Summer in the City: Clothing Optional

By Katrina Armstrong

Some of us live in downtown Toronto and work hard. We work in industries where we don’t really have a chance to get away during the summer For example, at my company summer is the busiest time of year and no one is allowed to take vacation time between May and September. As a result, we feel trapped and stuck in a busy urban center. Well, not anymore. Just a seven-minute ferry ride away from downtown is the Toronto Island. Best known for Centreville, a children’s amusement park; Ward’s Island, a contentious area where people live; and the ever (un)popular Toronto Island Airport, Toronto Island harbors something spectacular, relaxing, and even a little sexy: Hanlan’s Point Clothing Optional Beach.
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It Has To Be From The Heart: Firewater

By Ann Clarke

Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH
May 30, 2008

Photo © Julie Finley

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The Police, Synchronicity

By Jemiah Jefferson

This is the first music that I ever bought in a record store (or, I should say, that I begged my mom to buy for me—I had absolutely no money of my own at the age of eleven, since I never got an allowance as a child. . . or a teenager, for that matter). I bought this on cassette, probably from a Sam Goody or something similar, in a mall. I bought it months after its release, in the fall, after a punishing summer where “Every Breath You Take” kept its stranglehold on the Billboard #1 slot for what seemed like forever. I have always quite disliked that song, and after seeing so many other worthy songs attempt to break through and fail (most particularly “Is There Something I Should Know?”, Duran Duran’s vastly superior single, which topped out at #4, much to my rage and frustration) I learned to hate it, and I still hate it.
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It Just Doesn’t Matter

At the dawn of the eighties, I was a little kid trying to deal with divorced parents, being crappy at sports, and the overwhelming feeling of not fitting in. My grandma was the first person I knew with cable, and since I was addicted to movies, I watched a few things that I was probably too young to fully understand, but which I still love to this day: Foxes, Foul Play, Heaven Can Wait, and Meatballs.
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A Conversation With The Cowsills

By Mandy Mullins and Jaime Sparrowhawk
(with lots of help from Paul Cowsill!)

Susan, Paul, and Bob Cowsill

The Cowsills are one of the foremost musical families in pop history. Brothers Barry, Bill, Bob, and John formed the group in 1965. Joined by their mother, Barbara (a.k.a. “Mini-Mom”), they recorded their self-titled debut album in 1967 and achieved their first hit, “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” (#2). A short time later, brother Paul and sister Susan (the youngest Cowsill) rounded out the lineup. With unparalleled harmonies soaring above an infectious bubblegum beat, The Cowsills went on to release a slew of LPs and singles, including the top ten hits “Indian Lake” (#10, 1968) and “Hair” (#2, 1969), and served as the inspiration for the popular television show The Partridge Family before disbanding in 1972.
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My Top Five Summer Movies

By Christian Lipski

I was going to do my top five summer camp movies, but as I looked back through history, it seems that summer camp movies are, as a rule, not very good. So with the kind permission of my editor I expanded to include summer movies in general. These are the films that make me feel cool in the desiccating heat of the Pacific Northwest, the ones full of the possibilities of summer.
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54-40 Has Northern Soul: Q & A with Neil Osborne

By Megashaun

There are few Canadian bands who have been around as long as 54-40, and few who remain as consistently active. And as with many bands who’ve been around for any significant amount of time, they’ve gone through a few minor line-up (and wardrobe) changes. Their style, however, remains the same. While each 54-40 record has its own vibe, the songs are at their core heartfelt and sincere if not a little tongue-in-cheek from time to time.
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Speaking The Language Of Pop: An Interview with Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.

Interviewed by Less Lee Moore

Even if you have never heard of Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., you’ve probably heard him. You might know him best from Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, Malibu, Moog Cookbook, or TV Eyes. But he’s worked with dozens of other bands and musicians: from Air, to Beck, to Cheap Trick, to pretty much every other letter in the alphabet. Except Q and X (I checked).

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You’re So Good To Me: Why “Hot” May Be The Perfect Pop Song

By Christian Lipski

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I do not like Avril Lavigne’s corporate persona. It may have had a grain of truth to it six years ago when she released her first CD at the age of 17, but it’s gotten increasingly hollow as she has grown up. For fans of the Venture Bros., she’s the Master Billy Quizboy of the music world. For the rest of you, she’s the mom who insists on wearing belly shirts and toe rings even though she’s 50. The discrepancy between her character and her actual age is growing with every passing day, but as long as it attracts buyers, the label will still insist on it. And as long as the label has a contract, Avril’s gonna do it.
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It’s A Family Affair: Top Ten Musical Siblings from Garbo’s Daughter

By Mandy Mullins and Jaime Sparrowhawk

The Garbo’s Daughter Popcast on Top Ten 45s from last issue was such a blast, we asked them to do another one. This time around, it’s their list of Top Ten Musical Siblings, plus an honorable mention featuring The Brady Bunch. Enjoy!
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