The ArtsEtc. section of The Badger Herald is twisted. On the one hand, it has the most flexibility in its organization, which can lead to both smooth workdays and stressful nights; on the other hand, ArtsEtc. gives new writers an easy pathway into transitioning from academic essay structure to the… Read more »

Tony Stark and friends light up the big screen both figuratively and literally in “Iron Man 3.” Director Shane Black has made the Marvel films everything a superhero movie can and should be.  The newest “Iron Man” deals with a popular theme that has hit the entertainment business: terrorism. Some… Read more »

Phoenix rises again with the release of their latest album, Bankrupt! And, luckily for fans of indie genres alike, the band offers a mature and well-refined follow up to the critically acclaimed Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.For those who may be out of the loop, Phoenix is a multidimensional, alternative indie rock band from… Read more »

It may seem that spring is just starting, but soon all of the delicious fruits and vegetables that come along with the season will be on display at the farmers’ market. These delectable fruits and vegetables only come in season once a year, so make sure not to pass them… Read more »

The all male a capella group Fundamentally Sound blew audiences away with its Friday night performance in Music Hall. Group members’ quirky attitudes and impressive voices astonished newcomers and veterans alike. Fundamentally Sound’s show “As Seen On TV” presented a storyline of short, humorous clips. The singers also acted out… Read more »

On Monday, Postdoctoral Fellow Mary Murrell spoke to a crowd of about 30 in Helen C. White Hall, detailing the history of mass book digitization and its developers’ quest towards modernity. Murrell, a University of California, Berkeley graduate with a Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology,  addressed the crowd of professors and… Read more »

“The Place Beyond the Pines” is the last film from actor Ryan Gosling (“Gangster Squad”) for the foreseeable future. Having earned recognition throughout the years with impeccable acting skills in a variety of roles, Gosling recently announced it is time he takes a break from acting. Despite an emotional plot,… Read more »

It might have snowed on Thursday. Some small patches of ice might still be clinging to the lakes, and weather that everyone can agree is “shorts weather” might still be a couple weeks away. But after Saturday this weekend, I am confident summer is finally around the corner. That’s because… Read more »

“Cloud 9” surprised the audience at a Thursday night pre-showing at the Mitchell Theatre with plot twists and engaging acting in a story about individuality and identity.The seats were filled with more mature viewers, as the play is not aimed toward children. A majority, if not all, of scenes in… Read more »

During a quiet month at the box office, Jackie Robinson baseball biopic “42” brought in a surprising $27.2 million this past weekend. As baseball season starts to kick off, the film’s inspirational story was released just in time for Jackie Robinson Day on April 15.  In reflecting on some… Read more »

Bikram, Yin, Vinyasa. No, these are not different kinds of foods. These are different types of yoga. Yoga has long been a go-to for fitness fanatics as a way to tone the body and relax the mind. So, what do yoga fanatics do? And where can you take these classes? As it… Read more »

Big K.R.I.T.’s latest release is a behemoth of thought-provoking, well-produced hip-hop. Consisting of 17 tracks total, King Remembered in Time is not a mixtape to be overlooked. The release goes back and forth between upbeat, speaker-blowing hits and more soulful, thoughtful tracks. Big K.R.I.T., who wrote and produced all but… Read more »

You may not have heard of them, but Five Knives is ready to pack a punch opening for Twenty One Pilots this Friday at the Majestic Theatre. Don’t let Five Knives’ Nashville roots fool you. Their music is a solid blend of electronic, hip-hop and punk. The band consists of lead… Read more »

Another month, another big beer release. This highly-lauded liquid comes from the fine, heavy metal-loving folks at Three Floyds, the pride and joy of Munster, Ind., which is essentially East Chicago. Three Floyds is constantly regarded as one of the top brewers in the United States and is known for… Read more »

For the majority of the public, paintings can be a tricky art to follow, often disappearing behind a veil of elitism and abstraction. A new exhibit at the Chazen Museum of Art seeks to break down these barriers, focusing on the intricacies of the medium itself. “Drawings from the Joseph… Read more »

Foodies, rejoice! Cloudy, a dining and hospitality app, wants to know what you have to say about your favorite restaurants. Cloudy makes it easy to search for restaurants, bars, coffee and tea shops based on location and allows users to see reviews from friends. It is an interactive app that… Read more »

With the return of warmer weather, new trends emerge and bright colors make their way out of our closets. This weekend was warm enough that campus was Ugg-free. So how do we dress for this new season? In Wisconsin it can be hard to remember a season other than winter,… Read more »

With midterms wrapping up, it’s time to chill out and enjoy life for a few weeks before finals. What better way to let the stress melt off than to bathe in the songs society tells us aren’t “sophisticated” enough or are “generally shitty?” No. This week is our week. In the… Read more »

