Cover Story
Stunning Tonto Forever
“To the top! To the top!” —Chango Malo, “Pied Piper of Rock” Every band on Stunning Tonto Records shared two goals: pursue their own music and pull together to help build the scene. The longstanding punk ethos and do-it-yourself model that Stunning Tonto began emulating morphed into a do-it-together agenda, fueled by local pride and…
Apparently Kai, California’s Hatchet-Wielding Superhero, Sings
In case you hadn’t gotten enough of the hitchhiking hippie who splits wigs with his trusty hatchet, California’s KMPH was able to catch up with Kai, he who is able to take out murderous rapists with a few, non-lethal swings. After a fairly lengthy interview with the man, learning that he’s Canadian, that he was…
17th Street Market Closing March 31
From the Weekly’s own Rita Connelly via her Facebook: Just got an email saying that on March 31st, the 17th Street Farmers’s Market is closing. I didn’t shop there as often as I should have, but this is sad news. You could always find great international choices there and usually more than one option of…
Colbert: “Filling Our Schools with Gun-Toting Guys Who Have Nowhere To Be During Work Hours Might Give Some Parents Pause…”
The Colbert ReportGet More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive Stephen Colbert takes a look at Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s plan to use armed volunteers to keep schoolchildren safe. Says Colbert as he watches a clip of the posse members undertaking a drill while a student hides beneath a table: “Arizona has some…
Senate Panel Passes Bill To Criminalize Mass Early-Ballot Deliveries on Election Day
Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service reports on a bill that would criminalize get-out-the-vote efforts that collect early ballots and turn them in at the polls on Election Day: Turning in your neighbor’s early ballot for them could get you some jail time if Senate Bill 1003 goes anywhere, though you’d be unlikely to raise…
Obama: “Gabby Giffords Deserves a Vote”
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The most emotional part of the State of the Union came when President Barack Obama addressed the debate over new gun laws, invoking Newtown, Aurora, Oak Creek and, yes, Tucson: It has been two months since Newtown. I know this is not the…
Yes, TUSD, February is African-American History Month, But …
Yes, we know this is Arizona. And yes, part of the deal is politics always surrounds our Tucson Unified School District. Can’t we stay away from religion? At least that’s what folks at Weekly World Central were thinking when we saw this on TUSD’s Facebook page: Yes, Ben Carson has an amazing story, but right…
Romantic Fiction Gets a Sweet Revival Just in Time for Valentine’s
Courtesy of The Chocolate Storybox If there’s truth to the sentimentality that “good things come in small packages,” a concept like The Chocolate Storybox brings much needed simplicity to one of the most commercialized holidays of the year. The site, based in the United Kingdom, is making its official launch on Valentine’s Day with a…
A Big Night For Fun.
Sunday night’s Grammy Awards were full of great music collaborations and of course, scandalous and skimpy outfits (Regardless of the memo that was sent out asking stars to keep visible skin to a minimum). Although the dresses and designers of the Grammy’s always hit the headlines hard in the following days, the most exciting part…
A Montana TV Station Was Hacked, Sent Out Emergency “Zombie Attack” Alert
Don’t worry, the undead aren’t walking the earth, attacking people in Montana. The moaning, shambling figures you see are simply Montanans who are struggling through the winter. From the Great Falls Tribune: Cindy Paavola, the University of Northern Michigan spokesperson, said that through the investigation so far, authorities believe they know where the source is…
Vanity Fair: “The Grand Self-Delusion” of Border Security via a Wall
Vanity Fair looks at the plight of ranchers on the U.S.-Mexico border and how it might affect the upcoming debate over immigration reform: When you try to understand Arizona’s dysfunction—and maybe, God forbid, America’s—you have to start at The Fence and the grand self-delusion that the border could be fortified enough to keep out the…
Guns & Schools: How To Best Keep AZ Kids Safe?
Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service rounds up the various proposals on gun violence in schools at the Arizona Legislature: Arizona lawmakers may agree they’ve had enough when it comes to gun violence in schools, but agreeing on what will be enough — if anything — to protect students is trickier. Even if they manage…
The Justice League of America: A New Set of Heroes Are Born
This is an example of how the Arizona cover will look for the new series, Justice League of America #1 The Justice League, as many of you may know, is the valiant team that is made up of the world’s most dominant super-heroes. The original team included Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter,…
If You’ve Got a Senstive Diet, You Can Still Find a Romantic Valentine’s Dinner
If you’ve got food allergies (or even if you’re just dedicated to healthy eating), celebrations like Valentine’s Day can be tricky. But a local restaurant is making sure those sensitive types can still got out for a romantic dinner out on Feb. 14. Renee’s Organic Oven, 7065 E Tanque Verde Road, has created a special…
You May Soon Be Able to Adjust Font Size by Moving Your Face
That is, if a Croatian programmer is able to work out the kinks in his experiment. From The Next Web: Responsive design has recently become a buzzword, and for good reason: it captures the idea of displaying your content beautifully on each and every device. Responsive typography has also received attention, and various techniques have…
Wrestling Will No Longer Be An Olympic Event
The International Olympic Committee has decided to eliminate wrestling, a sport as old as the Olympic Games (if not older!) from the 2020 Games, and beyond. From Sporting News: The IOC board acted after reviewing the 26 sports on the current Olympic program. Eliminating one sport allows the International Olympic Committee to add a new…
Immigration Reform and LGBT Politics
Kristina Zverjako of Cronkite News Service talks with former congressman Jim Kolbe about the difficulty that bi-national gay and lesbian couples face in gaining legal status as the the U.S. Senate tackles immigration reform. Both Jeff Flake and John McCain, who are among the Republicans shepherding the latest reform package through Washington, are putting LGBT…
‘Arizona Daily Star’ Readers: This is Why You’re Paying More But Getting Less For Your Subscription
For an organization that has been hemorrhaging money for years, has nearly half the workforce it did in 2008 and whose quality continues to decrease on a daily basis, the Arizona Daily Star sure does love to spend money on frivolous litigation. Last week the Star — and, according to the filing, rumpled environmental reporter…
Red Alert, Bourbon Fans: Maker’s Mark is Being Watered Down
Seriously, this is a problem, y’all. In fact, I dare say this might be the biggest news of the day (no, not really), particularly (only) within the non-Catholic bourbon aficionado sphere . From the Chicago Tribune: In an email to its best customers, representatives of the brand said the entire bourbon category is “exploding” and…
Judge Strikes Down AZ Law To Defund Planned Parenthood
U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake has struck down a state law that attempted to ban Planned Parenthood from receiving any public funds to provide healthcare services for low-income women in Arizona. The 2012 law sought to prevent women on the state’s AHCCCS program or other state-assisted programs from using Planned Parenthood’s clinics for their…
Mark Kelly: “A Universal Background Check Would Have Directly Affected What Happened in Tucson”
As Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly unveil the first TV ad from Americans for Responsible Solutions, Talking Points Memo rounds up some of the gun-control efforts to watch for this week. At the top of the list: Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly. Giffords, who was wounded in a mass shooting a little more than two…
Novel Provides Unconventional Start for Tucson’s Darryl Robert Schoon
When Darryl Robert Schoon finished writing his first and only novel to date, he didn’t have any plans to distribute it to the masses. And, at least for a few years, it wasn’t distributed anywhere. Schoon, who actually has spent most of his career as an author writing nonfiction books about finance and spirituality, recently…
Dropkick Murphys to Play Rialto in April
