Cover Story
Buddha in the Desert
On this rural dirt road near the town of Bowie, not far from the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains, there’s hardly any noise during the day. At night, the quiet is disturbed only by chirping crickets and the yips of coyotes in the nearby hills. But on April 22, the sounds of a helicopter disturbed…
Time To Fertilize Your Potted Citrus Trees
If you have any citrus trees in pots, it is time to fertilzie them with a citrus fertilizer (I like Arizona Best.) HOWEVER, and this is a big however, if you have planted annual flowers underneath the tree in the pot, be careful. Fertilizing it now with granular fertilizer may burn the roots of the…
Tucson City Council Rejects Downtown Rezoning Extension Over Fears of Future Student Housing
The Tucson City Council voted unanimously last night against extending a rezoning agreement for a key downtown parcel. The property in question, at Stone Avenue and Franklin Street, sits on the edge of the historic El Presidio Neighborhood and is smack-dab in the midst of the developing Warehouse Arts District. A string of speakers, mostly…
Talking Comics: Liefeld Twitter War & HERO WORSHIP
This week, Eric & Arnie pull back the curtain and show us the seedy underbelly of the comic book industry…on Twitter. Also, they talk about a rad little comic called Hero Worship, written by Zak Penn & Scott Murphy, featuring artwork by Michael DiPascale.
New: Epazote Kitchen and Cocktails
There’s a new restaurant at Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Resort at 10000 N. Oracle Road called Epazote Kitchen & Cocktails. I found this description of the place on the hotel and resort’s website: Literally translated as “Mexican Tea,” Epazote is prominently used in Southwestern cuisine to add a spicy yet earthy flavor somewhat reminiscent of…
Eternal Optimism in the Form of a Press Release
There’s about three weeks left in the regular season for Major League baseball, and at this point the vast majority of teams’ fan bases have given up on their annual overembellished hopes of a World Series title. That includes you, Diamondbacks fans. Stop kidding yourself: they’re 10 games behind the Giants for first place in…
CD2 Air War: Barber Debuts First TV Ad
Democrat Ron Barber, who won the hard-fought race to complete Gabby Giffords’ term in Congressional District 8, is on the air with his first ad of the race to win the new Congressional District 2, created by Arizona’s redistricting process. The ad features Fran Bartholomeaux, who nearly lost her home to foreclosure but found help…
Viva Copa de Hot Dog!
Last year a 120-pound competitor ate 10 pounds of hot dogs in 10 minutes at Sir Veza’s Copa de Hot Dog eating contest. Will the gluttony at this year’s event put that to shame? There’s only one way to find out: Head over to Sir Veza’s at the Tucson Mall (220 W. Wetmore Road) and…
Cat Videos Have Moved Beyond Internet, Are Now A ‘Thing’
Last month marked the first-ever Cat Video Festival, in which someone won with a video entitled “Henri 2, Paw Deux,” a title that tries so hard to be clever it makes my eyes ache. Now the Friskies cat food brand has decided that they want in on the lucrative cat video market by creating the…
Another Tucson Food Swap Is Upon Us
Food Swap Tucson, a regular event that encourages people to trade homemade food once a month or so, is getting ready to hold another get-together. From the group’s blog: After a Food Swap we take home many delicious goodies that add interest to a whole week’s worth of meals, so we figured that Monday might…
UA Poetry Center Executive Director To Step Down
Gail Browne, the executive director of the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center, has announced that she will be stepping down from her position effective June 30, 2013. From the University of Arizona’s press release announcing the move: During her time at the Poetry Center, Browne oversaw the capital campaign for and construction of the Center’s…
Brewer Cancels Appearance at Mercer Fundraiser
Looks like Gov. Jan Brewer won’t be helping Gabby Mercer raise funds this week. Talking Points Memo reports: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has bailed on a Republican congressional candidate who landed in hot water last month after saying Middle Eastern immigrants should be banned from the U.S. Phoenix television station KTVK reported on Tuesday that…
Mars Rovers Leave Lasting September 11 Memorials On Red Planet
