The dicey politics of animatronics are no longer to remain ensconded in secrecy. This fall, a documentary will expose the truth behind the rise and fall of The Rock-afire Explosion, the animal-robot house band for Showbiz Pizza Place (most recently featured in MGMT's "Electric Feel" video) before Chuck E. Cheese and a sinister idea known as "concept unification" became its ruination.
It’s a Tuesday night at 2Kolegas, a squat, rundown bar at the edge of an anachronistic drive-in movie theater. In a joint packed with local denizens and cigarette smoke, it’s a crush to find standing room, much less a deep breath. Tonight’s bill includes Islaja, a Finnish electronic loopmaker, recently off of her tour opening for Animal Collective; a red-draped Japanese-Korean duo named 10, which deploys a laptop and a bevy of toys for its sound; and Knyfe Hyts, a mask-wearing sludge-rock trio from Brooklyn. A Chinese saxophonist named Li Tieqiao joins the latter band on stage, the resulting sound not unlike something off The Stooges’ Funhouse: raucous, noisy and full-bore. The crowd goes nuts. Just another night in Beijing.
What do you suppose Elton John tastes like? Your guess is as good as ours, but those wacky ice creamateers, Ben & Jerry, decided to honor John with their newest flavor.
Rendering doughnuts from root vegetables might seem like an unappetizing prospect. But in 1939, brothers Al and Bob Pelton, bored with baking and French frying white potatoes, developed a sweet doughnut made from a mashed-potato base. The Peltons initially peeled each tuber by hand, but in the interest of increasing doughnut yields (and decreasing thumb lacerations) they developed a potato-flour mix which could be used as a starter for doughnut dough. Before long, the brothers had franchised more than 200 Spudnut shops around the country.
Since his stencil drawings first hit the walls of the U.K., guerilla graffiti artist Banksy has been as much a public figure as a figment of our collective imagination. To some, he's created innovative pop art (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt shelled out £200,000 on the clandestine artist's works in 2006), to others,  he's continually defaced public property. But everyone can agree on one thing about Banksy: no one knows who the hell the guy is. If claims from the U.K.'s Mail on Sunday are true, however, the threads of his mystique might soon unravel.
We all should have figured out a way to postpone our graduation dates and transfer over to Broad Run High School, alma mater of Patton Oswalt, where the comedian recently delivered the graduation speech.
Welcome to PasteMagazine.com's new weekly round-up feature. I'm your host, Austin, and I edit and assign the content around these parts. Each week I plan to offer up an overview of the stories, blogs, photos, reviews and etceteras we've presented on the site over the last five days. Should be a good time, if I manage to stay on top of it. As of right now, this is just a baby idea that I imagine will evolve from week to week, but one thing is for certain: Expect a ton of links. Call it service journalism of sorts (service round-upism?) for all your web warriors out there. I welcome your comments below. What you liked, disliked, it's all good. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Nick Cave has released a limited edition four-inch, hardcover book detailing the conception of his last album, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!, in addition to explicating and illustrating the story of its title track.
Hungry for change in this Fake Empire? Looking for a president who hopefully won't Start A War? The National think that Barack Obama might be just the man for the job. If you share their opinion, now's your opportunity to support your candidate of choice (not to mention Paste's 2007 Band of the Year) by purchasing an oh-so-clever t-shirt from The National's website.
| Jul 20 Sun |
Music: JellyNYC Pool Party w/Liars |
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Paste Magazine Culture Club.
Episode 67
April 22, 2008
