Rock Candy: May 2008 Archives

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Friday, May 30, 2008 - 16:17:40

R-E-P-R-E-S-E-N-T

Samia Nawaz, a Little Rock native, has made it to the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She made it to the final 12 by correctly spelling pyrrhotism earlier today. (It means the state of being red haired.) She also managed words like bombinate, piacular, advocaat, podotheca and amylolysis.

The 13-year-old is an honors student at Anthony School, who prides herself on knowing every detail in the seven Harry Potter books, counts Angelina Jolie as a role model and enjoys designing clothing and playing piano. She plans on becoming a doctor or an entrepreneur.

Last year she tied for 95th place.

The winner gets $35,000 in cash plus more than $5,000 in other prizes.

You can catch the finals from 7-9 p.m. on ABC.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Linkage: Da Rulah, Root Hog or Die, three-ways and more diversions

Thank you Ashley Alexandra Dupre. Slick Rick gets a full pardon. Now make another "Street Talkin.'"

Check Sooie's "Root Hog or Die" downloadable mixtape. When he's not writing about film or sports, ABNS hosts a deep cuts radio show (maybe two now) on Fayetteville's KXUA.

The Chicago Sun-Times has a blog exclusively devoted to the R. Kelly trial. It's pretty fascinating stuff. Yesterday, firinstance, a star, "mystery" witness for the defense, who was purportedly there to debunk the prosecution's star "there were threesomes" witness, wasn't allowed to testify because he refused to give his social security number. Vulture's reporting on the Sun-Times reporting might even be better.

Oh, the hysteria:

Girl 1: Oh my God! Becky, tell me, tell me, how was it?
Girl 2: Ummmm … UH-'mazing.
Girl 1: Really?
Girl 2: Yes, I mean, God, I miss that show so much.
Girl 1: I know; me too. Did you cry?
Girl 2: So much. First, it was tears of joy, then it was tears of fashion.
Girl 1: Oh my God, tears of fashion? I think you totes just coined that phrase.
Girl 2: I totes did. Tears of fashion. The fashion was so good. I love fashion.

More via New York's Daily Intel.

The new Coens' trailer.

MILF Island lives on (via goldenfiddle).

Nerds, a project: A sonic camera.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Friday To-Do: Max turns 7

The Good Fear.

MAX RECORDINGS SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY SHOW
9 p.m., White Water Tavern. $6.

Pop the champagne (or PBR), Max Recordings is seven. Long the standard- bearer for smart, local music, always packaged exceedingly well, Max isn't just celebrating itself, it's celebrating the release of two new albums. The Good Fear, based mostly in Fayetteville, plays an expansive brand of Southern rock and includes current and former members of White Whale, Lucero, the New Amsterdams, Thee Higher Burning Fire and Woods Afire. When the Good Fear is on, they might be the best of the bunch (check the new website). Their new album is called “Dirty Lowdown Adventure,” Isaac Alexander, the lead singer of Big Silver and the Easys and the drummer for the Boondogs, takes a break from collaboration for “See Through Me,” his stunner of a solo debut. Look out for dreamy meditations on nostalgia, fate and love. Another Max stand-out, the pop-rock band Grand Serenade, opens the show.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

David Gordon Green sticks with comedy

Erstwhile indie hero and LR native David Gordon Green continues (fingers-crossed) making subversive studio comedies. Variety reports that Green is set to direct "Your Highness," a comedy about "an arrogant, lazy prince who must complete a quest to save his father's kingdom."

Jody Hill, who very probably is about to be the next big comedy star (upcoming: "Pineapple Express," "The Foot Fist Way" and the HBO pilot "East Bound and Down"), stars. He and Ben Best co-wrote the screenplay together.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Friday To-Do: Downtown Music Grand Opening

DOWNTOWN MUSIC GRAND OPENING
8 p.m., Downtown Music. $6.

The local metal hub for more than half a decade now, Downtown Music celebrates its sixth anniversary with the grand opening of its new space. Just a few storefronts down from its old address, the new location, at 211 W. Capitol, gives the venue double the square footage and a larger stage. Co-owners Jay Lightle and Alan Wells, who also play in the band Shitfire, have also added a long bar and updated the PA system. Lightle and Wells experimented with serving barbecue in their old spot (it was amazingly good). Now, likely beginning in June, they're planning on serving home style cooking during lunch hours, Monday through Friday, and on nights when they host concerts. The two-day celebration starts at 8 p.m. and costs $6 each night. On Friday, Sychosys, Drop Dead Syndicate, Rusty Hook, SeaHag and Borderline Blasphemy perform. Saturday features Monoxide Project, Wishtribe, Shitfire, Bloodletting Device, Woodswyck and Divine Existence.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 15:07:57

Thursday To-Do: Summer Meltdown

Big Drew.

SUMMER MELTDOWN
10 p.m., Cornerstone Pub. $5.

Overstuffed local rap bills pop up just about every week, but it's been a long while since one featured arguably the three best street acts in town. Big Drew, from North Little Rock, has long been one of the A-state's most prolific (he brags on his MySpace page that he's the “Lil Wayne of Arkansas”), steadily dropping Arkansas-repping jams about how great he is. It's not all money, cars and girls. On a new track, “Imagination,” he brags, “I'm a player with a throwed imagination/boppers fascinated by my cold conversation.” No one in rap — anywhere — does street nihilism like E-Dubb (AKA EW Bush). It helps to have a voice that sounds like he's been inhaling cigars and drinking pure grain since he was 12. Dubb releases an album in June, so look out for new jams. Then there's Grim Muzik, the massive local collective, which usually has about 15 people on stage and always sounds loud and menacing. Also on the bill: Dre and Jontae, Tho'd Studio Ent., Sean West, Pimp Slap, D-Mite, Sunny Side Click and Autumn.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Correction

Next Wed. for "E.T."

Boy am I struggling today. The kick-off of the Movies in the Park series, seen earlier today in the top story slot on our website, is next Wed., not tonight. Always Wed., never Thursday.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 01:35 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]