
Such a waste. So much lost to this one man’s hubris. When will people learn? WHEN?? [Eater]
What to Listen to This Week: Friday Edition
Four songs recommended by our music writers in this installment of our twice-weekly series, performed by Little Richard, the Buzzcocks, the Greedies, and the Maccabeats. Eric SwedlundLittle Richard, “Kansas City” Some days, you just need Little Richard. And this swinging R&B version of the Leiber & Stoller hit makes 1959 sound damn awesome. If you…
A Tribute to the Reality Show Classic, “At the End of the Day”
My favorite reality show cliched quote is still “I’m not here to make friends”, but this tribute to another overused phrase makes me wonder if there’s some school for non-famous TV personalities out there teaching this stuff. I’d at least like to see the textbook for “Drink Throwing 101”.
UA Press Book a Finalist in ONEBOOKAZ 2012 Competition
Recent news from UA Press. To read our review of the book, click here. Angela Hutchinson Hammer: Arizona’s Pioneer Newspaperwoman, published by the University of Arizona Press, has been named one of four finalists in the ONEBOOKAZ 2012 competition. This annual competition, sponsored by the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records, encourages communities across…
All I Want for Xmas is an MMJ Card
It looks like there won’t be any shortage of medical marijuana patients to flock to the dozens of dispensaries that are waiting patiently (ok, not patiently) to open across the state. As of Nov. 25, the Department of Health Services, likely to the dismay of Gov. Jan, had passed out 16,313 MMJ cards to qualified…
Only Trunzo Makes the Cut at KMSB
KOLD, owned by Raycom, has decided to go with in-house anchor talent for its produced newscasts for KMSB. Only Gina Trunzo, who handled weather for KMSB’s Belo-produced 9 pm newscast, has a position in the new arrangement, according to a KOLD press release. Trunzo will join Mark Stine and Erin Jordan on FOX 11 Daybreak,…
The Man Cracks Down on a Guy’s Sperm Bank Dream
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Not that I’m in the market, but looking at this guy’s house, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want anything to do with his gene pool. Still, this is America, right? The FDA wants to tell our kids they can’t dream of opening their…
Everything You Need to Know About the Kardashians in 39 Seconds
Since Mr. Khloe Kardashian was traded to a different NBA team the other day, I think that means another city will be subjected to the Kardashians. This is terrible, terrible news, but fortunately it’s only Dallas.
My Worms Seem to Be Totally Enjoying This Week’s Edition of the Tucson Weekly
That worm seems to like the cover art this week. The littlest members of the Borowitz family – who work day and night in the worm-composting bins in the garage – seem to really be digging on this week’s edition of the Tucson Weekly. I feed them at least one issue a month, along with…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
The city of Tucson continues to spend money on the 4th Avenue underpass and Toole intersection in the attempt to retrofit the area to be friendly for cyclists. See what they have done in the last few weeks. A cyclist killed in an October crash had “significant” amounts of alcohol and marijuana in his system…
Another Gem From the Always Charming Frank Antenori
Full credit goes out to Blog for Arizona’s David Safier for unearthing this gem, from the Yellow Sheet: Still stewing over the Pearce recall, Antenori told our reporter yesterday he’s meeting with Republican activists on Friday to plan revenge. So far, he said his plan is to wait until after the 2012 election so he…
Give Back to America for the Holidays: Help Pay off National Debt
Photo of Sawyer by Ryn Gargulinski Who needs dog toys for the holidays when the national debt is looming? Giving to Toys for Tots, donating funds to fix a child’s cleft lip and sponsoring an aye-aye lemur in Madagascar are noble ways to celebrate the holidays indeed, but we here in America have a duty…
You Should Go to the Parade of Lights Saturday Night
It’s a busy weekend in Tucson, but you should really make time for one of my absolute favorite Tucson events, the Downtown Parade of Lights, happening Saturday night starting at 6:30 pm. What’s charming about the parade for me is how small town it seems. There are accordion players followed by kids from a school,…
Food and Fashion Tonight
There’s a little shindig this evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Avenue Boutique at 3050 Broadway Blvd. The ladies at Monsoon Kitchen dropped me a line to say that one of their members will be providing snacks and beverages for the event, and that there will be live music, too. Also, for those of…
