Cover Story
Losing the Drug War
Dan Wirth and Keith Graves spent significant portions of their careers working on the Arizona-Mexico border. They know these troubled lands inside and out. Both have reputations as straight-shooters, and both retired last December. Now able to speak freely, they agreed to talk to the Tucson Weekly with only one topic off-limits—the murder of Border…
Mexico City Kitchen Is Back in Action
The small food trailer Mexico City Kitchen is back in action after a long hiatus. You can read a bit more about the mobile food operation and its inspired fare over here. For those who made it out to the Tucson Taco Festival, Mexico City Kitchen took home the award for best guacamole. They also…
Fox Nation Responds to Obama News in Most Predictable Way Possible
Mediaite captured Fox Nation’s brilliant headline before the site edited it down to remove the “war on marriage” portion. Fox Nation seemingly exists just to give people something to angrily type in all-caps about, so I guess someone should get a bonus over there today. Well played, Fox Nation. Well played.
This Is What it Looks Like When the President Endorses Same-Sex Marriage
video platform video management video solutions video player Will it matter? Is this a case of “too little/too late”? Will this hurt his re-election campaign? Lots of questions are still floating around unanswered, but it’s still the obvious right thing to do, so it’s, at very least, nice to hear: I have to tell you…
UA Mexican American Studies Press Conference Thursday, May 10
Last week, we talked with Kim Dominguez from the Social Justice Education Project in the UA Mexican American Studies department about issues brewing in the department between SJEP and the MAS department head and other department faculty. After the story was published, we did hear back from Dean John Paul Jones of the College of…
Jon Stewart Takes on Romney’s (Lack of?) Cognitive Dissonance
The Daily Show with Jon StewartGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook This clip is a reminder of what I love about The Daily Show: a politician says something so mind-bendingly detached from reality that it’s nearly impossible to process and they’re there, providing six and a half…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com: Sen. Al Melvin’s Stand-Up Routine
Al Melvin took to the floor of the Arizona Senate this week to speak his mind at the close of the session, touching on topics like how much he misses Russell Pearce, how much trouble America is in, and the joys of partisanship.
The Final Janos Menu
This is the final menu for Janos, the renowned restaurant at 3770 E. Sunrise Drive that will serve its final meal on Saturday, May 26. Owner Janos Wilder announced a couple weeks ago that he was closing both Janos and the J-Bar. This menu becomes available on Wednesday, May 16: AppetizersSoft Shell Crab Tempura and…
Parking Lots: Functional, Or Deadly?
Tuesday was not a good day to find yourself in a parking lot. Two men were shot to death in separate, unrelated incidents in a pair of parking lots in the city limits, according to Tucson police. The first shooting happened just before 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Arcadia Terrace Apartments, 4860…
Spiritualized Were on Letterman Last Night
“Hey Jane” isn’t my favorite song on Spiritualized’s new album “Sweet Heart Sweet Light,” but any Spiritualized on television is better than no Spiritualized on television. Spiritualized, who are quite good and probably won’t ever end up playing in Tucson again, are coming to the Rialto on May 18th.
CD8 Air War: New Salvo
Democrat Ron Barber responds to Republican Jesse Kelly’s latest ad with an ad of his own in the special election to finish Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional term. It’s the latest salvo in their battles over the future of Social Security and Medicare. Here’s Kelly’s ad, featuring his grandpa, Hank. We’ll have more on the Medicare and…
TUSD Federal Investigation Press Conference Tonight (Tuesday) at 5:15 p.m.
At a 5:15 p.m. press conference tonight, the Glendale-based Civil Rights Center will discuss complaints that led the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in Denver to open two investigations into alleged civil rights abuses by the Tucson Unified School District. The press conference takes place in front of the TUSD administration building,…
CD8: Who Is Behind Jesse Kelly’s Makeover?
Republican Jesse Kelly, who is battling Democrat Ron Barber in the June 12 special election to complete Gabrielle Giffords’ Congressional District 8 term, has made a startling political transformation. For his entire political career (which is about three years old), Kelly has insisted that Social Security and Medicare needed to be privatized. In multiple interviews,…
Want to Save an Animal and Some Money?