For a band standing on the brink of entering the “mainstream,” Los Angeles-based band IO Echo shrugs off any attempt to define itself and its genre. “What is alt rock?” says Leopold Ross, IO Echo’s bassist and programmer. “I think it’s a term coined by journalists to classify music. I… Read more »

Love him or hate him, Lil Wayne is back with his 10th studio album, I Am Not a Human Being II. His angsty rap styling clashes with the various genres of background music creating a conflicting experience for listeners throughout the album’s entirety. Lil Wayne returns in I Am Not… Read more »

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Sallie Ford led her band onstage last night at the Majestic Theatre. She was dressed like Forrest Gump’s mother: cat eye glasses and a somewhat unflattering sweater-dress with leggings underneath. Her hair, just above her slumped shoulders, curled tight right… Read more »

From the frozen landscape of the Midwest comes a magical voice that, at its angriest, sounds like a pack of hyenas gnawing at the carcass of injustice and, at its gentlest, sounds like an arthritic butterfly perched atop a flower just as heavy raindrops begin to fall from the sky.… Read more »

The last major sequence of “Girls” second season is only unrealistic for one reason: Adam, a destitute carpenter who can barely rub together two nickels, apparently has enough cash to pay for the astronomically high fees that come along with keeping someone on FaceTime away from a wireless connection. So… Read more »

Sophomore Caroline Kreul caught my eye this past weekend while I was attending an event at Union South. I noticed her fun patterned shirt paired with a cute blazer, both of which seem to be popular trends on campus. Blazers are a great way to dress up any outfit. They can… Read more »

Poetry readings can be both emotional and educational. This was definitely the case Saturday at the Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative, when two local poets shared their works, demonstrating the depth and variety found in poetry and discussing different uses of poetic elements. Poets Ari Banias, currently the Halls Poetry Fellow at… Read more »

“I’m Shipping Up To Boston” — Dropkick Murphys Kelsey Sorenson No list of St. Patty’s-inspired music is complete without a track from Dropkick Murphys, a Celtic punk rock band from Massachusetts. Their best-known song, “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” has been featured in the soundtrack for “The Departed” and the… Read more »

Late last week, Namco Bandai, known especially for the “Soul Calibur” and “Tekken” series, released their English-language trailer for “Tales of Xillia,” the 13th installment in its“Tales of” franchise. The game was originally released in Japan in fall 2011 and is being released internationally later this year. Before hitting North American… Read more »

With the arrival of the hideously overbudgeted and underwhelming “Jack the Giant Slayer” in theaters, the trend of retelling fairy tales in film is obviously starting to wear thin. Moviegoers only returned $19.7 million of the film’s $195 million budget in its opening weekend. “Jack” is yet another recent gamble… Read more »

Superior Webbs has established themselves as one of Wisconsin’s top rap duos with the release of The Last Dollar. Listening to the mixtape is like drinking coconut milk on a cloud of parrot feathers: It’s icy smooth and makes everything in the past seem unworthy of praise. Both members of… Read more »

This week’s theme is songs that use the word “sun,” as it finally peaks through to usher in Spring’s warmth.“Island in the Sun” by Weezer Taylor Lee-Clarahan Speaks for itself. “Closer to the Sun” by Slightly Stoopid Tyler Schultz Slightly Stoopid has an entire album titled Closer to the Sun… Read more »

With the passing of the Academy Awards, a new year of film begins. Although the spring tends to be a generally weak season prior to the summer season of blockbusters, there are a couple of flicks worth a trip to the local theatre.  To kick off the year, fans… Read more »

In David Fincher’s 2010 film “The Social Network,” Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies attend a Caribbean night party at a Harvard fraternity. A few people dance awkwardly. Small groups of people cluster together. A loop of Niagara Falls plays on a giant screen. A DJ and a man playing steel… Read more »

Jayne Jones and Alicia Long spare no juicy details in their latest novel “Capitol Hell.” Jones and Long open a window on Washington, D.C. and reveal all the chaos and absurdity that goes on behind politicians’ closed doors. “Capitol Hell” follows new college graduate Alison Amundson in her D.C. staffer… Read more »

The Seattle-based math rock quintet Minus the Bear is stopping by the Majestic Theatre this Saturday on their headlining tour with Rah Rah and Eighteen Individual Eyes in what will be a groove-infused night of rock and electronic tunes. Minus the Bear consists of Jake Snider (vocals, guitar), David Knudson… Read more »

Point by Tim HadickMany college students pirate TV shows. They do so for various reasons, including not wanting to pay for premium cable subscriptions or their favorite shows are not online the day after they air. While anyone could argue that students should budget their finances or watch shows as… Read more »