What to Listen to This Week: Thursday Edition
Clearly, you’re getting ready to head to the first night of The Great Cover-Up tonight, so here are some songs — selected by our music writers — to listen to as part of your pre-game, from Huntress, Slim Harpo and Lissy Trullie. Jarret KeeneHuntress, “Eight of Swords” This six-minute hard-edged power-metal track called “Eight of…
Buy This Soup! (Extended Version)
So I spend like three hours a week helping feed the homeless, which means I actually do almost nothing. But working at Casa Maria over the years has been a good education. That’s why I keep going back week after week. One of the things I’ve learned is that life on the streets is especially…
Food Trucks Will Be Out in Force at The Great Cover-Up
MaFooCo will be at The Great Cover-Up on Saturday. The Great Cover-Up starts today and continues into the weekend, and this year there will be food trucks! Organizers say MaFooCo, Street Delights, Jamie’s Bitchen Kitchen, Dragoon Café and a hot-dog cart called Manchi’s will start serving food at noon on Saturday. For those of you…
DA Morales of Three Sonorans Gets It Wrong
I have to admit up front, that before reading Gabby, the memoir largely penned by Mark Kelly, I was expecting an entirely different book. This isn’t the fault of Kelly or even the publisher, but when the book hit my desk on the day of release, I guess I assumed there would be some sort…
Real Snow in Tucson
Here’s a chance to see snow without driving up Mount Lemmon. And there will be fireworks, a Christmas tree and Santa, too: Starr Pass’ Winter Wonderland weekend kicks off on Friday, December 16 with Santa Claus and his elves arriving by helicopter on the resort’s Tash Lawn. After Santa’s spectacular entrance, children can enjoy a…
Writer’s Block: William Ascarza
Local author William Ascarza’s Southeastern Arizona Mining Towns has been recently published by Arcadia Publishing. $21.99, 128 pages, softcover. Here’s the press release: Southeastern Arizona has one of the most diverse mining localities in the state. Towns such as Bisbee, Clifton, Globe, Miami, Ray, Silverbell, and Superior have earned reputations as premier metal producers that…
Watch the Skies: CV-22 Osprey Training at DM
Master Sgt. Gary R. Coppage/US Air Force Keep your eyes peeled: A CV-22 Osprey from the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, Calif., is visiting Tucson for low-level training operations from Dec. 16 to Dec. 18, according to Senior Airman Shane Dunaway.
The Arpaio Investigation Is Out
More to come on this later, I imagine, but the Department of Justice has some deep issues with Joe Arpaio and the way he runs the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department: Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings in the ongoing civil rights investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). The…
Planned Parenthood Expands Abortion Services At Two Additional Maricopa County Health Centers
Planned Parenthood Arizona, which had to shut down abortion services at all but three of their 13 health centers in the state in August, announced this morning that it will be able to once again offer abortion service at two additional locations in Maricopa County. But women in rural Arizona will still have to travel…
McCain: Bringing Home Troops from Iraq Is “A Failure of Leadership”
The war in Iraq came to a formal end today. The Washington Post has details on the ceremony: BAGHDAD — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paid solemn tribute on Thursday to an “independent, free and sovereign Iraq” and declared the official end to the Iraq war, formally wrapping up the U.S. military’s mission in the…
One Year Later: Remembering Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry
One year ago, Border Patrol Agent Brian A Terry was killed while trying to stop a “rip crew” in Southern Arizona, . Hank Stephenson covered Terry’s memorial service earlier this year. An automatic weapon that had been sold as part of the bungled ATF investigation Fast and Furious was recovered at the scene of Terry’s…
Top Ten in Music
1. The Black Keys El Camino (Nonesuch) 2. Korn The Path of Totality (Roadrunner) 3. The Hangover Part II (DVD) Warner Bros. 4. Drake Take Care (Cash Money) 5. Chevelle Hats Off to the Bull (Epic) 6. Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures (Universal Republic) 7. Cowboys and Aliens (DVD) Universal 8. Adele 21 (XL) 9.…
Grinch-Proof Performance
