When You’re Not Excited, You’re Not a Fan: An Interview with Nardwuar the Human Serviette

Interviewed by Less Lee Moore

Because the United States tends to dominate the entertainment industry, frequently one will hear entertainers referred to as another “version” of a well-known American pop culture icon. That’s what makes Vancouver’s Nardwuar the Human Serviette so special. There is no American equivalent. He is unabashedly Canadian.
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The Days of Future-Past

“He had been a tool in their hands, his childhood image had been used as bait to condition him, he had lived up to their expectations, he had played his part. Now he only waited to be liquidated with, somewhere inside him, the memory of a twice-lived fragment of time.”
—From La Jetée, written and directed by Chris Marker, 1962

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Tans Are Okay and Love Is The Best: Q & A with Castanets

By J Howell

Over the last couple of years, Castanets has likely seen more time in my CD player than any other single band. I was fortunate enough to meet them in Brighton, England a while back, and then a few months later I hosted them (along with tour mates Shapes & Sizes) when they were in my town. Aside from making some beautiful music, Ray Raposa and the ever-changing cast of Castanets are also great people. This spring, I conducted the following interview via email, in bits and pieces over a few weeks, as time allowed while Ray was traveling.
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The Amsterdam of the South: Todd Rundgren Plays Atlanta

By Adam McIntyre

“You’re the Amsterdam of the South! I’ve never seen so much good green. Bless you for that. Good on ya! And 50 miles outside of town? Squidbillies.”
Todd Rundgren addressing Atlantans at the Variety Playhouse Theater; April 17, 2008
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With Facebook, Who Needs a High School Reunion?

By Laura L.

It’s almost summer, and that means many things: Strawberries are in season. Your nearby sno-cone stand is open. Baseball is in full swing (pardon the pun). And you may be planning to attend (or avoid) your high school reunion. Next year marks ten years since graduating high school, so I’m mentally preparing for my reunion. Or I would be, if it weren’t for Facebook.
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From Jesus to Micky Dolenz

By Michelle Patterson

In the winter of 1986, I was in the fourth grade, and being raised in a strict Evangelical Christian household. Cable television was off limits, especially the sinful offerings on MTV. Mostly, this was HBO’s fault. HBO, in its early days, was all T & A movies and raunchy comedy specials. One could tune in at any time of the day and see a naked pair of practically any body part.
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Andrea, Lynda, Margot, and Erin

By Christian Lipski

Wonder Woman

When I was seven or eight, Annie came out on Broadway, and they published an article in one of those newsprinty school magazines that you’d get for free. The picture was of Andrea McArdle as Annie, and something just clicked in my head, and I desperately wanted her to be my girlfriend. I filled up all the blank space in the picture with little drawn hearts. I kept that picture for a long time.
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Because It’s Real: Q & A with Jont

By J Howell

You may know of Jont from his song, “House of Dreaming” from the soundtrack to The Wedding Crashers. I first met Jont through MySpace two years ago, when he was first entertaining the idea of taking Unlit (explanation below) on the road in the States. It seemed like a beautiful thing to have at my home, so I told him I was in. The Unlit we held here in Kansas City was one of the most amazing, fun things I’ve ever been a part of.
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Play Me I’m Sick

By Michelle Patterson

Sunday is the day that I clean: when I secure my ear-buds into my ears, put my iPod into shuffle mode to zone out the surroundings, and just focus on the tasks at hand. Dust bunnies be damned! Suddenly, a song begins and I feel nauseated. I just want to forget about cleaning and focus on how to get the room to stop spinning. Continue reading ‘Play Me I’m Sick’

Hating The Eighties: Frank Tovey and Fad Gadget

By Emily Carney

Frank Tovey

During the first years of the 1980s, electronic music underwent a mutation into synth pop. In the United States, the new synth pop seemed to be represented by two imports from England, namely Gary Numan and the Human League. While Gary Numan specialized in overly serious songs about urban alienation (and aliens!), the Human League shifted their focus from overly serious songs about urban alienation to slick, well-produced hits about guy-girl relationships and “good times.” While both entities have been idolized by fans and musicians (particularly within the last decade), another pioneer of electronic music has been overlooked, even posthumously.

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