If you’re worried about not getting your Celtic punk fill on St. Patrick’s Day during Flogging Molly’s stop in Tempe, just give it one more month. The Rialto Theatre announced via Facebook today that Boston Irish punk-rock band Dropkick Murphys will be stopping by for a show on April 12. The seven-piece is touring the…
Gabby’s New Gun-Violence Ad
Americans for Responsible Solutions, the new political-action committee formed by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, has unveiled a new television ad. Giffords and Kelly will be guests of Congressman Ron Barber and Sen. John McCain at tomorrow night’s State of the Union address. TW spoke with Mark Kelly about Americans for Responsible Solutions last month.…
Ten Snapshots From Last Night’s Wildcats Game
Jim Nintzel The Arizona Wildcats suffered their third loss of the season in a defeat to the California Golden Bears, 77-69, last night. It was a tough week for Top 10 teams: Five of the top seven in the AP rankings lost a game. Next up: The Cats go on the road to face Colorado…
Black Monday Event Calls Attention to Addiction, Those Loved and Lost
Janice Nargi started There is No Hero in Heroin, a foundation that provides community education and support to families dealing with addiction, with a Black Monday event last year calling attention to loved ones lost to addiction and those who’ve overcome addiction. Tomorrow, Nargi and her organization do it again with its second Black Monday…
Sunday Buzz: Edie Carey Returns to Tucson
Take a break from the frost today and get cozy at Casa Libre, 228 N. 4th Ave., with a show from Chicago-based singer-songwriter Edie Carey. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., show starts at 4 p.m. $10 admission, all ages. Tucson musician Courtey Robbins told the Range: “Edie Carey is a really great singer/songwriter, and she…
150 Shades of Shame: The Home Stretch Is Upon Us
Today is the absolute final day to submit entries for “150 Shades of Shame,” our short erotic fiction contest made possible by our friends at Fascinations (If you bought it there, they’re going ot love it!)…and thus far, we’ve had some absolutely incredible entries. So far, we’ve had trans-men showing off their collection of toys;…
Where’s The Beef: The Hunt for Tucson’s Best Burger
Jim Nintzel The mighty Kingfisher burger: One of the best in town Tucson Weekly’s Facebook fans are now embroiled in a heated debate over the best place to get a burger this weekend. The top contenders, as of 1 p.m., appear to be Lindy’s on Fourth, Monkey Burger and Zinburger. Whaddaya think?
AZ Illustrated Politics: Gun Violence, Immigration Reform and Health Care
AZ Illustrated Politics brought together former lawmakers Frank Antenori and Paula Aboud, Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod and former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers for a talk about the likelihood of new gun regulations, immigration reform and Gov. Jan Brewer’s call for expansion of Medicaid coverage for low-income Arizonans under the AHCCCS program.
Mint Operation: Local Girl Makes The New York Times for Cookies Sales
Enviously industrious, 10-year old Mary Ruiz of Tucson debuted on the front page of the New York Times today, in a sweet little profile of her dogged work as one of the Girl Scouts’ top national cookie sellers. Yep, she’s probably guilty of prodding us to put on a bit of unneeded girth. But this…
150 Shades of Shame: Watch Your Extremities, The Window is Closing
According to my occasionally-suspect math, you’ve only got 30 hours left to submit your short stories to us for your chance at winning gift card money from Fascinations (If you got it at Fascinations, they’re going to love it!) But (and I say this not to deter anyone from submitting,) if you enter now, you’ll…
CityScape Adventures Hits Tucson
Looking for something fun and active to do next weekend? Look no further. CityScape Adventures, the exciting race that gets you outdoors to experience your community, is coming to Tucson on Feb. 16. The race begins at 11:00 a.m. at Gentle Ben’s. Participants compete for great prizes while completing 12 different challenges. Participants compete in…
Christine in the Cutting Room: A Queer Multimedia Event At Playground
A queer multimedia project and booze sound like a good mix for a Wednesday night. February’s Show & Tell at Playground Bar & Lounge, on Wednesday, Feb. 13, will feature a multimedia project that tells the story of Christine Jorgensen who became a celebrity after getting a sex change in 1952. Dr. Susan Stryker, associate…
Can You Run In High Heels?
