Most Popular
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An ancient Apollo statue landed in Cleveland and touched off an international outcry
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Joe Cimperman hopes to tear down his former hero, Dennis Kucinich
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Beat Down
Cleveland teachers swap stories of school violence.
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Everybody Hates Mike
The peril of coaching an icon.
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Secret Valentines Notes from C-Town Celebs
Our I-Team uncovered the private love letters of Cleveland's biggest names. You'll be shocked by what we discovered.
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$100 Bounty on That Kid (19)
Copley-Fairlawn finds a way to keep the impostors out.
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At Indie-Rock Singles Night in Cleveland, an event for hipsters lacks one key ingredient: Hipsters (18)
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Dennis Kucinich’s brave talk about working and fighting — from the safety of the officer’s tent (10)
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Beat Down (3)
Cleveland teachers swap stories of school violence.
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An ancient Apollo statue landed in Cleveland and touched off an international outcry (3)
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Crazy Talk
Miranda Lambert is a lot like any other girl with a soft spot for guns and setting exes on fire.
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Beer, BBQ, industry schmoozing: Rounding up SXSW 2008’s local delegates
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The Bravery's New World
New-wave revivalists discover the power of three-chord guitar rock.
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Years after he gave up on rock music, Bob Mould plugs back in
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Keep on Truckin'
Jason Isbell finds life after the Drive-By Truckers.
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Swing State: The Film Fest doc that's got Lt. Governor Lee Fisher shirtless, and so much more
04:02PM 03/12/08 -
Dear Public Radio: We love your stuff and really want it to keep going. But what's with the Pledge Drive?
03:32PM 03/12/08 -
Wednesdays at Twist, it's all fun and gameshows
11:42AM 03/12/08 -
Lola's Michael Symon teams up with Voodoo Monkey Tattoos for food-inspired T-shirts
09:54AM 03/12/08 -
Money Where Your Mouth Is: Junior Revolution
09:45AM 03/12/08
What we are writing about
- Black Sabbath
- Bob Dylan
- classic rock
- Cleveland art
- Cleveland dining hotspots
- Cleveland theater
- family films
- foodie media
- Get religion!
- great video games
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Recent Articles By Ben Westhoff
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Lenny Kravitz
It Is Time for a Love Revolution (Virgin)
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Band of Horses
Cease to Begin (Sub Pop)
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The Iceman Cometh
Is there any discipline Val Kilmer can't master? Perhaps the Renaissance man has met his match.
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will.i.am
Songs About Girls (Interscope)
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Chamillionaire
Ultimate Victory (Motown)
National Features
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Houston Press
"It Was Like an Armageddon Movie"
For days after Hurricane Rita, a Texas prison was hell on earth.
By Chris Vogel -
SF Weekly
The Candidate
Our columnist knows Ralph Nader's running mate all too well.
By Matt Smith -
The Pitch
How Not To Be a Rap Star
First of all, lay off the Ecstasy.
By Nadia Pflaum -
Village Voice
Project Runaway
What becomes a gossip columnist most?
By Michael Musto
Subject(s): Jayhawks, alt-country, Gary Louris
Jayhawks and Golden Smog alum Gary Louris has a knack for crafting heartbreaking yet inspiring pop songs. At his best — in 'hawks tunes like "Save It for a Rainy Day," "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," and "It's Up to You" — Louris' songs are so beautiful, they make you want to cry. While his solo debut is a characteristically moving listen, it's not very compelling. In "She Only Calls Me on Sundays," a woman rings up Louris whenever "she's had her fill of red wine and cigarettes and prescription pills." Vagabonds maintains this dispirited tone throughout, and, despite flashes of greatness, it never quite jells. One problem: The stripped-down production by the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson robs the songs of Louris' naturally deft and diverse musicality. Only a few of the tunes are immediately memorable — like the title track and "Black Grass," which evokes the Jayhawks' Sound of Lies. Maybe that's it: Sound of Lies took years to grow on fans. Vagabonds' carefully crafted vibe suggests that perhaps all it needs is some time to age.
