A new brand of carbonated delights is going down a different path than the one lined with sugar and caffeine. This new generation of drinks counts herbs and minerals as ingredients for a calming effect and, in some cases, can help insomniacs get a little shut-eye. “People want something that calms and relaxes them, and […]
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Posted inMusic
Better red than dead
For a moment, it looked like The Bled had breathed its last. The Arizona-based outfit had put out three albums establishing it as one of the most exciting bands in the post-hard-core genre. But The Bled never enjoyed the success of similar acts like Atreyu or As I Lay Dying. After releasing a pair of […]
Posted inMusic
Bang on!
A rundown of a Boom Bang show reads like a rap sheet: destruction of property, public nudity, fireworks and lots of drunk and disorderly conduct. Although the Oklahoma City act itself isn’t engaging in the extreme stage antics quite as much, the legion of fans it’s built up is more than picking up the slack […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Eco-chic
When I was in college, I found myself riding the bus from one end of the (very large) Michigan State University campus to the other. It was one of those impossibly muggy, humid days the Great Lakes states really excel at, and the air conditioning on the bus was broken. Basically, I was miserable. I […]
Posted inMusic
Low show
Sometimes, things come together perfectly, and that’s certainly been the case for All Time Low. Sounding like a hybrid of Blink-182 and Weezer, the Maryland punk-pop quartet has engaged a grassroots following with pulsing rhythms, life-size hooks and bright vocal melodies. What began as simply “something to do” grew into a life choice. The band […]
Posted inMusic
Astro boy
Astronautalis hails from what might be the last generation of indie hip-hop. The 29-year old Florida rapper came of age in the late ’90s as a bevy of underground artists emerged, seeking to redefine a mainstream style that’d become stuck in a locked groove of guns, drugdealing, bitches and boasting. Astronautalis, aka Andy Bothwell, honed […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rainy days
I love them although they make my (already pretty out-of-control) hair look like I’ve been living for three weeks with squirrels in a briar patch prone to humidity. Exactly like that. The only thing I possibly love more than rainy days are rain boots. I tend to call them Wellies, due to my annoying case […]
Posted inNews
Munn ho!: Fifth in a series
“I would personally find it really romantic to grab a big pizza, a couple bottles of wine, and hang out in a hotel room with a big fireplace and just talk and laugh.” Got it, guys? Alcohol and cheese might lead to that other thing. And speaking of that other thing, we think we found […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Inside and online
So here’s a hypothetical: Say there’s a huge snowstorm — like massive and “The Day After Tomorrow”-sized — but you really, really feel like shopping. And all the local stores are closed. Can I also add that you’re craving Thai food, but your favorite Thai place is also closed. I know, bleak. You need to […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Chocolove
“It’s the food of the gods,” said Teresa Wall, owner of 42nd Street, 4200 N. Western. “I don’t know what it is in chocolate that really does stimulate your brain and give you a sense of pleasure.” In a glass case, Wall carries a range of decadent chocolates, including truffles from Lake Champlain Chocolates in […]