Arizona Hops & Vines is débuting their newest creation, Drag Queen, Saturday Feb. 9. This is a hops-infused, carbonated wine in a beer bottle. Festivities include an actual Drag Queen race, a Live DJ, beers from Dragoon Brewing Co., and wine from Burning Tree Cellars as well as their own wines for tasting. I have…
A Note From Our Listings Department
The lovely, talented, remarkably patient folks who keep track of our listings were, sorry to say, pushed to the brink yesterday as a result of the issues we had with our email switch-over yesterday. Apparently, the listings@tucsonweekly.com email had been completely inactive for nearly 24 hours, until roughly two hours ago. So, on behalf of…
MAS and Deseg: How TUSD May Interpret Bury’s Decision
Cara Rene, Tucson Unified School District’s director of communications issued this statement this morning: Statement from Tucson Unified School District on Unitary Status PlanTucson, AZ, Feb. 8, 2013 — Tucson Unified School District leadership and legal counsel are reviewing the federal court order received this week on the Unitary Status Plan. The TUSD Governing Board…
Tom Goes to the Chair: Broke Girls, Beyonce and Buttplugs—the Week in TV
All right, I know I promised that I would give you weekly updates of Girls, but it’s torturous. This week’s episode started—and I swear I am not making this up!—with the main character kicking out her gay roommate because he slept with a woman. He wants to take a chair with him, but she sits…
L.A. Fugitive Hints at Media Fixation in Chilling Manifesto
Courtesy of ABC News While ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner has made it clear that he’s targeting the police force after allegedly killing one officer and two civilians this week, he has a few choice words for journalists as well. In a manifesto written by Dorner and delivered to CNN by a LAPD source, Dorner expresses…
AZ Illustrated Politics Debuts Tonight!
AZ Illustrated Politics—the program formally known as Arizona’s Illustrated Political Roundtable—will return to the airwaves tonight. I’ll be back in the host’s seat and we’ll have Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod, former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers and former state lawmakers Frank Antenori and Paula Aboud as our guests. We’ll be talking about background…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Is the City of Tucson selling stolen bikes? Judge for yourself. Tucson’s Kidical Mass heads to the westside this weekend. Find out where and when here. Check out which business happens to be a surprising bike magnet and post your own. Check out the photos from UA’s Criterium, which was held last weekend.
Will MAS Return to TUSD?
As reported late yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge David C. Bury issued a decision in the almost 40-year-old desegregation lawsuit filed on behalf of Mexican-American and African-American students in the Tucson Unified School District. According to a press release sent by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), while the court denied state…
150 Shades of Shame: Well, It Finally Happened
And by “it,” I mean that someone finally put a few of our writers in a story…though, considering that one other story contains a character named “David” typing away at a laptop (an activity I’m doing at this very moment,) I’m not ruling out the idea that I inspired something magical. I won’t give away…
Casino Del Sol’s Double Shot: Something For the Ladies, and Something For Fans of Rich Guys With Strange Fashion Sense
My Valentine’s Day plans are all set up. Have been so for quite some time, thanks to my obsession with details and planning ahead. Then Casino del Sol’s latest email hit my inbox, and now it’s time to re-evaluate my priorities. And those of my wife. The far superior of Tucson’s two tribal gaming outfits…
A Follow-Up to “Aussies (and Wildcats) Gone Wild”: Black Out Media’s David Orr Speaks Out (UPDATED)
In this week’s Currents feature, “Aussies (and Wildcats) Gone Wild,” we mentioned that the owners of Blacked Out Media, the company that filmed the party in question, asked that their names not be used in the story—even though a basic look through Blacked Out’s social media pages linked the company to David Lee Orr, a…
Wildcat Basketball Fans Didn’t Much Care For Bill Walton Last Night
If you’re an Arizona basketball fan, you already know that the ‘Cats ended up beating the Stanford Cardinal 73-66 last night at the McKale Center—and if you were watching the game on television, you likely noted the commentary of ESPN color analyst and basketball great Bill Walton. Being a web producer/social media person/guy with a…
Food Truck Roundup Weekend Kicks Off Tonight at Window Depot
Courtesy of Kadooks! Facebook Page The food truck scene here in Tucson rivals those of much bigger cities, and is hardly limited to the common (albeit delicious) border fare you see scattered about every street corner. David Aguirre’s Tucson Food Truck Roundup gathers the area’s most venerated mobile restaurants in a congregation of flavors you’d…
Stop Everything That You’re Doing and Watch These Kittens, Dammit
When I got this job, I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t just allow The Range to become a depository for adorable animal videos or coverage of terrible musicians/’90s R&B acts. I’ve maintained the second part as best I could (especially given the musical preferences of the new boss, one Mr. Dan Gibson,) but I…
If We Don’t Answer Your Email, It’s Not Because We Don’t Love You
Just a heads-up from all of us here at Tucson Weekly: We’ve been undergoing a major changeover regarding our email system at Weekly World Central, so if your emails have been bouncing back from any of us, that’s why. Trust us, it’s not because we’re trying to avoid your praise/press releases/complaints about the movie listings/complaints…
“I Don’t Believe Anymore That Westboro Baptist Church Has A Monopoly On Truth”: Fred Phelps’s Granddaughter Has Left WBC
Medium.com, thanks to writer Jeff Chu, has the story of Megan Phelps-Roper, the granddaughter of Fred Phelps and former social media ambassador for the Westboro Baptist Church, leaving the church that she was born into, grew up around and eventually lost faith in. Warning: There’s offensive language ahead. “My doubts started with a conversation I…
Bikers Want New Law To Prevent Them From Being Hassled By The Man
Arizona-Sonora News Service Legislative Reporter Bethany Barnes sends us the following dispatch from yesterday’s Senate Public Safety Committee hearing: Arizona may have the best weather for motorcyclists, but it doesn’t matter if you can ride year-round when you keep getting hassled by The Man. Rollin Knights Motorcycle Club member Billy “Rooster” Lockedy, 35, is hoping…
Media Watch
KFMA’s Fook is on the mend aurally … and KCUB will be broadcasting Padres games this season.
