Most Popular
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How Progressive insurance lost what made it progressive
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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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Justice Maureen O’Connor says campaign money doesn’t affect her
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At Indie-Rock Singles Night in Cleveland, an event for hipsters lacks one key ingredient: Hipsters
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How Progressive insurance lost what made it progressive (33)
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At Indie-Rock Singles Night in Cleveland, an event for hipsters lacks one key ingredient: Hipsters (22)
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$100 Bounty on That Kid (19)
Copley-Fairlawn finds a way to keep the impostors out.
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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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An ancient Apollo statue landed in Cleveland and touched off an international outcry (4)
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Years after he gave up on rock music, Bob Mould plugs back in
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Boozing through St. Patrick’s Day with Bono, Van, and the Pogues
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Beer, BBQ, industry schmoozing: Rounding up SXSW 2008’s local delegates
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Summery pop bands brave Cleveland’s harsh weather and reputation
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Avril Lavigne has had a bitch of a year, but she hopes a new tour will bring back the fun
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Get country with Lawless at Brooklyn's Hall of Fame tonight
02:01PM 03/26/08 -
Countdown to Opening Day: An alarmingly long interview with Tom Hamilton, voice of the Indians and guy we’re sorta obsessed with
01:32PM 03/26/08 -
WTF?: 20 years later, Sam Miller finally gets his wish
01:23PM 03/26/08 -
Rover explains Morning Glory's move to WMMS
12:08PM 03/26/08 -
R&B songstress Conya Doss to promote record on WVIZ’s Applause, at Borders and the Beachland
11:54AM 03/26/08
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Recent Articles By Carlo Wolff
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David Torn
Prezens (ECM)
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The Dave Sterner Quintet
What's What (MySpace.com/TheDaveSternerQuintet)
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The Donald Harrison Quartet
Friday, February 16, at Nighttown.
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Buddy Sullivan
Buddy Sullivan Celebrates Life and Love (Self-released)
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Norah Jones
Not Too Late (Blue Note)
National Features
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Village Voice
A Long Way Wrong?
Another celebrated memoir threatens to blow into a million little pieces.
By Graham Rayman -
LA Weekly
Hoop Dawg
Billionaire Donald T. Sterling owns the L.A. Clippers and loves the ladies. And those are just two of his problems.
By Patrick Range McDonald -
The Pitch
Children of the Porn
Elvin Boone's sex-shop empire crumbles as his offspring feud.
By Justin Kendall -
Westword
The Good Soldier
When the Army tried to take down Andrew Pogany, they messed with the wrong coward.
By Joel Warner
Subject(s): Missy Elliott, R&B, Janet Jackson
So retro it's alternative, Discipline is a busy, padded album about control and surrender. Like many of Janet Jackson's other CDs, it's awash with drum machines, big, synthesized beats, and cooing choruses on steroids. Jackson's voice, as usual, isn't distinctive. But armed with production help from Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins, and Ne-Yo, she turns in a professional if unexciting record. The between-song patter will drive you nuts — her handlers apparently told her faking party scenes in these strained interludes would be cool — but turns by guitarist Ernie Isley and booty-shaker Missy Elliott provide occasional style and humor. Repetition capsizes "Rollercoaster" (ever think of love that way before? Originality still hasn't visited Jackson), "Rock With U," and "What's Ur Name," but "2Nite" is sexy and dramatic, "Greatest X" has actual progressions, and "Can't B Good," vapid lyrics aside, has a groove. Expectations may still dog Jackson nearly 20 years after she peaked with Rhythm Nation, but she seems content to release this sort of album — counting on naughty graphics, her buff body, and well-worn rhythmic tropes to appease whatever audience she has left.