This Saturday, if you’re thinking of adopting a dog and are willing to visit a car dealership, you can save a significant amount of money by visiting Chapman Volkwagen on 22nd Street for their Adoptable Pet Day. The Humane Society is bringing the pets needing a home, but Chapman will cover all adoption fees. More…
This Is a Blatant Plug for the Unify to Thrive Project
I am so biased when it comes to the Unify to Thrive Project, which works to raise money for the good work done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For starters, my brother Aaron plays guitar and sings in reggae band Thrive, which started the project after their saxophone player was diagnosed with colon and…
CD8: Dem Super PAC Dumps $340K in Race for Giffords’ Seat
The House Majority PAC, a Super PAC dedicated to supporting Democratic candidates, is planning on spending $340,000 on TV ads over three weeks in the congressional race between Democrat Ron Barber and Republican Jesse Kelly. The June 12 special election will determine who will finish Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional term. The ads will start running this…
This Is What It Has Come to on “Fox & Friends”
Fresh off being parodied on Saturday Night Live this week, it’s almost like the producers at Fox & Friends decided to up the ante and prove that they’re capable of being crazier than a satirical version of themselves created for a comedy show. On this morning’s show, Gretchen Carlson interviewed astrologist Chris Brennan, allowing him…
Jackson’s Grille and Gastropub Is Closed, the Station Neighborhood Grill Is Moving In
Although the short-lived Jackson’s Grille and Gastropub at 8235 N. Silverbell Road has closed, we hear a new restaurant called the Station Neighborhood Grill is opening there soon. That part of town needs a neighborhood hangout, but this specific location has yet to see a concept with much staying power. But sometimes, as in the…
RIP, Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak, considered one of the most important children’s book artist of all time, has passed away at the age of 83. While I’m sure most remembrances of Mr. Sendak will justifiably focus on Where the Wild Things Are, the first work of his that I thought of this morning was Really Rosie, a musical…
This Is What We’re Doing to Keep Teens From Having Sex Now
While as a parent, on some level, I appreciate nearly anything that frightens young people into keeping their pants on, stupid analogies aren’t going to ever work. Oh, sex is like a glass of water with nasty chewed up food in it? Then I’m sure hormone-fueled young people certainly won’t be interested. A Boulder mother…
Today in Reverse-Racism: Does Obama Hate MCA? (Answer: No.)
Joseph Curl of the Washington Times believes that Barack Obama must hate Jewish rappers. Why else would the President of the United States ignore the death of Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch, also known as MCA? Now, half-white Barack Obama (exactly my age) didn’t say a word, even though he was talking to college kids…
Are You Obsessed With Facebook?
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock No clue what this photo has to do with anything, but I thought it was funny, at least. I’m stunned that someone spent time and money coming up with an index for Facebook addiction – not because Facebook can’t be a problem, but because the signs see a little obvious -…
We Haven’t Posted a Cat Video Recently
I usually describe what I do for a living as “blogging cat videos,” but it turns out that I don’t actually post all that many. To try to remedy that situation, here’s a cat getting stuck in a hamster ball to a Stealer’s Wheel soundtrack. Enjoy.
New Stupid Speed Camera to Start Giving Out Real Tickets
If you’re driving on the Northwest side, watch your speed on La Cholla Blvd. between River and Ruthrauff, since the newest speed-enforcement camera in Pima County is now issuing tickets as of Friday the 4th. As you may or may not know, the camera takes photos of those going eleven miles or more over the…
Let’s Watch a “Lost” Beastie Boys Performance
[UPDATE: Nevermind. Viacom has shut this video down, for reasons I can’t possibly understand, since it takes precisely nothing away from them financially.] It seems a little unfair that it took Adam Yauch’s passing for this video to surface, but this live take on “The New Style” was recorded for the “lost” third season of…
World of Puns Explodes Over Hot Dog Hooker Case
So many choices…relish, buns, wieners. It’s almost too much. Catherine Scalia, 45, was arrested Thursday night when she offered the off-menu special to an undercover cop and took him back to her East Rockaway pad for some home cooking. […] An undercover cop approached the stand Thursday and bought two hot dogs and water for…
El Charro Cafe Featured in an Issue of the New York Post
Tucson’s El Charro Café, which is celebrating 90 years in the Mexican-food business this year, gets a shout-out in a recent story in the New York Post: about happy food accidents through the ages: Chimichanga, 1922 — Another happy Mexican accident occurred at the El Charro Café in Tucson, Ariz., where a cook named Monica…
Happy Anniversary to the Greatest Press Conference Ever
Not a game, not a game. We talking about practice. Miss you, A.I. And in remixed form, by Steve Porter:
This Week in Strange Comments We Won’t Be Keeping on the Site
I applaud the person who was high or drunk enough Friday at 10:10 am to believe that a stream of comments themed around our articles and self pleasure (including the one above, left on one of the Lindy’s/Redline posts) was a good idea, but I’m sorry this will likely be the only lasting monument to…
If You Could Use Some Beastie Boys to Listen to Today…
Famed DJ Mick Boogie put together a mixtape last last month to celebrate the Beastie Boys’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, full of rarities, demos, remixes and live takes. The mix takes on a different emotional tenor following MCA’s death yesterday, but it’s definitely a great listen for any Beasties fan.
