Blog Posts

Q&A #9: Boston

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:05:00 GMT

A couple of Boston questions! "R.O.B." asks: After Mayor Menino, who are the most powerful figures in city government? This strikes me as one of those mind-bender Zen koans. There is no...

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NATO-Chicago Dispatch: I Am Not An Objective Journalist - I Rode The Occupy Boston Bus To NATO

webmaster@phx.com(Chris Faraone) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:38:00 GMT

I'm not following Tom Morello around the country. It might seem that way; in the past few months I've caught him at South by Southwest in Texas, and a few weeks ago for May Day in New York...

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Q&A #8: Beacon Hill Bad Apples

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:35:00 GMT

"Beacon Hill Gossip," a real troublemaker, asks: Of Beacon Hills current crop of Legislators, which do you think have either overstayed their welcome, hit the glass ceiling, or are just...

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Meet the Mayor: Toppers

webmaster@phx.com(Barry Thompson) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:32:00 GMT

Welcome to "Meet the Mayor," a segment in which we interview local Foursquare Mayors in their natural habitats. Toppers Charlene Chow Tell us about your favorite hats... Um,...

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Q&A #7: Middlesex 3rd

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:04:00 GMT

"John Y." brings us back to local races: How do see the 3rd Middlesex State Senate race shaping up? Any favorite in the crowded field? It's a great, great field of candidates...

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Q&A #6: Elizabeth Warren Getting An Edge?

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:48:00 GMT

"Jack" goes back to the US Senate race: Elizabeth Warren is meeting with Bay Staters, face to face, in small and large groups, at a steady pace. Contrast that with Coakley, who...

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Q&A #5: Obama & SSM

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:37:00 GMT

"Bellavita" asks: It's nice of our President to 'come out' about his personal support of homosexuals. Forgive me, but as President, shouldn't he have done something...

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Q&A #4: Future Statewide Pols

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:07:00 GMT

"Thecosmicamerican" asks: I've heard many people discuss the absence of MA elected officials ready to take the next step into the Governorship, US Senate, etc. Who on Beacon Hill now...

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Q&A #3: replacing Brownsberger

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:28:00 GMT

Turning from the high-profile to the obscure, "EliasNugator" asks: Who is the "front runner" in the 24th Middlesex Democratic Primary for State Rep? How does that...

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Q&A #2: Brown Or Warren?

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:08:00 GMT

"KZB," who is clearly a horrible troublemaker, asks: Call it now -- who wins, Brown or Warren? By how much? Brown by 3 percentage points. But the confidence level on that is low,...

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Q&A #1: Marisa's Margin

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:01:00 GMT

Off we go on a fabulous Ask Me Anything Day! First up, "jessiekb" asks: Will delegates to the Democratic state convention give Marisa Defranco the 15% she needs in order to appear on the...

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Ask Me Anything Friday 5/18

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Looking for answers, theories, gossip, guesses, explanations, or opinions? You've come to the right place, on the right day! Leave your questions as comments to this post, or email them to...

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Tickets on-sale alert: The Avett Brothers, Metric, The Head & The Heart, Girl Talk, Jane's Addiction, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Turner, Toadies, The Hold Steady + more

webmaster@phx.com(Alexandra Cavallo) — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:36:00 GMT

The Head and The Heart are at Royale July 25-26 On Sale Now K Flay | July 11 at T.T. the Bear's Place | $14 | On sale @ ticketweb.com Dirty Projectors + Purity Ring | [postponed from July...

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This Week's Cover

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:43:00 GMT

The Boston Phoenix has created a poster version of this week's cover, which illustrates my feature on Barack Obama and the turning point for same-sex marriage. Check it out: Download...

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Mp3 of the Week: RIBS "Kiss" -- May 25 @ T.T. The Bear's Place

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:19:00 GMT

From the very first riff of RIBS’s rumbling new single “Kiss,” it doesn’t take long for the sonic seismograph to start tracing a zigzag across your headspace. The quartet’s first release since the...

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Free Fun Shit: May 17-24: Porchfest, "Algorythyms" @ Fourth Wall, scavenger photo hunt, 'Zine party, "Freak Flag" upstart alt paper benefit show, Third Eye Blind at EarthFest + more

webmaster@phx.com(Alexandra Cavallo) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Porchfest Buzz Bissinger | The Friday Night Lights author discusses his new book Father's Day: A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son at the Brookline Booksmith on Thursday,...

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Free Fun Shit: May 17-24: Porchfest, "Algorythyms" @ Fourth Wall, scavenger photo hunt, 'Zine party, "Freak Flag" benefit show, Third Eye Blind at EarthFest + more

webmaster@phx.com(Alexandra Cavallo) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

See this film: Neighboring Sounds at the Paramount Center

webmaster@phx.com(Peter Keough) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

The issues of class and racial conflict revealed in the Trayvon Martin case also surface in Neighboring Sounds (2012), a highly-lauded slice-of-life crime drama by Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça...

