M For Montreal
Last year, we published our first-ever international issue. We've always tried to look beyond our shores for great music and film, but recently we've stepped that up a notch, attending music festivals in Norway, Germany and most recently Canada, where I had the privilege to attend M For Montreal (or M Pour Montreal for you Francophones).... read more
Fiction Family, Joshua Radin and Dar Williams in-studio
The last two days have been busy in the Paste Studio. Yesterday, Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins brought their new band Fiction Family in to play a few songs, including a cover of Radiohead's "Idioteque" around a single mic.... read more
An Indie Rock Alphabet Book release party
Ain't no party like a kids' book release party. On Sunday, Jan. 25, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Ga., was packed for the release party of Paste's An Indie Rock Alphabet Book. Oskar Blues provided the Dale's Pale Ale and local band Judi Chicago brought the rock. After a reading of Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Punk Farm, my daughters Jordan and Emma Jackson read their Indie Rock ABCs. It's even funnier when a kid reads, "Stone Temple Pilot turned into tools / But after all this time, Pearl Jam still rules." Co-authors Kate Kiefer and Rachael Maddux and illustrator owen... read more
Culture Roundup 12.30.08
It's eerily quiet here at the Paste office with most everybody taking a vacation day today. And I just said my goodbyes to Palmer Houchins, who as of Friday will be our first full-time Paste employee living in New York (Williamsburg, to be exact—hipsters, be nice to him). So I thought I'd just give you a round-up of cultural tidbits that our web team is too busy merry-making to otherwise tell you about...... read more
Dreams So Real finally gets the digital treatment
Years ago, high-school Josh was obsessed with music from Athens and Atlanta—R.E.M., Guadalcanal Diary, Drivin' & Cryin', the Indigo Girls. One of cassettes (hey, I said years ago) I listened to more than any other was a 1988 album called Rough Night in Jericho by Dreams So Real. It was a perfect gateway for classic-rock-loving junior-high-school Josh to start listening to college radio with gruff, earnest vocals over chime-y guitars.... read more
Neko Case & Antony Get Their Album Art Freak On
It's only December 11, but already 2009 is shaping up to be a year in memorable album art. First we found out that for Middle Cyclone (due out March 3), Neko Case has turned herself into the most badass hood ornament in history:... read more
Montreal Graffiti
In my hometown of Atlanta, graffiti generally means obnoxious scribbling in unattractive, unreadable, self-aggrandizing fonts, with one rare exception—the rail underpass at the intersection of DeKalb Ave. and Krog St., where Robert Mitchum's mug peeks out from the tunnel. But even graffiti artists tagging this single bright spot have to worry about vigilantes in trees.Walking around the International and Latin Quarters in Montreal, though, is like walking through a spray-paint art gallery. Here are a few of my favorites (photographed on my iPhone) with suggested titles:"Montreal Girls Are Super. I Just Wanna Eat Them Up."... read more
Staff Picks - Josh Jackson (editor-in-chief)
We've just released our collective Top 50 at Paste, and there's been the usual response both on our site and others' about what you think we missed, what we got wrong and what the list really should have looked like. Since this was a collaborative effort with votes from staff and some of our regular critics, everyone would have made this list a little differently, including me. Here's my personal top 10 (i.e. the actual 10 best albums this year).1. Bon Iver—For Emma, Forever AgoSome albums stampede their way into your brain, others creep in during the middle of the... read more
Bush shoves a little flag-waving down Obama's throat
When the White House changes party hands, there's a tradition among outgoing staffers to play harmless prank. Junior Clinton officials famously rubbed the Ws off the keyboards in the West Wing before President George W. Bush took office. But the current commander-in-chief has just pulled a doozy on his successor.... read more
Cool Developments in Social Networking
As even us 30-somethings have come to accept social networking as part of our lives, here are a couple ways to keep your social platforms organized and one way that social networking is helping promote social justice...... read more
Time Demolishers: Second Rate Snacks, Album Atlas and How To Nail Jello To a Wall