Political Roundtable: Air War in the Race for Giffords’ Seat, Sine Die at the AZ Capitol & Steve K’s Broadway Show
On Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable this week: Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers and GOP consultant Sam Stone talk about the week in politics, including the TV ads in the special election between Republican Jesse Kelly and Democrat Ron Barber for Gabby Giffords’ congressional seat, winners and losers in the legislative session that wrapped…
Talking Free Comics With Illustrator Adam Rex
Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow and one of the books up for grabs is an issue of web-series-turned-comic The Guild, with the cover illustrated by local artist/acclaimed children’s book author Adam Rex. Rex will be at Heroes & Villains tomorrow (the press release is below the cut) signing the free book. I talked to…
Teachers, Stop Having Sex With Your Students
This seems like a simple concept, but apparently it needs to be pointed out over and over again: when you’re over 18 and you have sexual contact with someone under 18, it’s illegal, and people are eventually going to find out about it. Especially in high school. For the second time this week a local…
‘Weekly’ Contributor Dave Devine to Lead Walking Tour Tomorrow
Ken Scoville and Tucson Weekly contributor Dave Devine give walking tours of the area covered by the disputed “Overlay Zone” just west of the UA campus, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Saturday, May 5; $25. Proceeds benefit the Overlay Referendum Legal Fund. Call 358-8500 for reservations or more information. To read Dave Devine’s guest…
Banned Book Author Ana Castillo Visits Tucson Tonight
The Range talked with banned-book novelist and poet Ana Castillo yesterday while she drove from New Mexico into Arizona for a weekend of readings and workshops that start tonight at the John Valenzuela Youth Center. Castillio plans to meet with students later this afternoon before her public reading at the South Tucson Center at 1550…
Listen to Tom Danehy’s Stint on the Garret Lewis Show
KNST’s Garret Lewis wasn’t thrilled with Danehy’s column this week, so Lewis invited Tom on his show this morning to hash out whether the column “crossed the line.” The sentence that Lewis found most troubling: Judging by Lewis’ absolutely giddy radio demeanor, this Paul Grijalva gaffe meant that SB 1070 was going to be upheld;…
In Case You Were Still Wondering, J.T. Ready Was a Terrible Human Being
Not so much in our comment section (although someone did chime in that we lived in “fantasy land”), but nearly every media outlet that covered J.T. Ready’s cowardly, despicable end of his own life and three others on Wednesday has a comment section that features a few of his defenders, claiming that Ready was actually…
Keep the Water Low in Your Summer Potted Gardens
Pedilanthus – Another Potted Favorite Gearing up for the 2012 heat, many people are inquiring about what plants they use in pots that will weather Tucson’s summer sun. Of course, you know I love our flowers and with the right watering, they will thrive!! However, many times people do not want to be married to…
Suck It, Phoenix: El Charro Is Arizona’s Food Pilgrimage
New York Magazine’s Grub Street compiled a food destination for all fifty states for people who have money to actually go places this summer and while I assumed they would pick something in Phoenix (Pizzeria Bianco? Fry Bread House?), but instead, Tucson is number one, with El Charro taking the admittedly meaningless honor. Still, it’s…
RIP, Adam Yauch (a.k.a. the Beastie Boys’ MCA)
Well, this sucks: In 2009, MCA announced he was being treated for a cancerous parotid gland and a lymph node. He has since undergone surgery and radiation therapy. So far, it’s not clear if the death is related to the rapper’s battle with cancer. Russell Simmons’ website GlobalGrind.com first reported the death. We have spoken…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Michael McKisson/TucsonVelo.com Tom Thivener and his daughter Saskia Shen-Thivener lead a ride highlighting future bicycle boulevards. Tom Thivener, the city’s bike and pedestrian coordinator is leaving the city. Read the story to find out where he is going and when he is leaving. It’s bloomin’ hot out there. Check out the photo essay of flowers…
Cinco de Mayo Is Silly, But These Cookies Look Delicious
Sure, I’d have to buy a cutter that looks like donkey, the cookie apparently takes more time than your average baked treat, and most celebrations of Cinco de Mayo are essentially a construct to sell more Corona, but these piñata cookies seem like a lot of fun. Piñatas are fun, cookies are delightful…what could go…
Go See Allo Darlin’ Tomorrow or Live a Lifetime of Regret
I briefly mentioned tomorrow’s Allo Darlin’ show at Club Congress tomorrow night back in February, but now that their new album Europe is out and the show is just around the corner, this post serves as your warning that if you think you might skip this free show, you should prepare yourself for the constant…
This New Italian Restaurant Is Open
It looks like the new Italian restaurant Bella D’Auria is open. You can read what I wrote about the place almost a year ago, when work first began on the restaurant, here. There’s more over here on the restaurant’s website. If anyone makes it over there drop some info in the comments. I’d love to…
What the Truck, Oro Valley?
