Warren Spicer steadies his breath and mouths some of the verses he will sing tonight. Nicolas Basque strings out a few melodies. Even though he has performed before, Eric Digras can’t help but notice the novelty of the moment. The stage door opens, and in walks Matthew Woodley. “Woody,” as… Read more »

“She hates a lot of things that I do but she’s my woman, boy. My woman, and do you know why? Because she needs a man, a real man — not some gutless boy” — “Mudhoney” (1965). Recalling the conflict between an abusive husband and his wife in the film… Read more »

“The ‘Queen’ is back, the ‘Queen’ is back!” Since the February release of Madonna (Madonna Louise Ciccone)’s first single “Give Me All Your Luvin,’” Madonna fans have been plastering the internet with this proclamation. But the biggest question is “Since when was Madonna ever ‘gone?’” Today marks the release of… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker’s talking about it. President Barack Obama’s talking about it. It’s the “Year of the Veteran” in Wisconsin. And we’re all talking about veterans’ need for jobs. The conversation tends to go like this: American veterans are coming home from tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, only… Read more »

It was 1975. A group of three met in New York City’s West 39th Street Garment District. In a relic of a bar, two men and one woman sat around a table. First, a successful business executive, Jerome Chazen. Next, Chazen’s former roommate, Art Ortenberg — back from university days… Read more »

They are young. They are obscure. And they have a lot more composing to do before they’re widely recognized. But at the rate they are moving, they are likely to exceed expectations. Just who are “they”? Three French musicians who call themselves Juveniles. In the year they’ve been working together,… Read more »

Tucked away in a Williamson Street office park is an inconspicuous doorway marked “Suite H.” Straight to the point, the glass pane lists only the hours of operation in practical white stickers. If you weren’t already aware, you might never know of the public services the staff and volunteers inside… Read more »

Students in the University of Wisconsin’s art department have committed the egregious error of underselling their passion and talent for creating works of art. All 12 students are enrolled in the department’s Advanced Painting Workshop, a thesis painting class for the university’s “most talented undergraduate painters,” professor Nancy Mladdenoff said.… Read more »

This week marks the release of recording artist Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty)’s sixth studio album, Talk That Talk. Originally from Barbados, the 23-year-old has won four Grammys and sold over 20 million albums in just seven years. Her successes have placed her in the arena of superstars like Madonna and… Read more »

Tonight, Madison’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will have the chance to glow in the limelight. Through Sunday, the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Film Committee will be hosting the Reel Love Film Festival. This festival is the city’s first film fest devoted to exploring LGBT identities and cultures. While the… Read more »

The online career service Jobbook has emerged from controversial beginnings and arrived in Madison. Self-described as a “dating service” on its website, the Montreal-based company is distinct from other job search engines by its standardization of the job search process. Jobbook inserts itself into what is typically a two party… Read more »

Today marked the opening of the Chazen Museum of Art’s other half. For the past two years, students have walked by another construction site. But today we welcome a new member to the university and Madison. The Chazen has doubled its size through an 86,000 square-foot extension. The project cost… Read more »

In 1985, Russell Carter initially rejected the Indigo Girls’ (Amy Ray and Emily Saliers) request for him to be their manager. He thought these female folk-rocking guitarists from the suburbs of Atlanta were unlikely to get a record deal. The reason? He thought that their lyrics were “immature.” Now,… Read more »

Fabrics, lights and shadows are weaving themselves into the walls of Sterling Hall. Individuals need only see the artwork of professor Carolyn Kallenborn to know that she is the one who is responsible. Kallenborn has been teaching textile and garment design at the University of Wisconsin’s design studies department since… Read more »

Thursday evening marks the opening ceremony of the Wisconsin Science Festival and the kick-off of Madison’s Arts Night Out. The theme of this year’s festival is explosive, titled “Curiosity Unleashed.” A wide array of exhibits and hands-on learning activities will be offered throughout the campus and city this Thursday through Sunday. The… Read more »

Upon hearing the title of the recently released “Apollo 18” movie, one might say, “But I already saw ‘Apollo 13!’” Beyond similar titles, however, these films have little in common. Straying far from the heroism, courage and teamwork on display in “Apollo 13,” director Gonzalo López-Gallego (“El Rey de la… Read more »

Tapping into the haunting cacophony of life and death, Stevens leads us on a trying “crusade” toward repentance. Tomorrow marks the debut of Sufjan Stevens’ prodigious album, The Age of Adz (pronounced “odds”). Five years since the release of his last work, fans have long awaited this artist’s return to… Read more »

Though iTunes categorizes the Scottish musician KT Tunstall’s latest album, Tiger Suit, within the “pop” genre, this may come as a surprise to fans who might describe her as mix of acoustic folk with a touch of rock-and-roll. Although she sometimes resembles Sheryl Crow or Tracy Bonham, Tunstall blazes her… Read more »