Story Stop Smiling August 2008 Link Inside its worn blue cover, the book Hollywood: All About Motion Pictures is a priceless bit of studio-era propaganda. Published in 1940, the pocket-sized book talks about “the materials for making a picture,” ranging from the grand studio lots to the need for a prop boy (the person who […]
Story Stop Smiling August 2008 Link Jazz history is filled with examples of Europeans embracing underappreciated American artists. But the circumstances surrounding BYG/Actuel, a short-lived French label dedicated to the late Sixties avant-garde, set it apart. The label’s seminal releases — from trumpeter Don Cherry’s contemplative duets to saxophonist Archie Shepp’s sultry Blasé to sessions […]
Travel Feature Chicago Tribune August 10, 2008 Say what you will about the healing properties of mud baths, saunas or lavender-scented candles, but soaking in a stainless-steel tub filled with Czech beer put my body and soul at ease. I was in the brick-lined cellar of Prave Pivni Lazni (original beer spa), run by the […]
Feature Earplug July 2008 It’s not uncommon for DJs to find their names on the charts, but few see themselves listed as author of a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. London’s Ben Watt received the honor for Patient, his 1998 account of his battle with the rare Churg-Strauss syndrome. But then, few […]
Book Review Playboy.com July 2008 Old Rare New: The Independent Record Shop by Emma Pettit Black Dog Publishing, 144 pages, Paperback $29.95 Reviewed by Patrick Sisson In an essay at the end of Old Rare New, music critic Simon Reynolds observes that, “used CD stores really are like the mass graves of mass culture.” It’s […]
Interview Pitchfork July 2008 Link Prague’s Palác Akropolis, the concert venue where the Notwist started it’s current tour, is located in a patchwork neighborhood of slightly faded buildings which sit in the shadows of the Žižkov TV tower, a spaceship-like structure and the lone eyesore in the city’s quaint skyline. It’s a fitting contrast for […]
Feature Prague Post June 25th, 2008 Link His spurs jangling and his hat tilted low, the cowboy snubbed out his cigarette, adjusted his holster and stepped to the line. He wasted little time. His Winchester rifle flashed, coughing up bitter gun smoke and spitting spent cartridges in a wobbly arc toward the back brim of […]