Culture

Culture

Jazz Infidels get funky with punk improvisations

Frank Wott | May 6

The Jazz Infidels got their name after a month of debate. "It was something we could all semi-agree on," saxophone player Sam Isabel said. "'Infidel' has a connotation that you don't follow the norm. Plus, we wanted to indicate that we are a jazz band." The band also includes Der Baron on drums, Vince Spiak on stand-up bass, Boleszek Osinski on trumpet, and Shawn Umsteau or Paul Mallory on piano.

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Culture

Twin sisters deliver disappointing show

Carrie Leonard | May 1

Tegan and Sara are on tour promoting their latest album, The Con, which is fitting since they basically conned me into thinking they might be good. I had never heard their music before and was excited to see their show, since I'm always in the mood for new, live music.

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Culture

Old reels make for New films

May 1

Basement Films does things a little differently. "We exhibit a lot of films in a mobile, makeshift manner," said Keif Henley, group member and owner of the Guild Cinema. "We don't make films in a traditional sense. We've done things in parking lots. We've done a show inside a used car lot.

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Culture

Local band stays true to independent roots

Xochitl Campos | May 1

For the past eight years, Ya-Ya Boom has been a staple of the Albuquerque music scene. The band's CD release party for its latest album, Isn't Pretty, is this Saturday at 10 p.m. at Burt's Tiki Lounge. Bass player Monica Demarco said the secret to the band's longevity is its love for music.

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Culture

The Lobo Threesome

Rhian Hibner | May 1

Dirt City Radio Old Country Blues Available Now 3/5 This album is exactly what its title claims to be. It is country - the style is downright archaic - and it cannot be denied that it is blues. The problem here is it's underproduced. Yeah, a raw sound is usually a good thing, and yeah, no one will deny that too much production will murder an album - but someone really needs to take away Dirt City Radio's echo pedal.

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Culture

Blackbird Buvette exceeds commonality

Marcella Ortega and Carie Leonard | April 30

The Blackbird Buvette was opened by a rock band. "Spending a lot of time together traveling, we would always think of different ideas of things to do, and that was one that I think everybody was always intrigued with," Brian Knieriem said. "We all had a background in the service industry - restaurants.

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Culture

The Console Wars

Rhian Hibner | April 30

"Grand Theft Auto IV" isn't out yet, but it's already stirring controversy. Granted, this is Jack Thompson's - everyone's favorite frivolous lawyer - crackpot variety of controversy. Unfortunately, there is a respectably large and overly vocal subset of American society that thinks Thompson is worth listening to.

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Culture

Exhibit takes a new look at classics

Xochitl Campos | April 29

Two students have set forth to change the way their audience sees itself. Artists Robert Rainey and Joseph Mougel will exhibit their works through May 9 at Jonson Gallery. Rainey, a photographer, reproduced several iconic images like Manet's "Luncheon on the Grass" and Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" in his series "His*story.

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Culture

Fashion Q&A

Marcella Ortega | April 29

Panteha Soltani Graduate student "Anything that fits on me nice - I'll buy it." Soltani likes to shop at the mall. She said she doesn't discriminate when it comes to shopping, but her favorite stores are Dillard's, Macy's and The Gap. She said she buys clothes if they fit well, and she doesn't pay attention to the brand.

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Culture

Loeb reaches out to children

April 24

Lisa Loeb has kept busy since her '90s hit "Stay (I Missed You)." After doing a TV show with Dweezil Zappa, appearing in a reality TV dating show, taking writing workshops, releasing albums, running an advice column and starting a foundation to send underprivileged kids to summer camp, she's on tour to promote her latest album, Camp Lisa.

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Culture

The real side of the music business

Marcella Ortega | April 24

For Janale Harris, the music business is not all fun and games. "You turn on MTV, you turn on BET and you see all these shows," he said. "It's no disrespect to any of these shows, because there's a market for it, and that's what happens. But you have a whole generation of aspiring artists that come up and think that that's the business, and it's not the business.

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Culture

From the Junkyard to the Gallery

Marcella Ortega | April 24

As long as Ken Fincke can remember, he has been making art out of trash. "My granddad was a contractor up in Santa Fe, and he had this huge yard as big as this block that had junk in it," he said. "There was welders and torches and everything imaginable. I was like, 'Grandpa, can I make something?' He was like, 'Yeah, you'll cut yourself and get yelled at by your mom.

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Culture

Re-living rockabilly's old days

Frank Wott | April 22

Long Gone Trio doesn't need drums to get people on the dance floor. "A lot of people are weirded out when they see we don't have a drummer," said Pat Bova, singer and guitarist for the local rockabilly band. "And then they come see us play and say, 'You don't need a drummer.

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Culture

Kung fu keeps 'Kingdom' from complete failure

Rhian Hibner | April 22

If it wasn't for the kung fu, "The Forbidden Kingdom" would be a terrible movie. The plot is derivative drivel. Basically, boy dreams of adventure, finds adventure, gets scared, mans up and goes on to save the day. There. That's the whole movie in a nutshell.

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Culture

Exhibit brings collages together

Kate Mitchell | April 22

Upon walking into 516 Arts, visitors are greeted by a gigantic collage of a lobster. Artist Miriam Wosk made three big collages on paper that hang down like scrolls from the gallery's top wall as part of the show "Alchemy." "They're probably the show-stoppers," program coordinator Rhiannon Mercer said.

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Culture

The Lobo Threesome

Rhian Hibner | April 17

Moby Last Night 4/5 Available Now Moby's latest effort is a return to his roots. These songs were made for clubs. Even though these are dance beats and not Moby's techo-blues fusion, they still show the evolution of the last couple of albums. Possibly the most fun song on the album, "Disco Lies" is a retro club song, but with modern bass lines.

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Culture

Theater festival spotlights students

Marcella Ortega | April 17

Director Scott Vehill likes working in the Albuquerque theater scene because of its energy. "We're at a very special place in time where Albuquerque is starting to really explode," he said. "It reminds us of the East Village scene in the '70s and in Chicago in the '80s - when things started to explode.

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Culture

Acoustic group perfects 'sidewalk rock'

April 16

Fast Heart Mart recorded its latest album, Cheap and Sunny, in a chicken coop. "I converted it to a studio," frontman Martin Stamper said. "It had chicken wire on the windows. It's real small, but I like it. I'm hoping to maybe one day build a bigger room out there, but it's good for now.

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Culture

'Girl Talk' mixes up pop scene

Xochitl Campos | April 16

In June, Gregg Gillis quit his job as a biomedical engineer. Good thing he had a hobby to help him into early retirement. "I don't know about early retirement," he said. "Basically, because I could make a living partying, I don't really like waking up or dealing with old people.

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Culture

Class takes a new look at Albuquerque

April 15

A class trip to Spain inspired UNM undergraduate Wesley Morton to create an experiential learning course called "Destination Albuquerque: An Experiential Journey." "This class is based on the idea that discovery lies not in seeing far off places, but in seeing places with fresh eyes," he said.