Photo of Opportunity’s rock abrasion tool at the end of her robotic arm (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University/Arizona State University). On Sept. 11, 2001, mechanical engineer Steve Gorevan was biking from his home in Manhattan to the offices of his company, Honeybee Robotics, where they were developing tools for the Spirit and Opportunity rovers to use during their…
Dragoon Brewing Co.’s Ojo Blanco Beer Is Delicious
Dragoon Brewing Co. has added a new beer to its line up. It’s called Ojo Blanco, and I highly suggest grabbing a pint or growler of it at your earliest convenience. From a description on the Dragoon Brewing Co. website: A traditional Belgian-style wit bier, our version is light bodied, finishes dry, and features a…
CD1 Air War: DCCC & NRCC Launch First Attacks
The air war is underway in Congressional District 1, where Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick is facing Republican Jonathan Paton. As we mentioned last week, Kirkpatrick is up on TV with her first biographical ad, which focuses on her ties to the district. Kirkpatrick is a former state lawmaker who represented much of the area in Congress…
Taliban Poses As Pretty Girls Online To Befriend Military
A report from the Australian government says that Aussie troops have unknowingly befriended insurgents who have created false Facebook accounts, posing as attractive women, which leads to an uncomfortable question: How many American troops, befriending strangers on Facebook, could be doing the same thing? From Wired.com: “The Taliban have used pictures of attractive women as…
Tonight: Forum On Education With PCC Board Candidates
Tonight’s your chance to hear from this year’s candidates for Pima Community College’s Board of Governors. Considering the tumultous year that PCC has gone through (sudden retirements; changes to admissions; a search for a new chancellor; a significant drop in enrollment for this year), these folks will have a lot to consider this evening. From…
New Poll: Flake Tied With Carmona in US Senate Race
Public Policy Polling is out with a new survey of Arizona voters that shows the U.S. Senate race between Republican Congressman Jeff Flake and Democrat Richard Carmona is a dead heat. The survey of 993 likely voters, taken Sept. 7-9, show that 44 percent of voters support Flake, while 43 percent support Carmona. The survey…
Calexico Takes a Ride Into the Danger Zone
Here’s something we never thought we’d see: Calexico doing a cover of Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone.” It’s part of the Under Cover series by The Onion’s AV Club, wherein a band is invited to cover a song on a list of 25 tunes in a tiny little room. From the AV Club: Calexico is the…
Check Out SugarSong Custom Cakes
SugarSong Custom Cakes is cranking out some seriously beautiful sweetness. From elegant tiered cakes wrapped in delicate fondant flowers to multiple-flavors of mini-cupcakes, the outfit is taking cake artistry to very impressive places. From a description on the SugarSong Custom Cakes website: Lorie Anderson has more than 20 years experience decorating and baking fanciful desserts.…
Stupid Motorist Law, Extreme Parent Ignorance Edition
Of all of Arizona’s odd laws, the one that applies to penalizing idiot drivers for getting stuck in washes and flooded underpasses is my favorite. If you somehow think it’s okay to drive through a water-covered area where water wouldn’t normally be, you deserve to get punished. Recent information released by the Pima County Sheriff’s…
Yelp Reviewers Try To Crush Obama-Hugging Pizza Shop Owner
So it turns out that being seen hugging and lifting a Democratic president can be bad news for small business owners — particularly if they personally identify as Republicans. Scott Van Duzer, the owner of Big Apple Pizza in Fort Pierce, Florida, exuberantly hugged (and lifted) President Barack Obama this weekend during a campaign visit,…
Tea Party Concert In Phoenix Cancelled Due To Apathy
Well, saying that people were apathetic toward the event might be inaccurate. It would be far more accurate to say that people didn’t care enough to buy tickets for the event that was set to feature Pat Boone, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and a mess of folks who were looking to expose Barack Obama…
Obama’s Bounce: Leading Romney by 6 Points in New CNN Poll
A CNN/ORC International poll is the latest survey to show a bounce for Obama in the wake of last week’s Democratic National Convention: A new survey indicates President Barack Obama moved up four points following the Democratic National Convention last week, and now has a six point advantage over his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. According…
State Supreme Court Rules Tattoos Are Protected Speech
