Lord, Save Me From Your Followers
Have you seen the bumper sticker “Lord, save us from your followers”? I wish God, Jesus Christ, Allah, Yahweh, Brahma, or every other deity, for that matter, actually read bumper […]
Concert Review: Bon Iver, Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, Sept. 13, 2012
Live performances must be a challenge for Justin Vernon and the raggedy, shifting collection of musicians who form Bon Iver. Their music (particularly on 2011’s excellent self-titled second full-length effort, […]
Cuzco – An Easy Introduction to Peru (and South America)
For a brief video report on Cuzco, visit my YouTube channel. Cuzco is South America in microcosm: it gives you a dose of all that’s great (and a little that’s […]
Cardigan’s Guide to Trail Running and Hiking for Dogs
This is what you should look like at the end of a good trail run. Hi, it’s Cardigan here. Keith won’t let me go outside (he seems to think that […]
Hyper-Local Brew Fest Was Hyper Awesome!
Last night’s Hyper-Local Craft Brew Tasting at the Armory in Somerville reminded me how lucky I am to live in a place with an amazing and growing local beer and […]
Review: There’s No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man on Earth
The Tallest Man on Earth is Kristian Matsson, a 29-year-old singer-songwriter from Sweden who is not physically tall, but whose music is large, especially considering he’s a lone guy with […]
Review: Celebration Rock by Japandroids
No, there’s nothing wrong with your speakers or headphones: that popping and cracking at the start of Japandroids’ kick-ass new album is the sound of fireworks – the perfect start […]
Review: Valtari by Sigur Ros
Since their late-1990s debut, Iceland’s Sigur Ros have reigned as the masters of orchestral, ethereal pop. With lead singer Jonsi’s (aka Jón Þór Birgisson) otherworldly falsetto serving as an instrument […]
Review: What We Saw From the Cheap Seats by Regina Spektor
Figuring out where Regina Spektor is going to take a song is like trying to follow a house fly: her voice bobs and weaves, twitches, chirps, lifts and drops, floats […]
In Which I Go All Ron Paul On You…
“The federal government (aka Fedzilla) is too big.” “Government is the problem; not the solution.” These are tokens of faith among conservatives, especially Tea Partiers, and in almost every Republican race – from the presidential contest on down – candidates trip over themselves listing the federal departments they’d shut […]