Some blogs offer thoughtful insight and commentary on the political process, international relations or spiritual issues. Others take you through their play-by-play on attempts to literally nail jello to a wall. This post focuses on the latter category with three fun ways to vacuum up all that extra free time you have between conference calls (note to my staff: please don't read any further)...Second Rate SnacksReady to end the Ho Ho vs. Swiss Cake Roll debate? Head to Second Rate Snacks and vote for your favorite junk food. A great idea even if the lack of a hyphen between Second... read more
New Discoveries: Passion Pit, Weyerbacher Pumpkin Ale and Freaks & Geeks
My new discoveries from the past week include a band from Cambridge, a perfect fall beer and an old TV show that I should have checked out a long time ago.... read more
Two New Blogs: TV Detail and List of the Day
Paste has just launched two new blogs, TV Detail for television news and reviews and List of Day. My TV Detail reviews that used to appear on this blog (like last night's review of True Blood episode "The Fourth Man in the Fire") will now appear on the new blog. And lists like this one will be moved to the List of the Day.The List of the Day blog will kick off with a countdown this week of the 20 Best TV Characters of the Last 20 Years. We'll be unveiling four each day, starting with #20-#17 today.The High Gravity... read more
TV Detail: My Own Worst Enemy review. Episode 1.2 "The Hummingbird"
It didn't take long for the show's title to make sense. In the premiere of My Own Worst Enemy, regular guy Henry is just beginning to come to terms with the the existence of his alter ego Edward, or more specifically, that he himself is Edward's alter ego. But the split personalities have to keep peace between themselves to survive. This precarious truce comes unraveled by the end of the second episode.... read more
TV Detail: Heroes review. Episode 306 "Dying of the Light"
In the sixth episode, Heroes Season Three slowly, finally comes into focus. It's all about the villain, Arthur Petrelli, back from the grave. Not that there are enough other bad guys to spread around. The creepiest is the puppetmaster, Eric Doyle, one of the escapees from Level 5. He's found his love, Claire's mother Meredith and going all psychopath on her and the rest of the family. Meanwhile, Dr. Suresh's little lair is growing more crowded with... prisoners? snacks?... read more
Paul Simon's Lyrics 1964-2008
I'm not often side-tracked by the many books that come through the Paste office. We have an extremely capable editor who does a mighty fine job on our books coverage, but the beautiful hard-bound book of Paul Simon's lyrics has yet to make it past my desk. Due out Nov. 11 on Simon & Schuster, Lyrics 1964-2008 is just that—all of Simon's lyrics throughout his storied career.... read more
SNL: Weekend Update Thursday 10.16 review
In the words of Amy Poehler and Seth Myers, "Really?" Really, SNL, you're going to open another Thursday night special with a fake debate? Really? Where last week's episode was filled with laughs, this week's fell flat at almost every turn. There's only so much humor you can wring from Joe the Plumber, and while Fred Armisen does a pretty good Obama, he's yet to be given a single memorable line. And Seth, really? You can't read a teleprompter? This is prime time, baby. It'd be forgivable if your jokes were half as funny as last week, but this felt... read more
5 Reasons I'm Giving Up on Fox's Fringe
We're 5 episodes into Fox's Fringe, a show about the outer reaches of science—imaginable if not particularly feasible advances in areas like telekinesis, telepathy, reanimation, invisibility—and a global conspiracy to develop and test these advances, often with murderous results. Only it sounds more interesting than it is.Here are five reasons that I'm taking a break from Fringe:... read more
Watch Life on Mars premiere episode right here
Last week, we reviewed the debut episode of Life on Mars, The American remake of British cop show with a time-traveling twist. But if you missed it, you can watch right here ad-free:... read more
TV Detail: My Own Worst Enemy review—Series Premiere
Slater. Christian Slater. You've at least seen the previews by now. In My Own Worst Enemy, the star of Heathers plays both international spy Edward Albright and his regular guy alter ego Henry Spivey. The dual personalities are kept at bay through mind manipulation by the unnamed government organization running the program. Except in the series premiere, something's gone wrong, and he's flipping back and forth at the most inopportune times.... read more
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 50 Best Albums of the Decade…
The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
The 20 Best Live Acts of the…
Kim Taylor - Days Like this
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
Gregory Alan Isakov - The Moon Song
Patrick Watson - Man Like You
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
David Bazan - Hard To Be
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