This just in out of Phoenix: The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that tattoos are protected speech under the 1st Amendment. The case was brought about when the City of Mesa denied permission for a tattoo parlor to open up in 2009. The court, however, did not say that Mesa violated the rights of the…
The Best And Worst Twitter Reactions To Arizona’s Win Over Oklahoma State
i knew oklahoma state coming off a 81-0 victory was gonna lose to UofA— vince vallejo(@wookiee14) September 9, 2012 Shockingly, this wasn’t the most ridiculous thing that popped up on Twitter immediately following the University of Arizona’s upset victory over then-nationally-ranked Oklahoma State last Saturday. And so you didn’t have to, I took the liberty…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 33: Red Wagon Steak and Sub
I found Red Wagon Steak and Sub this weekend by following the smell of cheese steaks to Borderlands Brewing Company, which seems to have a different food truck in its parking lot every time I stop in. I took it as an omen and decided to spend an hour watching the sun set while dining…
The Tucson Meet Yourself Schedule Is Up, Let’s Start Planning
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am for next month’s Tucson Meet Yourself — though, for the record, it’s somewhere just above “ooh, there’s that Clif bar I’ve been searching for; lunch ahoy!” and below the occasional realization that I, as an adult, can eat bacon whenever I want. Now, I’m still…
‘Love Letters To Tucson’ Tells The World Why We Love It Here
Love Letters To Tucson is an on-going project that is exactly what it sounds to be: Open letters from Tucsonans explaining just why they love the Old Pueblo, and why they insist upon living here in spite of the challenges of desert living, and the difficulty (and joy) of living in a city that’s slightly…
The Most Fantastic Picture Of An Airplane Graveyard You’ll See Today
Mark Pilkington The tech, science and awesome things blog BoingBoing has been running a series of “postcards” from British writer and photographer Mark Pilkington as he leads the Unknown Fields design studio through the American Southwest. The beautiful image above is from the group’s trip to the Boneyard, the airplane graveyard next to the Pima…
Political Roundtable: Post-Convention Edition & More!
On this edition of Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable: Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries, former state lawmaker Pete Hershberger and former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Vince Rabago discuss the fallout from the political conventions, look at whether state Sen. Frank Antenori can stay in office, examine some other local legislative races and dig into…
Minnesota Vikings Punter Chris Kluwe Viciously Defends Same-Sex Marriage
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brandon Ayanbedejo recently appeared in a video for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, expressing his support for an initiative that would legalize same-sex marriage. He recently ran into a bit of conflict from Maryland state delegate, Emmett C. Burns Jr., who wrote to Ayanbedejo’s employer, Ravens owner Steve Biscotti, requesting that he “inhibit…
Let’s Watch A Comparison Of A Webcomic And ‘Ulysses’
The above video is PBS’s Idea Channel, a YouTube show that combines internet memes, quick cuts, and thoughts about culture to make a short show that’s somehow able to generate thoughtful conversation on YouTube, of all places. In the past, the show’s discussed such topics as “Super Mario Brothers Is The World’s Greatest Piece Of…
Drink Good Beer For A Good Cause At Borderlands Tonight
If you want your habit of drinking good beer to support a good cause, head down to Borderlands Brewing Company tonight to help out the Tucson Fire Foundation from 4-7 p.m. tonight. In honor of tonight’s event, Borderlands is unveiling “Smoke & Irons,” their new Scottish ale, brewed with Mesquite-smoked grains. Greyhound Soul will also…
Lots of Great Things Are Happening at Food Conspiracy Co-op
Of all the places you can buy food in this city, nothing is quite like Food Conspiracy Co-op. From its beautiful selection of unique, organic produce to its commitment to local farmers and creating a sustainable agriculture system for Southern Arizona, the place is truly in a league all its own. And in recent months…
Lawyer Submits A Five-Page Brief — In Comic Book Form
When faced with a five-page limit to file an amicus brief opposing the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust settlement with three e-book publishers, lawyer Bob Kohn decided to work around the problem by going in a more visual direction by submitting a five-page comic. From the ABA Journal: Bob Kohn tells Bloomberg and the New York…