T Q&A
Elena Díaz Bjorkquist is a short-story novelist and research affiliate for the UA’s Southwest Institute for Research on Women. A member of Sowing the Seeds, Bjorkquist helps to organize events that connect women in Tucson to humanities projects within the community. The group, which is made up of women writers, will host “Celebrating Women’s Voices…
Editor’s Note
First of all, before anyone gets their hopes up, we didn’t bring back film times in this issue. We’re not going to in the future either, even if you leave me a voicemail calling me a “selfish little pig” and demand my firing. I hope you weren’t hoping to hurt my feelings, angered film aficionado.…
Breaking Routine
Alonzo King LINES Ballet 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10 Centennial Hall, on the UA campus $30 to $50 general; $25 to $45 students, children, UA faculty and staff; $28 to $50 seniors and military Tickets available at box office, UA Student Union BookStore, the “A” stores in Tucson Mall and Park Place, by phone or…
Danehy
Last week in Newtown, Conn., a bipartisan panel of legislators heard from some of the parents of the kids who were massacred at school in mid-December. One father, obviously grief-stricken, asked openly why anyone needs to have a military-style assault weapon with a high-capacity ammo clip. At least three hecklers shouted out. One yelled “Second…
Guest Commentary
Today’s parents face a dilemma: cloth or disposable? Environmentalists say disposable diapers are bad for the environment but those who buy them say convenience outweighs that factor, and that a baby has to be in diapers only for a relatively short time. Cloth diapers first appeared in the 1800s. Today’s disposables originated in the 1960s…
Lone Stranger Rides Again
The Lone Stranger Presented by The Gaslight Theatre 7 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 6 and 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 3 and 6 p.m., Sunday, through Sunday, March 31 Additional Saturday shows at 3 p.m., Feb. 9, 16 and 23, and March 2. Additional Wednesday shows at 3 p.m. on Feb. 13, 20 and…
Messina
Barbara Rose lives on an atypical farm on the northwest side. There are no horses or cows roaming, no irrigated rows of crops and no cornfields. Instead there are trees. “Everything out there taller than you that’s not a saguaro is a bean tree,” Rose says. “Every tree here is a legume tree with edible…
Punch Drunk
Vegas Knockout By P Moss CityLife Books $14.95, 180 pages Las Vegas’ budding downtown tech sector is on the minds and in the online columns of the digerati, or computer-industry elite. Thanks to non-gaming employer Zappos and the company’s CEO Tony Hsieh, there’s investment money being doled out. Walking around the city’s Fremont East district…
Traveling Via Theater
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Presented by Theatre 3 and produced by Etcetera, the late-night arm of Live Theatre Workshop Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m.Episode 2: Ireland—March 8 and 9Episode 3: Japan—April 5 and 6Episode 4: Tucson—April 26 and 27 5317 E. Speedway Blvd.$12; $5 drinks 327-4242; livetheatreworkshop.org; theatre-3.com It starts in Turkey. A small group…
Howenstine Matters
When Rose Thomas found out Tucson Unified School District intended to close her son’s high school as part of a plan to shut down 11 schools to confront a projected $17 million deficit, she wondered if it was even worth looking into other schools. After all, before Thomas enrolled her son at Howenstine Magnet High…
Top Ten in Books
1. Flight Behavior: A Novel Barbara Kingsolver ($28.99) 2. I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats Francesco Marciuliano ($12.95) 3. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Jonas Jonasson ($15.99) 4. The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction Brian Kiteley ($15.99) 5. Life of Pi…
Mailbag
A sampling of reactions to our decision to drop film times in print, not including the woman who left a voicemail hoping Dan Gibson gets fired.