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[new sampshire: interview] Christine Hayward talks about life changes, storytelling, and the Granite State

webmaster@phx.com(Sam Ueda) — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:28:00 GMT

Welcome to the very first New Sampshire band interview! For those of you that don't know what this column is about, here's a brief synopsis: every few months, I crawl out of my apartment in...

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[video premiere] Earthquake Party "Pretty Little Hand"

webmaster@phx.com(Liz Pelly) — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:39:00 GMT

EARTHQUAKE PARTY's minimalistic punk spirit surfaces once again in the band's new official video for "Pretty Little Hand". The track -- which is currently up for "Song of the...

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WFNX fans in silent protest of Clear Channel sale, outside of the Phoenix offices

webmaster@phx.com(Alexandra Cavallo) — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:26:00 GMT

"Death Before Clear Channel," May 16 @ 3 pm

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New In The Phoenix -- Obama Gets Gay

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:10:00 GMT

In this week's issue of the Boston Phoenix -- in print tomorrow, online now -- I take a multi-pronged look at what I think is clearly now a turning point on same-sex marriage, in light of...

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Listeners respond to news that WFNX is being sold to ClearChannel

webmaster@phx.com(Liz Pelly) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:30:00 GMT

Earlier today, the Phoenix Media/Communications Group announced the sale of its radio station, WFNX, to Clear Channel Communications -- the largest radio station owner in the country. All day,...

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Where Health Care Goes To Become Law

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:42:00 GMT

Let me start by saying that health care cost containment is a complex, difficult issue to tackle, and I have reason to believe that many people in and around the statehouse have been working...

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Statement from Clear Channel regarding its purchase of 101.7 WFNX

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:03:00 GMT

[UPDATE 12:21 pm]: Boston Business Journal is reporting the layoffs of longtime personalities Julie Kramer and Henry Santoro, and a possible switch to either a country or Spanish speaking...

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BREAKING: 101.7 WFNX is being sold to ClearChannel pending FCC approval

webmaster@phx.com(Carly Carioli) — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:09:00 GMT

UPDATE [12:13 pm]: Clear Channel has released a statement regarding its purchase of WFNX. UPDATE [11:19 am]: I'm told that WFNX's intellectual property -- including the call letters,...

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Interview with Richard Linklater

webmaster@phx.com(Peter Keough) — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:45:00 GMT

Any list of top indie filmmakers would include Richard Linklater. But maybe because he has proven such a stylistic chameleon, shifting from the scruffy, seeming verité of his iconic...

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[live review] Mark Lanegan Band @ The Paradise Rock Club 05.13.12

webmaster@phx.com(David Riedel) — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:15:00 GMT

Photo by David Riedel In a time when there’s a lot of pomp, circumstance, and bullshit, frankly, that comes along with a live show, it’s refreshing to see the MARK LANEGAN BAND play it straight....

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WFNX Local Exposure: the Daily Pravda; free show May 30 @ Hard Rock Cafe

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:08:00 GMT

So, what if Saturn actually fell into the sea? We'll find out this month, as Boston's rocket-fed neo-glam heroes THE DAILY PRAVDA carry the torch as May's WFNX Local Exposure band for the...

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See this film marathon: The Story of Film: An Odyssey @ the MFA

webmaster@phx.com(Peter Keough) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

The Oscar-winning success of The Artist reminded moviegoers that people were making films before, say, Titanic. And so Mark Cousins's marathon series The Story of Film: An Odyssey has come along...

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In Green Colours 2: Cut Copy on the Celtics-Sixers series, defeating the Hawks, and the Atlanta media's 'character assassination'

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:10:00 GMT

PHOTO: A look inside Cut Copy's production studio, where they're recording their next album between games -- and time-outs -- of the Celtics playoff run. Someone gets these guys a...

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[title trend alert] 'Orphan' is the new 'Wife'

webmaster@phx.com(Eugenia Williamson) — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:08:00 GMT

Remember when every novel was called The ______________'s Wife or The ___________'s Daughter? Well, now it's orphans. A hardcover copy of The Orphanmaster showed up on my desk...

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Boston Accents 05.13.12 with Hooray For Earth + Art Decade, RIBS, Banditas, Nemes, Passion Pit, Coke Weed, Ja Hills, Avoxblue, Cowgill, Daily Pravda, Air Traffic Controller

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:45:00 GMT

Happy Mother’s Day, and props to Manchester City for winning the Premiership. What a day! We capped it off by bringing HOORAY FOR EARTH into the studio, trying to put an end to all this “Are They...

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Is it too soon to joke about an MCA hologram? Not on Twitter.

webmaster@phx.com(Carly Carioli) — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:49:00 GMT

How long did it take for the internet to start making Adam Yauch hologram jokes? Oh, about 30 seconds. Here's a random assortment of people who probably thought they had an original...