This Week In Tucson Bicycling
Students stop at an intersection on the University of Arizona campus. The University of Arizona Police Department begins targeting bicyclists for their campus education and enforcement campaign. See what they are up to and where they will be stationed. A local mountain bike advocacy group is set to partner with an international group. Check out…
Today’s Google Doodle Celebrates ‘Star Trek”s 46th Anniversary
In honor of tomorrow being the 46th anniversary of the very first Star Trek episode, Google has boldly made a short, interactive adventure doodle to celebrate. It’s not much, for sure, but it’s a fun diversion that stays (mostly) true to the series. Check it out on Google’s home page. Oh, and for what it’s…
Grope-y Flagstaff Cop Gets No Jail Time; Victim Gets Scolded By Judge
On Wednesday, former DPS officer Robb Gary Evans walked out of a courtroom, sentenced with two years of probation for sexual abuse. His victim, a Flagstaff woman who was groped by Evans at a bar, was chastised by the sentencing judge, and told to be more vigilant, according to a report from the Arizona Daily…
Watch Gabrielle Giffords Recite The Pledge Of Allegiance At The DNC
In case you weren’t watching news coverage or the convention’s live stream, here’s the footage of the former Southern Arizona congresswoman reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Incredible.
Coming Soon to Downtown: JunXion Bar
It looks like the new bar going in at 63 E. Congress St., where the motorcycle shop Knucklehead Alley used to be, will be called the JunXion Bar. We first told you about it back when there was a sign on the door that said it was to be called Public Bar. From a Craigslist…
Go See ‘Bag It’ At The Loft This Weekend
Plastic bags are ubiquitous, wrapping our produce, carrying our groceries, lining our trash cans, and performing just about every function one can expect from thin films of linked up polymers. But is there a cost to these bags that we so often toss out, often without a second thought? That question drives Jeb Berner in…
It Came From Outer Space: Calexico’s New Video for “Splitter”
Calexico brings in flying saucers for the music video for “Splitter,” the first single from the new CD, Algiers, which drops on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The video is directed by Paloma Zapata, a Spanish filmmaker who is a friend of Jairo Zavala of Depedro. “I love her music videos and her work,” Burns says. “She…
Critter Of The Week: Meet Brutus!
Brutus – #721866 — 4 Years Old — Shepherd Mix — Male Brutus knows how to make a memorable first impression. Unrivaled in his huggability, Brutus loves nothing more than being close to you and will follow you around with baby eyes until you kneel down and give him a squeeze. Found wandering the streets…
Kirkpatrick Launches First TV Ad
Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, a former congresswoman and state lawmaker, is launching her first TV ad in her campaign to return to Congress in Arizona’s new Congressional District 1, a sprawling district that includes Oro Valley, Marana, Flagstaff, the northern trial reservation and much of eastern rural Arizona. Kirkpatrick is facing Republican Jonathan Paton, a former…
MOCA’s Political Book Club Meets Tonight
MOCA Tucson’s book-club series, Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’12: Arts, Politics, Media, will be meeting tonight to discuss Thomas Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas. And I’ll be there to moderate the discussion. Hank Stephenson talked to Anne-Marie Russell about the book club for TW a few weeks ago: And the next…
Fact Checkers Say Clinton Was Right: Dems Create More Jobs
If you missed former President Bill Clinton’s speech last night (because, say, you were at the TAMMIES, watching a hell of a tribute to the Rondstadt family), you should carve a good hour out of your day to watch, or at the very least, listen to it here. At about 4 minutes, 45 seconds, Clinton…
Hi, I’m The New Guy
Hey Weekly Rangers, I’m David Mendez. You may remember me from such Range posts as “Chuck Norris’ Family Claims Obama Re-election Will Bring 1,000 Years Of Darkness,” or “Geraldo Rivera, Semi-Officially U of A’s Most Embarrassing Alumnus?” Earlier this year, I interned with this fine publication, where The Powers That Be were impressed enough to…
Police Dispatch
The FBI wants $98; Lifting barbells to win and influence people
Soundbites
LAVA hits the ground running; It’s time for the Santa Muerte Music and Arts Festival; and more!
