——————————–
Hey everyone,

QUICK! What’s the last song you listened to?

Don’t be shy…I just finished listening to “You’ve Been Flirting Again” by Bjork off of Post.

Thanks everyone
——————————–
From: Matt Miranda [photographer]
Subject: Re: Staff Favorites
They Said That by Conflict
——————————–
From: Joey Englehart [staff writer]
Subject: Re: Staff Favorites
…hmm. The Landfall Planetarium by Happy Apple.

——————————–
From: Colleen Powers [campus]
Subject: Re: Staff Favorites
“The Crane Wife 1 & 2″ by the Decemberists.
——————————–
From: Sage Dahlan [managing editor]
Subject: Re: Staff Favorites
Bound to Fall – The Pines

——————————–

From: Scott Doane [staff writer]
Subject: Re: Staff Favorites
“Acid Tongue” by Jenny Lewis off of Acid Tongue. She’s hot.

Last night, I caught the band Dub Trio at the Varsity Theater. I don’t wish to wreck any reps here, but Dub Trio have a profound fondness for Celine Dion and listen to her Canadian warbles backstage to prepare for shows. Take that however you will, but that is the case.

Their sound is far from that of the pop diva, but I was not actually terribly surprised by the band’s fondness. Dub Trio is indeed a trio who perform dub music, of sorts, but …

Read more →

Apparently, the appearance of a wordsmith was like the second coming of Christ. Susie didn’t rave about it on the bus ride over, yet Marnie could see anticipation in the way she sat upright and clinged to the handrail. All this for some guy who told tall tales while scamming people for food and money? He was probably homeless and his words were nothing more than the result of being beaten down for a lifetime. His sanity was cracked, she was sure of it; she was determined to think so. What was Marnie anticipating? A scraggly, rancid, plump old man …

Read more →

Art by Lucy Michelle

As December approaches, it’s getting to Christmas special season. Last night I went to Bryant Lake Bowl to attend one of the most infamous Christmas specials of all time, the Star Wars Holiday Special. Technically, this is not a Christmas special, as it takes place a long time ago in a galaxy without a Jesus or a Santa Claus. This is a “Life Day” special, centering on the sacred Wookie Christmas equivalent which, from what I could tell, involves nothing other …

Read more →

Obama’s cabinet appointments are going to be very important. After running on a platform of change of leadership, integrity, and political reconciliation between warring factions, Obama needs to be very careful that his cabinet picks represent these values. This is why Obama’s first round of probable picks worries me: two of three are firm, long-time Obama backers, all three are democrats, all three are long term Washington insiders, and is not quite a lobbyist, but not quite free of the appearance of being one. Not exactly a recipe for change.

Obama’s man for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Former Senator …

Read more →

Life has always been easy for Marnie Williams. Her mother was never a crack whore and her father never hit anyone nor anything in his life. Both her parents were relatively no-fuss kinda people. Their home was in a quiet suburb and had a good sized lawn and patio adorned with an oversized chrome “hungry man” grill out back. The refrigerator was always stocked with healthy and meaty options, and the kitchen was neither too dirty nor freakishly clean. The walls were painted up and down with creamish colors and hung with an odd mix of modern art and homey …

Read more →

Nader:Postmortem from The Wake Student Magazine on Vimeo.

When I ran into Military Special for this interview, they were in the midst of an argument over aesthetic. Short songs versus false endings? Are the beats to be hard and heavy or do they just come off as sad bastard music? How much minor key is too much? “I wanted this song like a drunken anthem,” said guitarist Peter Blomgren, “but [keyboardist] Danell wants it to be a serious happy song with a melody,”. The band bandied back and forth their ideas over …

Read more →

There are many ways to combat drug use. You can punish the users or you can track down the dealers. You can impose huge fines or force junkies into rehab by threatening them with jail time. You can run sting operations with marked bills and undercover DEA agents. You can do cavity searches at all points of entry and train German shepherds to sniff out drugs. You can legalize it and dish out methadone like candy, hoping that if the problem does not get better, …

Read more →

I have discovered a really cool band. Their name is Bouncer Fighter.

The moniker may lend your mind to wander to a frat house band holding court in front of the Broman Senate, but don’t be fooled. Bouncer Fighter is the sort of creature that can be found occasionally and rarely in Minneapolis’s punk house basements: DIY, heavy, driving, and sharp but also inspired and inventive.

My first encounter with Bouncer Fighter occurred on a prematurely chilly day in early September. The five young, watch cap and flannel-clad troubadours took the stage an hour late and commenced a 6-song set of …

Read more →

The Photo Album is back for a second walk around the block. I hope you guys haven’t missed us; all three of you. This time around we have some photos that were just too good to fit into the confined space of print media. So last 1,000 years. Go read the bible print lovers. I mean it. Or look at some nifty slideshows.

Here at the University of Minnesota, we always see those bins with designated openings for newspapers, trash, bottles and cans, and the like. It makes us feel good when we put our diet Coke bottle into the “bottles and cans” hole, and we feel like we patted Mother Nature on the back today. We pride ourselves in being sustainable and recycling our leftovers, but how much of an impact are we really making?

Every few years or so, a story always surfaces with claims that recycling isn’t …

Read more →

You’re probably afraid of me. You may not be quite sure why you’re afraid, but you are. When you see me walking down the street, images and words flash into your mind as you recall information you’ve heard about people like me. I am a Muslim woman, and I cover my hair which means everywhere I go I broadcast my faith. I am accustomed to stares, whispers, and outright rudeness. I don’t blame you for feeling the way you do.

I’ll share something with you that I have never told anyone. When I was flying home last year, …

Read more →

The University Railroad Club found its home in the basement of 1701 University in 2003. Room 4 is the club’s headquarters where members hold meetings, discuss field trip plans, and, most importantly, build extensive model railroad systems. Room 4 is less of an office and more of a recycled kitchen-turned-railroad museum.

Davidson Ward, a University of Minnesota junior and the Railroad Club president, welcomed me at the door despite my late arrival at what I had thought would be an official meeting, with all of the chairs pointing in the same …

Read more →