Something about Sam
The man behind the State of Bengal curtain — London DJ-producer-scenemaker Sam Zaman — is in touch with the divine. The proof is on wax in the form of Visual Audio. He’s not trading in trite, ascending arpeggios of sampladelia and 808 cliché. Zaman, rather, has created in these 11 tracks a wild combination of…
Me so horny
When Shar Rednour started her ’zine, Starphkr, she laid out the ground rules for requested “submissions” right away: “Raunchy is number one. Saying this is the best j/o material to hit the planet is a pretty big brag & I am prepared to prove it … Content is number two & literary ideals comes in…
Down a new road
Move aside, gas-guzzlers … there’s a new, greener automotive world out there. It’s a small but growing selection of electric and hybrid vehicles which represent a bridge to a cleaner future.
Soothing the easel
Painters on music and the synergy of bliss…
Compared to what?
A remake of “Compared to What?” starts the new David Holmes record with Harlem poet Carl Rux demanding that his audience figure out what it actually means “to make it real.” Underneath the bass rhythm and piano riffs, Rux accuses: “We’re all chicken feathers/without one gut!” As it was when Les McCann and Eddie Harris…
Painful lullabies
The girl’s mother is at the sink, washing the dishes — not scrubbing, mind you — because she is elsewhere, in another country, another house, another time. She’s young and beautiful; the veins in her hands have blended into the smooth paleness of a teenage girl’s skin. She’s running in her dream, carefree and giggling,…
Vinyl exams
JayDee, one-third of Slum Village and hip-hop’s most wanted producer, hasn’t forgotten his Detroit people. While staying busy working with big-name stars such as Erykah Badu, Common and Jay-Z, he has taken time to produce debut singles from local MCs Phat Kat and Que D. Frank n Dank is next, simultaneously dropping two 12-inches on…
Barrett Strong
As part of the legendary Motown recording and production duo of Whitfield and Strong, Barrett Strong helped craft such classics as “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Just My Imagination.” This dynamic artist hasn’t stopped writing and his latest work is comfortably reminiscent of the uplifting R&B that put…
Antitrust
Deception, espionage, paranoia and murder in the software business — Peter Howitt’s Antitrust is a thriller that actually thrills and plays out like Faust selling his soul to the corporate devil — with Tim Robbins and Ryan Phillippe.
Danger down South
The Coen brothers have made their looniest, all-out comedy since Raising Arizona, yet their zaniness is infused with a weird warmth and affection — with George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as a motley trio making their escape from a Mississippi prison crew. In this beautifully rendered, old-fashioned scary movie, director Sam Raimi…
One Day in September
On Sept. 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists attacked the Olympic Village in Munich. Soon, two members of the Israeli Olympic contingent were dead and nine others were being held hostage. Kevin MacDonald’s tense documentary keeps the focus on a nervous present tense as it effectively conveys the human tragedy, the sense of waste and futility.
Me & Isaac Newton
British director Michael Apted’s documentary consists of thumbnail portraits of seven prominent scientists. It uses such flourishes as different film stock, weird point-of-view shots and effects footage to keep the viewer engaged — only afterward you may wonder what it was all about.
Double Take
Alfred Hitchcock presents "Amos ’n’ Andy"? Director George Gallo cops some moves from the master of suspense for his plot. Though this "action-comedy" has some laugh-out-loud moments, many have the whiff of burnt cork (blackface) — with Orlando Jones and Eddie Griffin.
Vinyl exams
Lacksidaisycal’s last release, a 10-inch single shared with his Breakfast Club partner Montana, never quite received the attention it deserved. The New Year sees him onto bigger and better things — a solo 12-inch packed with four quality jams. Lacks gets plenty of help from his friends on the lead track “Friday Night,” which features…
The Gift
In this beautifully rendered, old-fashioned scary movie, director Sam Raimi uses simple but highly effective shock tactics to pull the audience in — with Cate Blanchett (as a seer giving readings for lost souls), Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank and Keanu Reeves.
Vinyl exams
Obie Trice (that’s Mr. Trice to you) came out of nowhere with the self-deprecating anthem “The Well-Known Asshole,” a surprise underground hit in 2000 that makes this sophomore release much anticipated. Producer Moss has cooked up some nice, simple piano-based tracks, perfect for showcasing Trice’s punch line-filled braggadocio rhymes and striking voice, which invites comparisons…
Fight to the finish
Union workers ask for continuation of Detroit newspaper boycott…
Second chance
Another chance to protest I-375 extension…
Letters to the Editor
Brush backed Thank you very much for shining some light on the fight for Brush Park ("Brush Park and hope," MT, Jan. 3-9). Although I am only 24 years old, I have always been amazed at the immensity and beauty of Brush Park, and could never understand how Detroit had let it slide so far…
Data drive
Automotive technology sounds both familiar (remember “Knight Rider”?) and futuristic, but it’s currently available in a handful of high-end vehicles. Here’s a sample of what’s out there.
Facing down deadly force
Arnetta Grable will not give up on justice for her son Lamar, a young black man with no police record, who was shot dead by Detroit Police officer Eugene Brown.
Prom night in Motown
Several Detroit-area semi-celebs (including Keith Famie and Richard Golden) spotted in and around the auto show gala preview … Patti Smith & others celebrate 25 years of punk at CBGB’s … & a plea for a real cocktail lounge in downtown Detroit.
Ten years after
Metro Detroit group committed to stopping sanctions against Iraq….
Bad call
Can your thick skull protect you from cell-phone radiation? (Or from lawyers who want to help you sue for damages?)
Geology 2
Planet E puts together Geology 2, the second volume of subjective studies of its catalog … Images from last year’s DEMF featured at C-Pop … Out of the ashes of “Family,” Motor sets up an all-new club night … & more.
Dreaming is real
Inspired by intuition, imagination, erotic desire and madness … surrealist dramas unfold nonstop at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Watch that swinging door
Delta 88 makes hard-driving American music….
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): My Uncle Ned is an advertising executive. I consider his work to be the dark side of a set of abilities we share. We both dream up catchy language to captivate people’s imaginations. But my purpose is to tune people in to their inner wisdom and encourage them to cultivate the…
Turning up the heat
The Fireside Festival blazes a trail into innovative theater….
