Back To The Future II vs. The Real Future

By Laura L.

Many of us have seen the Back To The Future trilogy. And, while watching Back To The Future II, some of us have wondered, “Is that really what things will look like in 2015?” Flying cars, hoverboards, weird-ass sunglasses. . . 2015 is only six years away, and I’m about to break down what the makers of the trilogy, back in 1989 (when the movie was released), thought would happen, as opposed to what will most likely happen.
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One Crazy Summer With Garbo’s Daughter

By Kristin Messina, Mandy Mullins, and Jaime Sparrowhawk

It’s been a few months since we’ve been graced with a Popcast from Garbo’s Daughter, and it just wasn’t the same around here without them. Their in-depth knowledge and genuine love of music is always a treat to witness.

But they’ve been super busy! Since last time we heard from them, they’ve played lots of shows and recorded a brand new song called “Summer’s Gone,” which we are proud to feature first right here at Popshifter. They will also have a 4-song cassette released on Burger Records later this year, so keep checking the band’s MySpace page for details.

They also haven’t lost their magic touch in picking the best songs you’ve never heard. In this issue’s summerfull Popcast, the three ladies from Garbo’s Daughter discuss their favorite summer songs and why they love them so much. Be sure to stay tuned until the end to hear their fab new tune, “Summer’s Gone.” (And see if you can identify all the movie quotes!)
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Doin’ Alright With The Boys: Q&A With Comic Creator Darick Robertson

By Christian Lipski

Darick Robertson has been creating and illustrating comics since the age of 17, when he first published the cult favorite Space Beaver. Now an established force in the comics world, Robertson has collaborated with some of the medium’s finest writers and brought life to such larger-than-life characters as Wolverine, Nick Fury, and Spider Jerusalem. Currently he’s drawing the series The Boys, which he created with writer Garth Ennis (The Preacher, Hitman). The Boys takes a realistic (if sometimes slightly tongue-in-cheek) look at superheroes and how they would operate in our modern-day world.
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The Connection Between Entrenching Tools and Groats: The Firesign Theatre’s Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers

By Matt Keeley

“Erzatz Brothers Coffee – The REAL One! Look for the can on the plain brown can.”

The Firesign Theatre members refer to themselves as a “theatre of the mind,” and their bizarre pastiche of pop culture references is probably not for everyone. Now while I’m not the biggest Firesign Theatre fan, I do dig their stuff. Some of the drug humor is a little easy (and honestly, drug humor’s a bit of an uphill battle with me, anyway), but it’s a small part of the records, providing an easy handle to get people to listen. Everything else they do is so complex, it’d be a tragedy to write them off just because they like to mention weed occasionally. The great thing about Firesign Theatre is how their records couldn’t be made in any other medium, in particular my favorite: Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers.
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Me Unchained: Beat Happening, The US Navy, And Me

By Emily Carney

Some personal history: at the age of 19, I joined the United States Navy. The reason why I joined the military was ostensibly to get money for college. After many struggles (too many to mention, or else this article would be at least 100 pages long), I went to my first (and only) ship, the USS George Washington, CVN 73, in January 1999. I was one of the only women in my department at the time, and certain higher-ups (chiefs and officers) made it abundantly clear that my 100-pound frame would not make it in the US Navy. I was terrified.
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A Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing: Mismatched Album Art

Idea by Matt Keeley
With contributions by. . .

What is an album with artwork so amazing that despite knowing you’d dislike the music, you’ve almost bought (or perhaps actually did buy)?
Read more…

What is an album with artwork so ugly or hideous that, despite having a good feeling that you’d like the music on there, you could never bring yourself to own?
Read more…
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Top Five Desert Island Discs: DVDs

By Christian Lipski

What makes a D.I.D.? It’s not necessarily your favorite movie—we’re talking about a desert island here (albeit one with a DVD player). You’re only going to have these movies for what may be years, and that’s the deal: they need to stand up to repeated viewing, and although that may include your top five faves of all time, it also may exclude them. For example, Star Wars is one of my favorite movies. It played a major role in my adolescence, and I will still watch it today. However, since I’ve seen it so many many times, I would probably regret bringing a move that I have memorized, and would not go to it as often. That said, my five DIDs are. . .
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Design Dissection: Foetus, Limb

By Ann Clarke

For a discussion of the music on Limb, please read Less Lee’ Moore’s review here.

For a discussion of the Foetus NYC documentary, please read Less Lee Moore’s review here.

Since I have reviewed the musical works of JG Thirlwell on more than one occasion (as well as interviewed the man himself), I am officially burned out from the praise that I’ve given his musical merits. Sorry JGT, I can’t think of any more ways to say that your music “kicks ass!” That only really points to an audio preference and not much more. . . and I can only expound upon those ideas so much!
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Tinted Windows, S/T

By Less Lee Moore and Noreen Sobczyk

A band with Bun E. Carlos and Taylor Hanson probably sounds strange (and horrifying) to those who think Cheap Trick has nothing in common with Hanson. As a fan of both bands, we were excited about hearing this album. Having James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne) as part of the mix could have rendered the whole affair nothing more than a poorly executed publicity stunt, but it really works.

So here is a track-by-track review…
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NYC Foetus DVD

By Less Lee Moore

For a discussion of the music on Limb, please read my review here.

For a discussion of the design elements of the 48-page Limb booklet, please read Ann Clarke’s review here.

JG Thirlwell has been making music since 1978. . .
He is a singer, a producer, a musician, a composer and a graphic artist.
From the intro to NYC Foetus, directed by Clément Tuffreau
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