Paste Magazine

A glimpse at the wonder that is Maureen Elek's lasagna

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:00:00 -0500

When Bill Elek, Paste's Events Manager and Southeastern Sales guy, was asked to contribute his favorite festive bit of whatever for our December/January Paste 7, he didn't hesitate in making his selection: "My mom's lasagna." The rest of us weren't so sure, though. Whose mom doesn't have a go-to comfort food recipe she whips out every holiday? And how incredible could a pan of layered meat and cheese and pasta really be, anyway?

But then he showed us the photos. And then he uttered the words "fifteen pounds." And "recipe under lock and key." And "last year, my wife went up to Philly five days early to help with the sauce." And our hearts melted like big blobs of mozzarella.

Live Photos & Review: Poi Dog Pondering @ Metro, 11/28/08

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:26:40 -0500

Poi Dog Pondering's mix of eclectic covers with a Latin-infused disco sound brought a sold-out crowd to the Metro the day after Thanksgiving, with donations of winter clothing for Snug Hugs for Kids made at the door. The older-than-the-Metro-norm crowd was a lively bunch who got into the groove throughout the two-hour plus set, and frontman Frank Orrall met fans’ enthusiasm: He loomed, danced, twirled lights above his head, and jived his way through the set, pulling off a stage dive that ended in a crowd surf bringing him all the way to the back bar. Charlette Wortham's vocal parts were also a highlight among Chicago’s longtime collective, and crowd sing-along favorites included “Bittersweet Symphony,” “Wishing Well,” and “That's The Way Love Is.”

In the market for an invisible bookshelf?

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:04:56 -0500

This wall-mounted bookshelf hides behind a stack of books. Since it clips inside the bottom book, you can't even see the shelf from beneath. It’s a stylish and practical way to display your favorite reads.

$10.50, Umbra.com

Win tickets to Can Can's CD release this Saturday

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:00:00 -0500

[Above: Can Can performs at The Earl on July 31, 2008.]

You can win a pair of tickets to see Atlanta's Can Can celebrate the release of their first full-length record, All Hell, this Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Drunken Unicorn! The band will be supported by fellow local acts Tenth To The Moon, The Swear and Trial By Fire. To win, be the first to email atlanta@pastemagazine.com. The Paste:Local Atlanta-sponsored show is 18+, and promises to be punk-rocking good time.

Paste celebrates 10 years

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:48:55 -0500

On Dec. 3 1998, Josh Jackson, Nick Purdy and Jordan Feibus launched PasteMusic.com, a retail site for independent music. The company began with the release of the first-ever live album from Vigilantes of Love. The website grew over the years, selling music from artists such as Pedro the Lion, Over the Rhine, Innocence Misison and Marzuki (a late '90s indie-folk band featuring Sufjan Stevens).

Calexico - 11/18/08 - Toronto, ON

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:15:44 -0500

Here we are at the Phoenix club. Little did I know that Toronto had such talented whistlers. During the song "El Gatillo," Martin's whistle melody is matched with a wild chorus.

Stephen Colbert launches "Operation Humble Kanye"

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:03:14 -0500

When Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak dropped last week, so did Stephen Colbert's Christmas spirit (as well as his album's place on the iTunes chart). As West sits at #1, the Colbert Christmas soundtrack hangs tentatively at #16. But the Comedy Central pundit has a master plan to change the fate of his disc.

The Faces are actually (probably) reuniting

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:47:26 -0500

If Ronnie Wood of Faces/Rolling Stones fame is to believed, it looks like the long rumored Faces reunion has finally come together. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Wood confirmed that the group was prepping for a new tour, which would be the band's first since 1974.

Will the real Michael Cera please stand up in Paper Hearts?

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:14:16 -0500

When Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist came out this October, TheMovieBlog posted a short lamentation: "Already Bored With Michael Cera." They were neither the first, nor the last, to voice such opinion—film and TV critics had long been noting the stark similarities among the roles of his career—but they did state the concern with a certain amount of pith:

The Low Anthem Covers All the Bases

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:00:50 -0500

Members: (L-R) Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky and Jocie Adams (not pictured, Cyrus Scofield)
Album: Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
For Fans Of: Nick Drake, Joe Henry, Gary Jules

Tinker and Evers. Reese and Robinson. Trammel and  Whitaker. All of baseball’s great double-play duos moved in a way that was almost musical. Ben Knox Miller and Jeff Prystowsky extended those harmonies from the baseball diamond to an actual band.

Phosphorescent to release Willie Nelson covers album

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:25:51 -0500

Matthew Houck doesn't play live as Phosphorescent alone anymore. It's a change, but a good one, as 2007's wondrous Pride featured dark-cloud chorales and otherwise lush treatment of Houck's folk tunes—layers that the live show now reflects.

Odetta: 1930-2008

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:12:03 -0500

Folksinger, blueswoman and civil rights activist Odetta died from heart disease yesterday in Manhattan. She was 77.

Calexico - 11/17/08 - Montreal, QC

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:50 -0500

Ah yes...waiting in line at the border immigration. Things go smoothly and soon we are outta there and crossing the St Lawrence river into lovely Montreal. Love this town and love Quebec City as well. Lots of fond memories in the province of Quebec.

10 Best Songs To Listen To While The Tide Spanks the Gators in the 2008 SEC Championship

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:27:39 -0500

Earlier this week, deputy editor and Gator alum Jason Killingsworth issued a fatwa of sorts on the legions of Alabama Crimson Tide fans with his blog post, "10 Best Songs to Listen to While the Gators Spank Alabama in the 2008 SEC Championship." Shortly thereafter, our inboxes filled up with messages from Tide supporters around the blogosphere. The best message came from Tony at AlabamaGameday.net who wanted to craft his own 10-song Bama playlist. So, in the interest of fairness, we told him we'd post it via "Alabama vs Florida - the 2008 SEC Championship Playlist."

The Uglysuit - 11/29/08 - Seattle, WA

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:00:05 -0500

Currently listening to: I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real by YACHT

Hello from Seattle! So the last few days have been tiring and busy, a lot of driving. We played four nights ago in Paris at a beautiful Theatre called Marigny. Paris is a beautiful city; we got to walk around a bit. We saw the Eiffel Tower up close, which was amazing. The show went very well. The next morning we drove four hours to Dijon for our second to last show in Europe with Mercury Rev. Great show as well, though Dijon was a somewhat strange town.