Old and new will merge this weekend at the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Pops! Holiday Spectacular, which mixes classic holiday songs with contemporary favorites. “It’s really like a TV variety show; it’s got so many different performers in it,” said Terry Marshall, a TSO spokesman. The TSO Pops! Holiday Spectacular will feature the TSO Pops! Orchestra,…
City Week
Student musicians raising money with rock; Art benefiting a farm; Holiday ornaments you can’t get at Target; Sing along with film favorites
TQ&A
Ross Zimmerman says the idea for Beyond Tucson: Commemorate, Celebrate, Commit came up when he was talking to Ron Barber about the looming anniversary of the Jan. 8 shootings. There will be many somber ceremonies to honor the victims—including Zimmerman’s son Gabe, who was killed, and Barber, who was severely wounded. However, Beyond Tucson, on…
Now Showing at Home
Fright Night (Blu-ray); The Hangover Part II (Blu-ray); Our Idiot Brother (Blu-ray)
Weekly Wide Web
Unless something changes within the next few weeks, 2011 will mark my first full calendar year of working here at the Tucson Weekly. It’s been fun to get a sense of what people are interested in over the course of the year, and I can say without reservation that people in Tucson are very concerned…
Laughs for the Holidays
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s getting dark around here. The sun has become quite lazy and has cut back its hours, even in this time of high unemployment. But it’s a pretty secure job—union, I think—so we’re stuck. Folks all over town have been pitching in, putting strings of lights in trees and lighting…
Mall Italian
Ariving west across town on River Road in the dark, Tucson doesn’t seem all that different from what it was 35 years ago. But once you turn south on First Avenue and then west on Wetmore Road, the traffic gets more frantic and the signs brighter as you approach Tucson Mall—and the chain restaurants multiply…
Editor’s Note
Welcome to our ninth annual Get Out of Town! issue. I’d like to make a late-breaking addition to this year’s list of dishonorees: the goddamn cold that’s been ravaging Tucson like a modern-day plague. It arrived at the Boegle household on Saturday, and I spent much of the day meandering around the house doing my…
Solstice Celebration
Frida Kahlo’s life famously alternated between prodigious artistic production and debilitating pain—between sun and shadow. The Mexican painter spent much of her life confined to her bed, and she made many of her paintings flat on her back. But despite her travails, she found a way to turn traditional Mexican motifs into groundbreaking modernist art.…
Noshing Around
Soup for a shelter; Another new brewery; More gelato for the eastside; Tea lessons
Danehy
Here’s my Christmas gift list. You’re all welcome: New UA football coach Rich Rodriguez—A clock with a loud-ass alarm that goes off after the Wildcat players have participated in 20 hours of offseason workouts each week. The only thing worse than a team with a losing record is a team with a losing record that’s…
Native Songs
The inherent flaw of the creative-writing workshop—the dominant pedagogical mode in many of today’s university writing programs—is the inevitable homogenization of voices. Whether striving to satisfy the expectations of a group, a teacher or literary-magazine editors, a young or beginning writer risks conforming to a unilingual mode of representation. Of course, standardization isn’t the intention…
Jewish Soul Music
Neshama Carlebach performs what has been called Jewish soul music. She sings about peace on global and personal levels, advocates all-encompassing love, espouses the joy of family, and promotes a caregiver’s attitude toward the world. She also keeps alive the musical tradition of her late father, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, one of the most-prominent Jewish songwriters…
Messina
“On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” That’s the caption with a now-classic cartoon by Peter Steiner, published in The New Yorker in July 1993. It pictures a dog sitting in an office chair at a computer, with one paw resting on the keyboard. The dog looks down at another dog seated on the…
Top Ten in Books
1. Role Models John Waters, Farrar, Straus and Giroux ($15) 2. Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa Richard Grant, Free Press ($15) 3. Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, Scribner ($26.99) 4. A Border Runs Through It: Journeys in Regional History and Folklore Jim Griffith, Rio Nuevo…
Soundbites
It’s time for the Cover-Up!; Stuff the Bug; and much more!
