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I’m still posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight because why not. (Click here to see them all so far.) I’m not endorsing coke or yoga, but i recommend you get hooked on Philly rapper Ethel Cee.
I’m still posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight because why not. (Click here to see them all so far.) I knew people liked Kendrick Lamar but I had no idea everybody was into him until I was putting together City Paper’s Top 21 Albums of the Year list.
I’m still posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight because why not. (Click here to see them all so far.) King Tuff is great. They are on Sub Pop. Critic Mike Pelusi was really into them this year. Check out his Top 10 list here.
This holiday season, you’re going to drink and eat, hard and heartily. You gosh-damn gluttons are going to do so until yer heads spin Linda-Blair-stylee. Two food things are most titillating this week. The first is Fette Sau, Stephen Starr’s recently opened rootsy-chic barbecue collaboration with Joe Carroll of the NYC Fette Saus. This smoked meat salon on Frankford Avenue, managed by longtime Starr Restaurants stalwart Greg Root has unending supply of scrumptious Duroc St. Louis ribs and pork belly, Nicolosi hot Italian sausage and black angus brisket and bone-in short ribs to go with its New Yawk famous Guss’ brand half sour pickles and sauerkraut. But like during the Thanksgiving holidays, Fette Sau has been brining and smoking tongue and turkey, separately that is. So pleased was I with the t-n-t combo, I nearly wore a gobbler as a hat and the tongue as a tie. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.
Next up, the Trestle Inn has served food since it started, ambitious stuff like tasty bone marrow nibbles for a PG-rated go-go dancing Eraserhood hang. Now though, under the auspices of GM-turned-chef Alex Bokulich (once in the employ of DiBruno’s Ninth Street cheeserie), the Trestle is looking to find a way to keep their menu erudite while making sure it appeals to bar-snacking habitués and boozy late-night eaters. With that, they’ve heightened their small plates to include garlic aioli deviled eggs, smooth-as-silk-but-spicy-as-all-get-out chili and a soft cheese selection inspired by Bokulich’s time in the Italian Market.
View galleryI’m still posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) I got a little bored of my own indie crap again so I asked photographer Neal Santos to make a suggestion. He sent me this. I wonder if “I’ve been everywhere, man” is a common enough phrase that Rihanna didn’t have to pony up to the Johnny Cash estate.
Rihanna - "Where have you been" (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) from TyRoProductionZ on Vimeo.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is an all-too-familiar story that has had its fair share of Hollywood adaptations. With Scrooge & Marley, debut directors Richard Knight Jr. and Peter Neville attempt to modernize the well-worn holiday tale by putting a gay spin on it, and at times they succeed.
“Ben” Scrooge (David Pevsner) is a grumpy, money-obsessed owner of a piano bar — one that he used to work at with friend “Jake” Marley (Tim Kazurinksy) and Fezziwig (Bruce Vilanch), portrayed here as a wild, coke-sniffing club owner. Speaking of things you inhale into your brain, Scrooge is taken into the past by huffing poppers (sigh). There he is shown painful moments from his young adulthood, like when he and his partner are caught by his father, who immediately disowns him. This subplot adds a fresh perspective on Scrooge’s disdain toward family, whereas scenes from the present and future don’t shed any new light on the old story, trying instead to use humor as a crutch.
Other than a few chuckle-worthy moments, the film’s jokes are weighed down by obvious puns — donning “gay” apparel is a recurring one — and the song numbers seem to be forced fillers. But despite the amateur filmmaking and occasional eye-rolling punch lines, the basic sentiment from Dickens’ classic remains intact. Thanks to the scenes from Scrooge’s past and the strong source material, the climax — though expected — is still a festive and tender one.
I’m still posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) There are a lot of bands with similar names; this is The Hungry Ghost (singular) a trio from Portland. They rock smart and heavy. That’s Sara Lund from the Corin Tucker Band and the late, lamented Unwound on drums and Andrew Price from Irving Klaw Trio singing and playing guitar. (I had a sizeable Pacific Northwest vinyl/cassette-collecting phase, so these people are famous to me, anyway.)
These days, the holidays seem to be more shoved-down-your-throat than a peaceful, jolly time. What with the same list of sappy songs playing ad nauseam (if we hear Mariah Carey screeching about what she wants for Christmas one more time … ), the blow-up Santas lining suburban driveways and the stream of 24-hour Christmas-movie marathons, these festive times inevitably start to lose their charm. To keep the spirit going without making you want to hang yourself with a strand of Christmas lights, we’ve put together this list of the best non-holiday holiday films.
I’m still posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) Don’t snooze on Philly’s Aaron & the Spell. This song’s got that classic mix of bluesy guitar and passionate soul singing that fits this city like a glove. Clean-cut and gritty at the same time. Want to hear more? You do. Our friends over at The Key did a session with Aaron Brown awhile back.
Every few weeks, Critical Mass will feature one Philly love note in its collaboration with blogger Emma Fried-Cassorla of phillylovenotes.com.
LOVE NOTE RECIPIENT: Walt Whitman Bridge
I AM: David Goodman. A writer/artist/geek who is a regular contributor to the blogs Geekadelphia and The Quarter Bin. I also spend entirely too much time reading way too many comic books.
MY LOVE NOTE:
Ever since a very early age, I have had a love affair with cities — Philadelphia in particular. I distinctly remember going into Philly for a class trip in grade school and immediately falling in love. The sounds, smells, sights; it all fascinated me to no end. Ever since, I have taken every opportunity I could to go into Philadelphia and drink it all in.
But as you can imagine and probably know already, Philadelphia has a lot of less-attractive qualities too. It’s noisy, some neighborhoods are downright dangerous, trash is everywhere and an encounter with a typical Philly resident can be a decidedly “unique” experience. But that has never stopped me from enjoying Philadelphia and talking it up to anyone who will listen.
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