Trigger Happy
President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators both unveiled frameworks for immigration reform last week. There’s a lot of overlap between the plans. Both call for a more secure border, a guest-worker program, better technology to help employers ensure they are hiring legal workers and—most controversially—a “path to citizenship” for undocumented people now…
Sit Down on 12th
El Merendero 5443 S. 12th Ave. 294-1522; elmerenderorestaurant.com Open Saturday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pluses: Large portions Minuses: Service can be slow El Merendero is one of those places you should take visitors to get a feel for Mexican food—Tucson style. The décor is simple, the…
Top Ten in Music
1. Earth Pentastar: In the Style of Demons 2. Freezing Hands Freezing Hands (cassette) 3. King Tuff King Tuff 4. The Mummies Tales From the Crypt 5. Pissed Jeans King of Jeans 6. Black Tusk The Fallen Kingdom 7. Ceremony Violence Violence 8. Mogwai Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will 9. Code Orange Kids…
Email Entropy
On rare occasions, mere citizens gain a glimpse behind the curtain, allowing us to see how government really works. Just such a peek occurred recently, when the Weekly obtained cozy email correspondence between members of the Arizona Racing Commission and Tucson Greyhound Park. The emails were procured through a public records request by Massachusetts anti-racing…
True TV
Community Thursday, Feb. 7 (NBC) Season Premiere: Is it October 2012 already? Way back when this TV season began, NBC had the WTF? plan to dump cult comedy Community on Friday nights with cult anathema Whitney as a lead-in. But then, new series Animal Practice was put to sleep, Up All Night was pulled off…
Christopher Owens: Lysandre (Fat Possum/Turnstile)
After the prompt dissolution of Girls, frontman Christopher Owens returns with a whisper of a solo effort. Framed around a pastoral folk leitmotif, Lysandre is occasionally touching and incredibly brief (29 minutes). The first official track is the gorgeous “Here We Go,” which deftly balances acoustic picking with a fuzzed-out chorus and Owens’ wounded perspective…
Thanks, Shelley Duvall
gHosTcOw, Even the Sky Is Blue CD-release show with the Tangelos and the Modeens 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9 gHosTcOw will perform the entire album in separate sets at 8 and 11 p.m. Plush, 340 E. Sixth St. $5 798-1298; plushtucson.com In troubled times, even the sky is blue. For Tucson’s gHosTcOw, it’s an observation…
Aussies (and Wildcats) Gone Wild
It’s been 11 years since the University of Arizona achieved the pinnacle of all college rankings: the No. 1 party school in America, according to Playboy magazine. But since earning that lofty distinction in 2002 it’s been a downward spiral for the UA as a party place. It was missing from Playboy’s most recent top-10…
Radar Brothers: Eight (Merge)
As the guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer for Radar Brothers, Jim Putnam has been releasing sun-drenched, slow and spacey pop records that evoke Meddle-era Pink Floyd by way of Crazy Horse since 1996. Rarely venturing too far outside the boundaries of this template, Putnam has carved out a niche for himself. But longevity and consistency…
Police Dispatch
A belligerent man relieves himself in his trousers, blaming his arresting officer for it … and a UA student was apparently unable to hold both his chips and his liquor.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II (Jagjaguwar)
The sound of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s eponymous 2011 debut was a hodgepodge of psychedelia and funk filtered through a spacey garage-rock sheen. It’s a bewitching album, experimental but endlessly listenable, sonically layered but also fun to sing along to. II, the band’s latest, picks up where the last album left off, but doubles down on…
The Stubborn Truth
Opinions about cannabis are like … well … opinions. Everybody has one, and you almost certainly think at least a couple of mine suck. But some people, myself included and hopefully you, try to base their opinions on facts, when they can get them. Fortunately, this being the 21st century and all, facts are actually…
Zombie Love
The movie year gets it first big, sweet surprise with Warm Bodies, a funny and surprisingly moving take on the zombie genre from director Jonathan Levine, who gave us the wonderful 50/50. To call Warm Bodies a straight-up zombie flick would be off the mark. It’s a love story set in a horror movie world…
Ask a Mexican!
