Soundrack featuring various artists Columbia/Sony Director and writer Todd Haynes’ new film, an unusual, eccentric biopic of Bob Dylan entitled I’m Not There, stars six different actors, including Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, portraying the enigmatic singer/songwriter in different stages of his life and career. With the wide release of at […]
Music
Coverage of the music scene in Humboldt County with upcoming shows from locals and out-of-town acts, reviews, interviews and more.
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On the Jimmy Reed Highway
CD by Omar Dykes/Jimmie Vaughan. Ruf Records. Less is more. The space between the notes is at least as important as the notes themselves. That concept has been well enunciated by bluesmen like James Harman, Freddy Below and Jimmie Vaughan. This new release from Kent "Omar" Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan is a great illustration of […]
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Shortcomings
Graphic novel by Adrian Tomine. Drawn & Quarterly. Comic book artist and illustrator Chris Ware says that whenever he hears the term "graphic novel," he thinks of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. But from the underground comic movement in the 1960s, comic books elevated in form and content, employing novelistic or fictional arcs, creating personal, […]
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Shelter from the Ash
CD by Six Organs of Admittance. Drag City Records. At this point in Ben Chasny’s storied career, it is unfair to continue referring to John Fahey and Robbie Basho in an attempt to situate the Eureka native’s musical orientation. His accomplishments in Six Organs of Admittance, as well as Comets on Fire and various other […]
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Harmonic Convergence
It’s the week after Thanksgiving, a quiet time in general, and really quiet on the local music front. One holiday down, and "Christmastime is comin’…," which means lots of parties and celebrating in the weeks ahead. Since we’re nearing the end of 2007, touring musicians are starting to go into self-imposed hibernation. After all the […]
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Smells like Dead Elephants: Dispatches from a Rotting Empire
Book by Matt Taibbi. Published by Black Cat Books. There are only two reasons to read the otherwise decrepit Rolling Stone magazine these days, and neither of them have anything to do with music. One is David Rees’ pissed-off clip art comic strip Get Your War On, and the other is the stiletto sharp journalism […]
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Diabolic Inventions and Seduction for Solo Guitar
CD by Al Di Meola. Inakustic. Widely recognized for his technical mastery and Latin flare, guitarist Al Di Meola gained notoriety playing with Chick Corea’s jazz fusion project Return to Forever. Di Meola quickly established a successful solo career and spent the ’70s and ’80s integrating traditional Latin sounds with intricate song structures and his […]
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Thanks
Hey, thanks for picking the paper up on this Thanksgiving weekend, and happy Thanksgiving to you, our readers. Without you — well, I’d probably still be slaving over a hot stove and carving turkey at some local eatery. As you might guess, the Thanksgiving holiday tends to put a crimp in the local entertainment scene. […]
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Rooster McClintock
Oct. 27, 2007 Live at the Ocean Grove Crunk music is the notorious southern brand of hip hop — dizzying repetitive beats crafted to make dancers ecstatic, often with the assistance of alcohol and drugs. A pre-Halloween evening with Humboldt honky tonk band Rooster McClintock at Trindad’s Ocean Grove offers an easy comparison: honky crunk. […]
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Why Kerouac Matters
Book by John Leland. Published by Viking. Few literary brands need to be reduced in size and fable more than that of Jack Kerouac. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Kerouac’s On the Road, the hip European clothing shop Hogan debuted its own line of Kerouac-inspired beatnik clothing, including boots starting at $475. Clearly […]
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Help!
Directed by Richard Lester New 2-disk DVD release Apple/EMI Even if there are movies greater than Help! — which recently arrived in a new DVD edition — it’s hard to think of movies more wonderful. The Beatles were great enough without their film work, but the double whammy of Hard Day’s Night and Help! was […]
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Post-Vocal Symphonies
My co-worker Heidi asked me a question at the office the other day, something along the lines of "Do you know anything about a band from Canada coming to town? I can’t remember the name but my friend says they’re good." "Are they Quebecois?" I wondered. I’d heard about that show. She didn’t think that […]