Stephanie Speirs
Stephanie Speirs
Recent Stories
scene’s full-frontal Woodies coverage
Given the nature of the 2006 “Woodies” — the “college student music for college students by college students” awards show of mtvU, MTV’s venerable offshoot — the scene was, unsurprisingly, collegiate. The show, which filmed on Oct. 25 and will air on MTV on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 10 p.m., featured live performances from Imogen Heap and Beck, as well as appearances by a requisite crop of celebrities.
A bullet-sized plot bankrupts 'Lord'
Nicolas Cage's arms-dealing hero of "Lord of War" compares selling his first gun to losing his virginity. If only the movie left the viewer as excited or satisfied. Making a movie about the flaws of global arms trade is certainly a laudable idea in...
'In the Reins' is a perfect harmony
With very few exceptions, the average album has more filler than quality. It's a downright tragedy that good CD space is so often wasted on mediocre interludes or self-plagiarizing repetition. But "In the Reins" is a wonderful exception to the rule.
Who needs a stage? Control Group defies space problems
Yale's only experimental theater ensemble, Control Group, has had a couple of run-ins with the police. "They were a bit confused as to what we were doing and tried to stop the show," Control Group artistic director Sarah Holdren '08 said. "Apparently...
Death Cab lets their old fans down
The charming voice of The Postal Service leads his once-rocking band astray on 'Plans'
The small but respectable label Barsuk Records is notably gone from the back of the CD case, replaced by the words, "Atlantic Recording Corporation." Even the literally shiny liner notes scream what every music geek (or cool kid, depending) already...
Pure power-pop from pure Canadians
The only thing better than a great solo artist is a group of great solo artists that make beautiful music together. And better than beautiful music is Canadian-bred indie power pop. Enter The New Pornographers. Led by A.C. Newman's Beach Boy-vocals...
Rocking out in summer, in style
The only thing nicer than warm summer days is the music you listen to on warm summer days. Halfway into the decade, the ol' music industry is finally showing some potential -- so at least we won't have bad soundtracks from May until August.
Teaching ladies all about hip-hopping
In a world with hugely selling hip-hop albums, million-dollar rap videos and trend-setting wankstas, it's a fact that hip-hop is cool and damn important. But no one knows better than Amanda McCall and Albertina Rizzo, authors of the upcoming 'Hold My...
Carey's proclaimation is a tad disappointing
World Peace, Clouds, Reverie, Ocean, Snow Globe, Panda. All could have been Mariah Carey album names, at least until now. After the utter failure of recent sugar-drenched releases, the pop princess may very well be entering a whole new age, without...
Canada's Hot Hot Heat make luke-warm pop-punk
Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays says there's no shame in making the sort of albums that hipsters love to hate. So it isn't very surprising that the band's third album, "Elevator," is an unabashed effusion of power pop. "As much as we have a subversive...