Oro Valley has grown a lot in the nearly 40 years since it was first incorporated. Heck, it’s even got a movie theater and two Wal-Marts. But with the suburb of Tucson no longer just a bedroom community, town officials are wondering what its residents and business owners think about truck traffic on its streets.…
Upcoming Migrant Documentary Releases Preview
As the temperature rises across southern Arizona this summer, so will the number of migrant deaths reported to the Office of the Pima County Medical Examiner. In 2011, the Pima County OME recovered 184 deceased migrants from the Sonoran Desert. Of that number, 67 were identified and the remains were repatriated back to their families.…
The Ups and Downs of Medical Marijuana Law
A buddy of mine moved to Connecticut this past year, to a farm on some acreage with a pond and wild turkeys and amazing sunsets, with a couple weird, off-the-grid neighbors to keep things interesting. He leads a pretty charmed life with a beautiful, successful woman just down the road from a golf course and…
The Degenerates, They Keep On Losing
No matter how tough the economy is, sin is always a lucrative business. Nowhere is this more prevalent in Arizona than in the casino industry, as for the seventh consecutive quarter the state’s 22 tribal casinos contributed an increased share of all that money we drop into slots, at the blackjack table and on ridiculously…
Finally, a “Perfect Strangers” Themed Video Game
From the same creative firm that created the Fall Out Boy version of “Oregon Trail”, there’s now a Flash-based game themed around the late 80’s/early 90’s sitcom Perfect Strangers, in which you play as Balki, chasing a dream by collecting stars as the show’s theme plays. Yes, this is actually something that exists. A special…
Shakespeare and Steel
Although the 2011-2012 theater season is winding down, Rogue Theatre and Arizona Onstage Productions opened a couple of plays last weekend, and they both represent some fine work. Rogue brings us a little-produced Shakespeare comedy, A Winter’s Tale, and Arizona Onstage gives us Robert Harling’s popular Steel Magnolias. If you’re planning on traveling back in…
Growing Up Fatherless
A trip to the Pima County Fair last week brought both joy and despair to Vicki Morgan. The joy came from the beaming smiles of her three grandchildren, whom she rarely sees nowadays. But looking into their eyes also brought Morgan despair, a reminder she’d never see their father—and her only son—Jesse Morgan again. “I…
Black Bananas: Rad Times Xpress IV (Drag City)
Too often, rock bands seem content to settle for cool genre tags instead of flying their freak flags high. Fortunately, one can always count on Royal Trux co-founder Jennifer Herrema to run something colorful, half-crazy and completely pledge-worthy up a musical pole. Herrema’s latest project is Black Bananas, a hallucinatory blend of funk, ’80s synth-pop…
A Fairy-Tale Year
Ballet Tucson’s new leading man will dance with the company’s prima ballerina in Cinderella this weekend. Stuart Lauer, taking on the role of the Prince for the first time, will partner with Jenna Johnson, who’s reprising her Cinderella from 2008. “Stuart has come a very long way in five seasons with us,” says artistic director…
Truth in a Martini
Rhonda Hallquist, a Live Theatre Workshop actor who has appeared onstage several times this season, makes her LTW directing debut with A.R. Gurney’s 1988 off-Broadway hit The Cocktail Hour. This four-person comedy of manners takes place during the titular “hour”: a sacred time right before dinner that WASP-y New England couple Ann (Carlisle Ellis) and…
Pot and POTUS
The people close to me—and maybe some folks a few tables away at the bar—know what I think about politicians. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years following our esteemed leaders around with microphones, and some of the things I recorded disgusted me and pissed me off—and generally made me think less of…
Southern Accents
Jimmye Hillman, father of Tucson bard Brenda Hillman, is an agricultural economist by training, and a former department head at the University of Arizona. Before he went West to establish himself, he spent his childhood on a subsistence farm—in other words, a noncommercial enterprise—in the Deep South. At age 88, he has written his first…