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See these films: Serial Mom + Psycho @ the Brattle

webmaster@phx.com(Peter Keough) — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

It seems obvious now, but it took the programming geniuses at the Brattle to pair these two movies for Mother's Day. Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock's scariest film, Psycho (1960; 7:15 pm)...

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Meet the Mayor: Public Storage – Self Storage

webmaster@phx.com(Barry Thompson) — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:26:00 GMT

Welcome to "Meet the Mayor," a segment in which we interview local Foursquare Mayors in their natural habitats. Public Storage - Self Storage Christian Campagna So why are you...

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[awesome video alert] Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library "Amylee" #dolphinpocalypse

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:17:00 GMT

In one of the most visually appealing music videos we've seen in a while -- and without any of the therapy-inducing nipple visuals of that Big Digits video we last lassoed under Awesome Video...

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Super(hero) PAC?

webmaster@phx.com(Peter Keough) — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:19:00 GMT

Maybe I'm giving too much credit to Hollywood studios, but you've got to suspect that they are aware that there's a big-deal election happening in November and so they might be...

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Portraits from Total Bummer Fest, part one: contextualizing the coolest summer camp ever

webmaster@phx.com(Liz Pelly) — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:06:00 GMT

In the corner of an enormous warehouse in the Winter Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida, 40 or so kids are sitting on the floor in a semi-circle, legs crossed. Noah Klein, a Brooklyn-based solo...

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Finally, a reason to go to Fenway Park this summer: Bruce Springsteen to perform August 14

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:36:00 GMT

On The Download had a spy in the trenches at Fenway Park a few weeks ago, and they came back with audio of this exact conversation... John Henry: "The Red Sox are a mess, we already lost Heidi...

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Chinatown Hypnosis Case Bull, Says Renowned Mentalist

webmaster@phx.com(Eugenia Williamson) — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:27:00 GMT

Last week, the Herald reported that a woman was bilked out of $160,000 by a band of rogue hypnotists. (I like hypnotists.) A couple days later, I spoke with the Amazing Kreskin (who, with all due...

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No-Consequence Mitt

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:09:00 GMT

So, what does the high school pranks and bullying story tell us about Mitt the man? One of the best concise summaries I've ever seen of Mitt Romney's character comes on page 3 of R.B....

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[the book rat project] Week 10: We Picked a Winner

webmaster@phx.com(Eugenia Williamson) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:16:00 GMT

It's time for another installment of the Book Rat Project, the sustained experiment in which a book critic (me) attempts to act as a human algorithm for a willing subject (my Phoenix...

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Free Fun Shit: May 10-17: Spring art/craft sales + fests, Guillermo Sexo show, participatory art project, "Science Cafe", and more

webmaster@phx.com(Alexandra Cavallo) — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:49:00 GMT

Guillermo Sexo play Zuzu on Monday MassArt Spring Sale | No admission to browse hand-blown glass, ceramics, oil paintings, handmade jewelry, and more at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design...

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Best Music Poll 2012 LIVE [May 10-17]: Check out these noms with gigs around town this week

webmaster@phx.com(Alexandra Cavallo) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:05:00 GMT

It's crunch time. Voting for this year's poll closes May 18...that's soon! Local nominees in hip-hop, psych/experimental, electronic, jazz, live act, new act, and more are bringing it...

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Isaacson On Obama

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

I just spoke with Arline Isaacson, who was a central figure in the battle for same-sex marriage here in Massachusetts. Isaacson says that even yesterday morning, when word was spreading that Obama...

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Attend this film fest: newportFILM's May Mini Fest @ the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport

webmaster@phx.com(Peter Keough) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

As the recent film festival surge starts to settle down here in Boston, it picks up south of the border. In Newport, where newportFILM's May Mini Fest gets underway with Matthew Akers's...

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Mp3 of the Week: Avoxblue "The Confessional" -- May 16 @ the Middle East

webmaster@phx.com(Michael Marotta) — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:57:00 GMT

Photo by Erin Baldassari Jimmy Rossi wants to take you on a trip around the world and back. The December Sound guitarist/programmer and mastermind behind electronic pop joyride AVOXBLUE has returned...

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Tickets on-sale alert: Sleigh Bells, Twin Shadow, Florence & the Mchine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Aesop Rock, Braid + more

webmaster@phx.com(Alexandra Cavallo) — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Sleigh Bells are at the House of Blues on July 3 On Sale Now Godspeed You! Black Emperor | October 1 at the Orpheum Theatre | $25 | On sale @ livenation.com On Sale Friday, May 11 AT 10...

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Meanwhile, Insanity In Massachusetts

webmaster@phx.com(David S. Bernstein) — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:55:00 GMT

Good grief. OK, we started the day with the latest round of ridiculous stories about Elizabeth Warren's ancestry -- guaranteed by Senator Scott Brown, who put out his first major statement on it...

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