Arts and Culture Articles
Legend of the dusty road
Michael Dean Damron is perfecting the art of rusty bar rock
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Michael Dean Damron does nothing in moderation.
Whether drinking, talking politics or growling vocals over the top of his band's blistering country rock anthems, Damron seems dead set on proving that he has no choice but to live the larger-than-life ideal of a man of the road.
The good book of Church
God ain't got nothing to do with this band's symphonic folk
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Despite changes of the past couple years, Portlanders still seem to prefer their indie rock as "big" as possible. With local folk orchestras stretching their memberships to the breaking point, and Craigslist ads appearing daily to inquire about the availability of a competent oboist, it seems that texture has grown into a paramount concern for emerging artists.
The forecast: Blue Skies For Black Hearts
Portland band gets ready for a month full of classic pop
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Hey hey, we're the...Blue Skies For Black Hearts?
Somehow that doesn't have the same flow as The Monkees' infamous tune. However, this Portland band does have a sound that shares the allure of its classic hooks.
In a recent interview, lead singer and songwriter Pat Kearns revealed several interesting parallels between his band and The Monkees (don't worry, Blue Skies For Black Hearts actually play their own instruments).
The influence of classic pop acts such as The Monkees, The Beatles and The Kinks comes through stronger than ever on the group's fourth release, Serenades and Hand Grenades, due out on May 20.
A new start for the Kart
Mario Kart Wii succeeds with better racing and online-multiplayer fun
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Mario Kart is back, and it's rocking even more tripped-out tracks, shell-lobbing good times and highly dangerous motorized vehicles than it ever has before.
If by chance you have somehow missed out on playing a Mario Kart game before, you need not worry. The sixth incarnation of Mario Kart (new to the Wii) has been carefully designed by its developers, inviting new players to give it a try, but not forgetting the longtime fans of the series.
A child's view of nature
C.L.E.A.R. program display in Millar Library showcases art from Portland's children
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When the children at Atkinson Elementary School were asked to draw images of themselves in nature, they offered a wide variety of picturesque illustrations that could have been brought forth only from the imagination of a child.
Press Play
Nadja - Desire in Uneasiness
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Doom metal is not usually a thing of beauty-in fact, the genre generally hinges on ugliness and despair, using down-tuned guitar dirges to pummel the psyche and depress the mind.
Twisted games of Desire
Labyrinth of Desire serves up comedy and love performed by PSU students
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Desire is a very powerful force. For the prospect of sex or love, otherwise sane and stable people have been known to engage in the most ridiculous drama and petty games.
No wonder psychologists say brain scans of people in love are nearly identical to those with mental illness.
The market in full bloom
Spring is here, and the Portland Farmers Market is back on the Park Blocks
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Organic food is expensive. And there's no point in lying about it.
But it definitely has its benefits. (Who wants pesticides and all that crap in their food anyway?)
Welcome to the jungle
Animal Planet: a ferocious new force on TV
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It was a simple idea--let animals be animals.
And with that straightforward, yet brilliant concept, an old cable standard-often forgotten in the world of MTV sluts and truTV meth heads--finally came into its own.
It's the rebirth of the 12-year-old Animal Planet.
TV Party: If this is love, we'd rather swallow hate
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A woman is spewing half-digested pig vagina from her mouth. She screams as genital chunks go flying.
Beside her are a half-dozen cretins doing the same thing in a literal vomit-fest. A pile of organs lies across the floor, having recently left the mouths of the whining, attention-starved idiots who ate them.
This is love, Tila Tequila style.
Narnia gets angsty
The epically forgettable The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
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Despite religious controversy, British comedians and rampant swashbuckling, the first response produced by viewing The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a resounding..."meh."
Seven stories of the world
The globe hopping fiction of Nam Le's The Boat
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In his new book,The Boat, Nam Le writes with the skill and perspective of a seasoned craftsman.
Working their own way
Furniture designers Vontundra pursue life and art after graduation
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Last year, the guys of Vontundra could be seen looking dusty outside the garage or on the balcony of their apartment in a residential complex on North Albina Street.
The debris from making wood furniture can do that.
Graves of the Misfits
Michale Graves wants to prove he isn't just a wannabe--he's the real horror punk deal
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Michale Graves doesn't know how lucky he is. The lead singer for the reincarnated horror-punk band the Misfits from 1995-2000, Graves essentially went from a virtual unknown to being the leader of one of the most successful and influential franchises in punk history.
The films of Allison Anders
A look at the work of PSU's director-in-residence
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Allison Anders' characters have high inspirations in order to cement their identity.
A night from around the world
32nd annual International Night, today at PSU
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This Friday, get ready to dance, learn about many cultures and sample food from across the globe at what could be the biggest International Night yet.
Fly high with Atmosphere
Indie rap's greatest heroes come to Portland in support of a new album
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The year is 2003. The hip-hop scene is in shambles, still trying to recover from nearly a decade of Jay-Z and Puff Daddy clones doing everything in their power to make rap music as uninspiring as possible.
Herzog continues
Upcoming at the Northwest Film Center
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A Quest for the Sublime: The Films of Werner Herzog continues for another three weeks at the Northwest Film Center. The German filmmaker's filmography is as interesting as it is long, so don't miss out on your chance to see some classics on the big screen. Here is a guide to just a few of Herzog's films you can see over the next two weeks.
The QB Snap: Buzz from Portland State's Queen Bee Ryan W. Klute
It burns, or how I learned that explosions hurt
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I do not have a problem--at least not a normal one. My problem has to do with sleeping, and it eventually made fire rain down upon my head, burning the air around me. Let me explain.