Doping Dilemma
Greyhound racing inhabits a hermitic little world on South Fourth Avenue—one of chain link, barbed wire and sulking security guards. Now that domain could get even smaller, as the Tucson City Council mulls a ban on the doping of racing dogs within our city limits. Oddly enough, there is no greyhound racing in the city…
Six Races to Watch
After last week’s primary election, voters have the final lineup of candidates they’ll choose between in the Nov. 6 general election. Here’s a quick look at a half-dozen of the most-interesting races in Southern Arizona. 1. U.S. Senate: Jeff Flake convincingly trounced multimillionaire Wil Cardon, who spent about $9 million of his family fortune on…
Social Media for Justice
The news-feed scroll of the average Facebook user is cluttered with the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life—a random assortment of activities, interests and pictures from friends, acquaintances and, sometimes, complete strangers. All of this Facebook activity is meant to capture even the most innocuous of daily minutiae, much of which is truly unimportant in…
The Skinny
After being found not guilty of domestic-violence charges, Daniel Patterson takes aim at the House Ethics Committee … congressional candidates Gabby Mercer gets tripped up right out of the starting gate … Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll wins big … Russell Pearce gets the boot (again) … and so much more!
Noshing Around
A giant place for booze; A bloody good food truck; and more!
Taking a Comedic Stand
It has been many years since the local comedy duo Bob and Bob performed onstage. However, they’re returning from their hiatus to perform at the second annual Stand Up to Stop Violence fundraiser. The show benefits the Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, an organization that works to prevent domestic abuse, and the Blair Charity Group,…
Infused With Flavor
Last week in this space, Jacqueline Kuder wrote about a place that fell short in living up to the mantra: “Have a plan; be consistent; and cook good food well.” This week, we’re looking at a restaurant that takes that mantra and excels—Elliott’s on Congress, which has its own mantra: “Creative food combinations and a…
City Week
Film with a purpose; Shakespeare goes Stan Lee; International Day of Literacy; Water gardening
Top Ten in Music
1. The Walking Dead: Season 2 (DVD) AMC/Anchor Bay 2. Slaughterhouse Welcome to: Our House (Shady) 3. Battleship (DVD) Universal 4. 2 Chainz Based on a T.R.U. Story (Island/Def Jam) 5. Sons of Anarchy: Season 4 20th Century Fox 6. Minus the Bear Infinity Overhead (Dangerbird) 7. The Hunger Games (DVD) Lionsgate 8. Insane Clown…
Imagery and Color
Janet McAdams, the author of two poetry collections and winner of an American Book Award, tries her hand at fiction with her debut novel, Red Weather. It has a number of things working in its favor, including some sharp imagery, good use of metaphor and a firm grasp of time—skills that all good poets need.…
Nine Questions
Christopher “Bean” Muñoz grew up in Tucson and Flagstaff. A now-retired BMX rider, he has a bachelor’s degree in photography from the University of Arizona and works at Arizona Picture and Frame Gallery. A harmonica player, he was an original member of Army of Garbage and currently plays as half of the blues-folk duo Sweet…
Top Ten in Books
1. Mrs. Mustard’s Baby Faces Jane Wattenberg, Chronicle ($6.95) 2. The Night Circus Erin Morgenstern, Anchor ($15) 3. Yes Is Better Than No Byrd Baylor, Silvercloud ($19.95) 4. Awake in the World: Teachings From Yoga and Buddhism for Living an Engaged Life Michael Stone, Shambhala ($17.95) 5. Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel Martin Walker,…
Live
His name has the ring of myth. So, too, does his music. There’s enough sound coming from his rhythmically intricate guitar style and the force of his voice to make The Tallest Man on Earth seem like more than just one man on a stage. Swedish folksinger Kristian Matsson writes songs that seem instantly timeless,…