The Mexican explains the perceived Mexican beef with Cubans; and fields a response from a gabacho that is Mexican-friendly.
Mercy and Murder
Now in their 80s and retired, Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) have been married who knows how long, but there’s no guesswork about the kind of marriage it is. “Did I mention you looked very pretty tonight?” Georges asks her. The next morning, over breakfast and amid small talk, Anne fades. She isn’t…
City Week
Retro Retail The Time Travelers’ Outpost at the Trunk Show Tour Noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9 Haggerty Plaza, 324 N. Fourth Ave. 982-0556; www.fourthavenue.org/4th-avenue-trunk-show To Jocelynne Weathers, Steampunk is a way for her to express herself with others who share this common interest. “To me personally, Steampunk is about working at the connection between…
Top Ten in Cinema
1. Seven Psychopaths 2. End of Watch 3. Taken 2 4. Hotel Transylvania 5. Paranormal Activity 4 6. The Cold Light of Day 7. Frankenweenie 8. Compliance 9. To Rome With Love 10. The Paperboy
Funky Night for a Cultural Cause
Get your funk on at the Rialto Theatre Foundation’s Inaugural Gala, Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Rialto Theatre.
Live
Daniel Johnston saw fit to make up a show he bailed on a few months ago, much to the delight of his fan base, which pushed the capacity limit at Club Congress. Call me old-fashioned, but whenever a band takes the stage I expect a “Hi, how you doing, we’re so and so from Anytown,…
Soundbites
Rhythm and Roots Concert Series keeps Holden strong; the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show rocks Tucson; and more!
Nine Questions
Corey Reidy plays guitar with the local rock band Church Key. He’s also a key instigator in the release of Stunning Tonto Forever, a compilation of Tucson-based acts from the early 2000s on the Stunning Tonto record label. Church Key plays with several other local bands at Plush on Friday, Feb. 8, for the album’s…
The Skinny
Gabby Giffords’ testimony in front of the Senate kicked off a tumultuous week in the world of gun news … a audit of the Pima County bond program proved positive for the program’s supporters … and the Green Party will have to work to regain ballot status in Tucson.
Noshing Around
It’s more “see you later” than “goodbye” for Woody’s on Oracle … Double Check Ranch provides a dinner that’s as organic and as local as it gets … Aloft Tucson University Hotel’s restaurants appear to have been named using alphabet soup … and Dragoon is named the best new brewery in Arizona.
Weekly Wide Web
For the unaware, last Friday we announced our erotic fiction contest, lovingly titled “150 Shades of Shame,” and in the short space of time between that announcement and this writing, we’ve already received a fair number of worthy entries—including at least one incredibly strong piece that’s bound to make a push for the top prize.…
MALDEF: “Court Rules in Favor of Culturally Relevant Courses that Reflect the Mexican American Experience”
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) made this announcement on its Facebook page and on Twitter around 4:30 p.m. today: #Education @maldef Court rules in favor of #studies reflecting experiences of the #MexicanAmerican > #DesgregationOrder @tusd #Arizona— MALDEF (@MALDEF) February 6, 2013 Breaking News in Tuscon Unified School District Desegration Order!! Details…
El Charro’s President Is Determined To Keep A Latin Nightclub Going For Tucson
After learning that CVS Pharmacy recently bought El Mercado Shopping Center, on the corner of Broadway Boulevard and Wilmot Road, I asked Ray Flores Jr., president of El Charro, a few questions about the future of the 17-year-old Latin nightclub that will soon be closing. Flores got an eviction notice in December giving him days…