Top Ten in Books
1. Yoga Skills for Therapists: Effective Practices for Mood Management Amy Weintraub, W. W. Norton ($24.95) 2. The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins, Scholastic ($17.99) 3. Catching Fire Suzanne Collins, Scholastic ($17.99) 4. Mockingjay Suzanne Collins, Scholastic ($17.99) 5. Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy E.L. James, Vintage ($15.95) 6. Drift:…
Water Ways
The Arizona dream has long been based on a notion that we’ll have enough water for growth infinitum. And should our wells run dry from overpumping, we’ll just turn to that old guarantor of a lush future called the Central Arizona Project. As for those who might question our reliance on an aqueduct fed by…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I am a 20-year-old tall, slender, blonde Jewish Russian-American. He is a 24-year-old, short, muscular Mexican. At face value, you would never think we would work well, but we do. I started to love him. He’s the most unique person I have ever met. He is never down, always smiling, and positive while…
The Skinny
The debate over the DREAM Act; How fair is the FAIR Tax?
Blue Dreams
Much has been said in recent weeks about whether Arizona could be in play in this year’s presidential election. On its face, the proposition seems unlikely. Arizona has not been friendly territory for Democratic presidential candidates. Other than a win by Bill Clinton in 1996, the state has gone Republican in every presidential election since…
Worthy of the Hype
Geek boys and girls, you can start rejoicing. The Avengers delivers the goods in a big, unforgettable way. It’s exhilarating action moviemaking at its best. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow come together in director Joss Whedon’s damn near miraculous The Avengers to kick off the summer movie season on…
Ah, Agave!
Tequila has a long history, going back to the age of the Aztecs, who used to make a similar beverage they called octli using the agave plant—long before the Spanish arrived in Mexico in 1521. The first official “tequila” was made near its namesake town (Santiago de Tequila) in Jalisco, Mexico, when the Spanish conquistadores…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Contraband Universal 2. Mission Impossible—Ghost Protocol Paramount 3. We Bought a Zoo 20th Century Fox 4. The Iron Lady Weinstein 5. The Innkeepers Magnolia 6. Shame 20th Century Fox 7. War Horse Disney 8. The Darkest Hour Summit 9. Into the Abyss IFC 10. 11-11-11 Big Air
Weekly Wide Web
Last August in this space, I spent some time ranting about Klout, the service that ostensibly measures your influence online and while I still occasionally check my score (partially to try to understand what’s behind the seemingly random yo-yoing of my number … As high as 56! As low as 53!), a recent feature in…
City Week
Celebrating Hoopleville; Living green and local; Short films as thesis projects; Boxing!
Drummer’s Delight
Listen to this city, contaminated by shitty music,” hisses Sanna (Sanna Persson), unable to digest the competing ambient noises that provide the soundtrack to the night. “It’s time to strike back.” Together with her composer friend Magnus (Magnus Börjeson), Sanna concocts a scheme in the crime comedy Sound of Noise that is equal parts Stomp…
Cajun Crusaders
For more than 40 years, BeauSoleil bandleader Michael Doucet has been carrying on a musical tradition that once was in danger of extinction. When he started studying and playing Cajun music in the early 1970s, it had all but faded away, relegated to artifact status and played by a few old-timers in southwestern Louisiana. Doucet…
Danehy
I had to run some errands the other day. I had a new CD from Bonnie Raitt—who can still bring it—but I thought I’d listen to the radio instead. Perhaps I could learn something. The guy who’s on KNST AM 790/FM 97.1 in the morning, Garret Lewis, was having a field day. Apparently, the night…
Now Showing at Home
The Wicker Tree; Pariah (Blu-ray); Pillow Talk (Blu-ray)
Soundbites
Lambchop comes to town; Burger Records returns; A midwest invasion; and more!