What Lies Beneath
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. –W.B. Yeats,…
Off to See the Wizard
Even as the Wiyos play music born from America’s past, they sound fully of the moment. Whether taking on blues, swing, Dixieland, country, hillbilly, Cajun, Tin Pan Alley or jug-band music, the members of the New York-based band use well-honed chops and dynamic songwriting to craft a sound that is traditional and cutting-edge at the…
Editor’s Note
One of the reasons I (usually) love my job is that I know what we do makes a difference in the community. This was on my mind as I proofed this week’s issue. First, check out Tim Vanderpool’s Currents story. It’s his latest bit of reporting on Tucson Greyhound Park and its efforts to skirt…
Operatic Goofiness
Those Gaslight folks have done it again. With their characteristic combination of creative camp, irreverence and just-plain goofiness—as well as the talent and skill to pull it off—they have come up with another show that makes us grin, groan and maybe even guffaw. This time, it’s The Phantom of the Opera. No, not the wildly…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: One of your readers wrote a question about “DREAMers,” and I have a thought on the subject. This is not a criticism, although I have criticized your column before. I know that most Hispanics in the United States are in favor of the DREAM Act, but what if this is a setup by…
Danehy
Over the years, I’ve heard horror stories from small-business owners about their dealings with the city of Tucson in general, and the city inspection process in particular. This isn’t one of those stories. Emma Vera owns the ridiculously popular Guadalajara Original Grill on Prince Road, near Mountain Avenue. Just last week, the restaurant celebrated its…
The Border Journey
In Mexico, determined migrants will use almost any means to get to the U.S. border. A few weeks ago in Tucson, I met a young Guatemalan mother who had hoisted herself and her 2-year-old daughter to the top of a moving train. Perched precariously on a rattling boxcar, they rode as far as la frontera,…
Who Gets the Vote?
With the late summer breezes cooling us south of 100 and this being an election year, it’s time for you to adjust your blindfold and prepare to pin the tail on the animal of your choice. I usually prefer a donkey, but you can pick an elephant or a Teabilly fuckstick if you want. Medical…
Gargulinski
When it comes to wildlife in Arizona, man teeters on a fine line between living in harmony and living like an idiot. The harmony part comes from respecting or even nurturing the bountiful bevy of beautiful beasties, which range from the delicate hummingbird to the not-so-delicate javelina. Mix in the raucous rattlesnake, precocious pack rats,…
T Q&A
Antonio Villagómez came to Tucson 10 years ago to study film at the UA, where he met his wife, Cori DiSimone. Villagómez said he got into film to do creative work—but to pay the bills, the couple did work on corporate videos. Last year, VillagÓmez came up with a way to get creative again: He…
Dry Movie
With Lawless, I was hoping for a late-summer powerhouse that would top off a mediocre season. I figured a film with John Hillcoat at the helm and featuring Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce and Shia LaBeouf couldn’t fail. While Lawless isn’t a complete failure, it is a bit of a letdown. I was expecting…
Media Watch
Jon Justice expands his media empire; People on the move in TV news; Adrienne Mackey departs Lotus
Matthew Dear: Beams (Ghostly International)
Matthew Dear’s dissonant 2010 album, Black City, had both dark ambiance and peppy flourish. On that album, Dear was like Stephin Merritt’s distant cousin, clinically depressed, but much healthier in dealing with it. Beams feels like Dear switched his medication, and the new stuff has him buzzing all over the place. Mostly, the upshift in…
French Desperation