Mailbag
The Pima County SWAT team was looking for a fight; Medical marijuana fees are a scam; The Catholic Church shouldn’t bother
Cracking Wise
Director David Gordon Green, who gave us the wonderful Pineapple Express, had an unholy misfire this year with the middling medieval farce Your Highness. I count Your Highness as one of the year’s biggest disappointments—if not the biggest. Now comes The Sitter, Green’s third comedy in a row after starting his career with evocative, effective…
Nine Questions
A kindergarten teacher at the Tucson Waldorf School by day, Tucson native Leila Lopez is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who regularly performs around town. She’s currently recording material for her third album. In the meantime, you can catch her playing a set of covers by a band far removed from the folk-rock for which…
Guest Commentary
I recently moved from Sasabe, a tiny town located next to the border wall. The wall was built of bars 15 feet tall and looked like a long prison cell. It ran 4 miles east until it hit an arroyo on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, and 3 miles west until it met the…
Top Ten in Movies
1. The Hangover Part II Warner Bros. 2. Cowboys and Aliens Universal 3. The Help Touchstone 4. Super 8 Paramount 5. The Debt Miramax 6. Friends With Benefits Screen Gems 7. 30 Minutes or Less Columbia 8. Our Idiot Brother Weinstein 9. Mr. Popper’s Penguins 20th Century Fox 10. Another Earth Fox Searchlight
Live
More than 30 years after its formation, the legendary Los Angeles band X sounded as good as ever—hell, probably better than ever—as it roared through about 80 minutes of vintage punk ‘n’ roll Saturday night. The four original members reunited about a dozen years ago and have been playing regular tours since. This time around,…
Weak Prognosis
The Arizona Court of Appeals told Gov. Jan Brewer last week that she and GOP lawmakers were obligated to provide health-care coverage to Arizonans beneath the federal poverty line. But in a ruling released last Tuesday, Dec. 6, the justices concluded they had no power to actually force the lawmakers to provide the funding for…
Bitch Is Back
Somewhere along the way, Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) just gave up. But how did she wind up here, living in a high-rise apartment in Minneapolis, waking up seemingly every morning in a hung-over stupor to an unwritten page of drippy fiction for high school kids? Over the course of Young Adult’s brisk hour and a…
Kitchen on Fire: Here We Are (Self-Released)
The debut album by this local quartet features gently boisterous folk-rock tunes touched with elements of country and jazz. Guitarist Tim Daldrup and bassist Dave Knipe wrote the 12 tunes together, and both sing, as does keyboards player Susan Artemis. Drummer George Liggins completes the group, and their combined sound balances energy and a laid-back…
The Skinny
Mark Kelly makes the rounds in Tucson; Tom Horne loses Open Meetings battle; Grijalva has a primary fight on his hands; Why does Obama hate democracy?
Various Artists: Fac. Dance: Factory Records 12″ Mixes and Rarities, 1980-1987 (Strut)
Forgoing tracks by Factory Records’ most-well-known acts (at least in the United States)—Joy Division and New Order—Fac. Dance provides a wealth of hard-to-find singles and compilation releases (24 tracks over two CDs), all dedicated to the dance side of the equation. That’s dance music Factory Records-style, mind you, which means a head-spinning array of post-punk,…
Media Watch
Michael Savage down to one station in Tucson; Shared content appears to be OK
Los Campesinos!: Hello Sadness (Arts & Crafts)
A first listen to the sturdy fourth album by Welsh cadre Los Campesinos!, Hello Sadness, can be distressing. Gareth Campesinos! snarls uncomfortably naked lines; the music vacillates almost incongruously from overcharged to restrained; and the whole ordeal feels profoundly removed from the band’s previous work. Yet subsequent spins reveal Hello Sadness as a classic case…
Captive Subjects
The Denver Zoo debacle might be considered a cautionary tale. In the summer of 2001, an elephant named Hope rampaged through the facility, scaring crowds and nearly injuring a mother and her child. The 6,700-pound animal was purportedly startled when a trainer dropped a 30-gallon drum. Just a few days earlier, one elephant had knocked…
Ganja Gifts
In the wake of my disgust at the ShopFuck Fest happening all around us—the annual bankmall orgy that leaves medical marijuana horny and alone at the bar at closing time, scanning the crowd for someone to take home—I realized I had make a mistake. (See “Ban on Business,” Dec. 1.) Not being in the mood…
Police Dispatch
An unwelcome return home; “Photogenic” memory
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: This is the second rant I’ve felt the need to send to you. I don’t know if readers are allowed “seconds,” but here it goes: Much has been said about the terrible things happening to the United States and its citizens because of the Mexican drug cartels. But what’s the difference between the…
On the Cusp of History
Sitting at the table in her in-laws’ dining room in Tucson, Wenona Benally Baldenegro begins like she would any campaign interview, discussing where she grew up and the road that led her to public service. However, this isn’t a typical campaign story—partly because if she wins the race for Arizona’s new Congressional District 1, this…
One (Former) Advertiser: “All American Muslim” Sucked
Travel website KAYAK provided a shockingly up-front reason on their blog for why they won’t be advertising on TLC’s “All American Muslim”. It wasn’t because of the pressure from insane Christian zealots, but because they just don’t like the show: When we decided to give our money to TLC for this program, we deemed the…
Helicopter Crashes Near Raytheon
KVOA is reporting that a helicopter has crashed on Raytheon’s property near the Tucson airport, near Hughes Access and Hermans Rd. No word of injuries or property damage yet, but crews are on the scene. Update from KVOA: The pilot of a Robinson R-22 helicopter reported engine failure and went down about 1.5 miles south…