Editor’s Note
If you’re a locally owned business, and you’re using the fact that you’re local to appeal to potential customers, doesn’t that mean that you have a heightened responsibility to treat those customers ethically? Let me tell you a story. I’m taking a weekend trip to Phoenix for a work-related function later this month. When in…
Postcards From Dandong
Tucson has never had its fair share of good Chinese restaurants. Consider that P.F. Chang’s has finished first or second in the Best Chinese category of our Best of Tucson® readers’ poll every year within the last decade or so. Not that there’s anything wrong with P.F. Chang’s. Of course, there’s nothing really right with…
Top Ten in Music
1. Blood Spasm Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (self-released) 2. Kill All Redneck Pricks: A Documentary Film About a Band Called KARP (DVD) Molasses Manifesto 3. Psychic Forever Demo 2012 (self-released) 4. In Cahoots In Cahoots (self-released) 5. Besmirchers If Loving You Is Wrong … (Puke in the Sink) 6. Boogie Nazis Boogie…
Messina
While reading press releases each week, I am amazed to see the variety of free events, services and items offered in Tucson. I don’t agree with the idea that something free is not valued because it wasn’t paid for. Instead, I think free is a treat to be shared. In that vein, here’s a sampling…
Noshing Around
Mead!; The end of an era for Janos; Agave Fest; and more!
Nine Questions
Lauren Baker is the co-owner of Razorz Edge, a rock ‘n’ roll fashion boutique at 427 N. Fourth Ave. Visit www.razorzedge.com for more information. What was the first concert you ever saw? Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. My parents took me, and I must have been 8 or 9 years old. I was in awe…
Mailbag
Reactions to the CD 8 special election; a correction
Media Watch
Jon Justice returns to the airwaves after a harrowing heart incident
Live
Live band hip-hop is a rarity in Tucson. So when the Project arrived on the local scene—fully formed, with an eclectic sound that takes in soulful grooves, jazzy detours and spacey funk—late last summer, the fresh sound created a huge buzz. Releasing their debut Child Support (produced by Ian Carstensen at Loveland Studios), the Project…
TQ&A
Nicholas Fontana became the newest member of the Arizona House of Representatives on Monday, April 30, taking over for Daniel Patterson, who quit last month to avoid expulsion for “disorderly behavior.” Fontana has his own law office and is judge pro tem for the Tohono O’odham tribal court. He has also worked as the chief…
Ties That Bind
Internal struggles, not the UA administration, may be to blame for the recent ouster of the student-led group UNIDOS from the university’s Mexican American Studies department. Four days before the first anniversary of the student takeover of the TUSD board meeting that propelled the state’s anti-Mexican American Studies law into the national spotlight, UA MAS…
Last Call Brawlers: The Pressures of Living, The Darkness of Dying (Los Muertos)
The Brawlers have been around since 1999, and their latest album shows the band’s meld of rockabilly, punk and surf music at its most seamless. The local quartet keeps things simple and direct, always opting for heart and guts rather than elaboration. Maybe that’s why songs that sound initially like garden-variety punkabilly get better with…
Guest Commentary
On April 28, organizations around the country commemorated workers who were injured or killed in the workplace. Workers’ Memorial Day is the annual recognition that workers continue to suffer injuries and illnesses while at work. Many are killed in incidents that could have been prevented by safety measures that are affordable and reasonable. In 2010,…
Police Dispatch
Drugs make people do terrible things; Attempted saguaro snatching
Tennis: Young and Old (Fat Possum)
The first album from Tennis arrived framed in its own narrative—husband and wife tour the Eastern Seaboard in a sailboat for seven months, then form a band to make a record about their experience. The band’s follow-up manages to carry the themes and sound of Cape Dory another step forward. Young and Old isn’t about…
J.T. Ready Dead in Murder-Suicide
According to reports about a murder-suicide that left four adults and one child dead in Gilbert, it appears that the shooter was white supremacist/candidate for Pinal County Sheriff J.T. Ready. Ready wasn’t just known for his hateful rhetoric and leadership of state Nazis, but as a good friend to former state Senator Russell Pearce.
CD8: Dems Up TV Buy To Nearly a Half-Million Dollars To Hang Onto Giffords’ Seat
The DCCC has raised the stakes in the race to complete Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional term. The Hill reports: House Democrats have purchased a total of $473,000 in ad time for the June 12 special election for Arizona’s 8th district, a committee official confirmed to Roll Call today. That sum includes a previous $150,000 buy from…