The citizens made sure Marie Antoinette did not survive the French Revolution. But the stories and the legend of one of the country’s most-famous guillotined necks have lived on. She was at first treated, well … like a queen, but as France fell into economic turmoil (a downturn, oddly enough, greatly hastened by French funding…
Guest Commentary
The most-important thing one needs to know about 2016: Obama’s America is that it is not a right-wing version of a Michael Moore movie. It is true that one can draw some parallels between, say, Fahrenheit 9/11 and 2016: Obama’s America. Both films are documentaries about sitting presidents, released during their respective re-election campaigns, written…
Mitzi Dasheya Cowell: Bardos (Self-Released)
Onstage, Mitzi Cowell has no trouble presenting as a full-fledged, blues-drenched guitar hero. Bardos, however, offers a more-complex, nuanced portrait of the artist, shaped by her many influences, yet unique in its own right. Primarily an acoustic-driven project, this release splits time between personal, local and even global perspectives. The album opens with a pair…
Top Ten in Movies
1. The Hunger Games Lionsgate 2. Battleship Universal 3. The Dictator Paramount 4. The Lucky One Warner Bros. 5. Bernie Millennium 6. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Universal 7. Boardwalk Empire: Season 2 HBO 8. The Walking Dead: Season 2 AMC/Anchor Bay 9. Dexter: Season 6 Showtime/Paramount 10. Sons of Anarchy: Season 4 20th Century Fox
Mailbag
Musings on the Tea Party and mental illness, plus a clarification.
Cadillac Steakhouse: Cadillac Steakhouse (Self-Released)
For anyone who’s witnessed one of Cadillac Steakhouse’s manically over-the-top live shows, the question will be: Can they pull it off on a record? The answer, based on this full-length CD: Oh yeah. Give some credit to Mike Dunn, who recorded it at his Subspace Recording, and Kevin Dowling, who produced it. It may be…
Now Showing at Home
Quadrophenia (Blu-ray); Parks and Recreation: Season Four; The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Blu-ray)
2012 Tucson Area Music Awards Results
THE BIG STUFF Band/Entertainer of the YearLeeAnne Savage (R): 28.7 percent Runners up:2. Silver Thread Trio (C): 25.5 percent3. Brian Lopez (C): 16 percent4. Ryanhood (R): 11.9 percent5. Broken Romeo (R): 9 percent6. Lenguas Largas (C): 8.7 percent Up-and-Comers:Boreas (C, R): 24.7 percent Runners up:2. Saint Maybe (C): 23.2 percent3. This Group of People (C):…
Let’s Listen To A Three-Way Remix of Beastie Boys’s ‘Paul’s Boutique’
I tend to listen to a lot of free hip-hop remixes and mixtapes that are out there on the internet (considering that I’m pretty broke, and all,) but this is definitely the coolest remixtape (we’ll pretend that’s a real word) I’ve heard in quite some time. This is a remix/tribute of the classic Beastie Boys…
Listen to Calexico’s New CD on Facebook
Calexico’s new CD, Algiers, is set to drop on Tuesday, Sept. 11, but you can give it a listen now. It’s streaming on Facebook here. I’ve been spending some time with the band this week while they’ve been rehearsing for their upcoming tour. It’s remarkable how much detail goes into reinventing the songs for a…
Hackers Claim to Have Mitt Romney’s Tax Records—and Will Sell Them for $1,000,000
Interesting news out of Tennessee today, where a group of hackers claims to have obtained Mitt Romney’s tax returns through PricewaterhouseCoopers’s Franklin, Tenn., offices. From a document posted on text-storage website Pastebin on Sept. 2: Romney’s 1040 tax returns were taken from the PWC office 8/25/2012 by gaining access to the third floor via a…
A Costa Rican Food Truck Is in the Works
We’ve been following along as the new food truck Kadooks! slowly comes together. It will specialize in Costa Rican fare when the owners get it road-ready, adding yet another interesting and novel option for fans of Tucson’s mobile-food movement. The owners are even taking a trip to Costa Rica soon to gather recipes. That’s the…
