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The work of illustrator and graphic novelist Elizabeth Blue might best be described as “Southern Gothic.” Her approach incorporates themes of romance, crime, fairy tales and family relationships to fashion compelling visual narratives. Continue reading
1. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within City of God meets The Wire in this fast-paced political action-thriller set in Rio de Janeiro. An exciting and devastating look at corrupt systems of law enforcement, politics and media, this was the highest-grossing film of all time in Brazil (even out-grossing Avatar). 2. Sound of My Voice Continue reading
How to Survive A Plague This harrowing and inspiring doc follows the highly organized activists that demanded medical and social progress for AIDS sufferers during the height of the epidemic in the ’80s and ’90s — a lesson in complacency, compassion and the power of a dedicated group of people. The Art of Rap Continue reading
Connor Martin really wants to party with you. In fact he’s driving up and down the entire West Coast building an army of eccentric, neon-clad youth. Con Bro Chill, Martin’s wacky, power-party pop troupe embraces the bombastic, donning neon garb from head to toe. And, yes, that includes neon loafers. Continue reading
If you want to know what Robin Bacior sounds like, and I mean really sounds like, listen to her 2013 EP I Left You, Still In Love (available for free until Feb. 25 at robinbacior.bandcamp.com). The album was recorded in a one-day session at Headgear Studios in Brooklyn, New York. If you listen closely to “Women Speak,” you will hear a guitar string snapping. At first, Bacior thought she had ruined the track, but the recording grew on her, the flaws creating a sense of intimacy. “It’s a direct reflection of our live show,” Bacior says. Continue reading
Electronic music is criticized for using cold and soulless sounds made by machines. It’s often dismissed as falling in one of two camps: sleep-inducing new-age soundscapes or frantic beats for sleepless day-glo ravers. Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) is here to prove both of those assumptions wrong. Continue reading
A friend of mine uses “stomp/clap band” to describe the recent trend of indie folk/pop, a sound reaching both its penultimate victory and sure sign of eminent decline with The Lumineers appearing at the Grammys and Mumford & Sons’ best album win. “You won’t find any ‘hos’ and ‘heys’ in our tunes,” says Terrible Buttons vocalist and guitarist Kent Ueland, referencing the recent hit “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers. Continue reading
Near Amazon and 19th is a theater that seats 1,000 people — it is the second largest theater in Eugene. Its cavernous room glows warmly from the theater lights hitting the sea of red velvet seats. The elegant curve of the stage leads the eye to a custom-welded circular light piece, twinkling as it hangs above four candy-colored carousel horses — the quartet is hand-carved and painted, and worth $60,000. The theater director and his leading cast gather in the aisle, chattering about the opening night of their production, Carousel, on Feb. 21. Continue reading
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is delving deeper into the belly of ’60s and ’70s counterculture art with Advertising the Contradictions, an exhibit that explores the collision of art, culture and politics through the eyes of local artist Violet Ray. While not part of the official West of Center: Art and the Counterculture Experiment in America exhibit that opened Feb 8., the JSMA added the local artist’s work because of its role in Vietnam anti-war protests — his photo collages were reprinted on fliers and widely distributed. Continue reading
Most people listen to vinyl; some go as far as to frame their favorite record sleeves and display them proudly on their walls while others use them as a blank canvas. On Feb. 23 you can see and purchase repurposed record art at the 4th annual Beats & Brushstrokes silent auction hosted by the UO Emerging Leaders in the Arts Network (ELAN). But make sure to get there early; last year’s event quickly reached capacity, and there was a line out the door. Continue reading