Lisa Brennan did not consider herself a gardener, yet last year she found herself hanging potted plants from the ceiling of her video rental store, Four Star Video Heaven. Window shoppers who pass Four Star Video’s glass entrance face a terrarium of DVD cases, permaculture books and gardening supplies. Brennan… Read more »

This weekend marked the final performance dates of the UW-Madison Department of Dance’s annual faculty concert, “Pillars.” The show took place in the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space, a quaint yet elegant setting perfect for the event. Because of its movie theater setup, every member of the audience had the perfect… Read more »

Many great films get passed over at the box office for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, Netflix can save a film’s overall reputation by offering bored college students the opportunity to jump start its fame. One such film that got screwed out of the recognition it deserved from the box… Read more »

Bow down, TV lovers: “Community” has returned for a fourth season. The surprise hit show with a cult following seemed on the brink of cancellation, but, at least for now, “Community” will continue with a 13-episode season. “Community’s” ensemble cast of community college misfits normally gives the show an edge,… Read more »

The High Noon Saloon played host to Get Your Buzz Up Monday night. Get Your Buzz Up is a competition-based organization dedicated to giving striving hip-hop artists the opportunity to perform on stage. After paying an entrance fee, each emcee is allowed to showcase his or her talent in front of… Read more »

Since the late 1990s, the music game genre has slowly grown to be incredibly prominent in the gaming world. It expanded all the way from the arcade to school curricula - it has become an inspiration for fitness games to be a part of education while maintaining its strong fan… Read more »

The year’s worst-reviewed movie so far is now in theaters. But no one should have expected “Movie 43” it to be anything but crap. The A-list celebrity cast ensemble may have heightened expectations from audiences and critics alike, but actors can’t save something that is fundamentally meant to suck. “Movie 43”… Read more »

This year’s Super Bowl commercials were once again comprised of what TV viewers love most: celebrities, beer and talking babies. While the familiar blockbuster trailers and slapstick comedy ads filled much of the event’s airtime, several commercials stood out as original and entertaining. Others simply fell flat. Best Commercials Ram… Read more »

It was an immensely frigid night Thursday as Madison’s Barrymore Theatre’s marquee shined over its dingy surroundings. A sign of shelter, warmth and entertainment, a large group of people chatted while waiting casually outside the theatre’s main entrance. The sight was reminiscent of a line for an amusement park roller… Read more »

Madison hip-hop takes another step forward with the release of Tef Man’s Feel Good Music. Tef’s powerful and contemplated vocals are accompanied by excellent production and an array of local talent in this 16-track project. This multi-faceted rapper has been heading up his own independent record label, Top of the… Read more »

Following the recent announcement of their reunion, Destiny’s Child dropped Love Songs, their first album in years, last week. Though all but one of the tracks was selected from previous works, chances are only the diehard fans will recognize many of them. Love Songs is comprised of slower, more romantic tracks… Read more »

​Reflective, engaging and challenging all describe Madison local Sam Savage’s newest short novel, “The Way of the Dog,” due out this February. ​Savage’s latest follows a doubtful and dying artist, Harold Nivenson, in his old age. With Nivenson as narrator, the novel bounces back and forth between Nivenson’s past and… Read more »

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art could not have chosen a better way to bring in the new year. The retrospective print collection of Ellsworth Kelly is refreshingly strong. Some works in the show date back to his early success of the 1960s, while others are as recent as 2005.… Read more »

Point by Katherine KruegerWhen people call someone the “voice of a generation,” I cringe. The cringe factor increases 10-fold when it’s used to talk about my generation. But because they’re using the trope to discuss “Girls,” an Important Cultural Force, I feel like I’m throwing myself in front of the… Read more »

The beginning of December marks the start of the holiday season for many, which can sometimes pose a challenge to maintaining a healthy diet. When there are cookies to taste, party snacks to munch and holiday beverages to sip, it is easy to get caught up in the spirit and… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin’s student-run a cappella group, Redefined, showcased its talent at its CD release show this past weekend. Performing a phenomenal 16 songs, Redefined captivated the audience with its large repertoire. The co-ed group, made up of all non-music majors, premiered four new songs as well as performed… Read more »

Macklemore’s second visit to the Madison area in this up and coming rapper’s relatively short career proved a true reflection of how far he has come. Though he has been recording and performing for some time, Macklemore’s popularity has been on the rise since the viral popularity of his music… Read more »

Forming an eclectic trio of sounds, Dakotas and Little Legend opened for Turbo Fruits Sunday night. When Dakotas started its set, there were fewer than a few dozen people at the High Noon Saloon, many of them members of Little Legend and Turbo Fruits. Dakotas is a four piece group… Read more »

If you’re anything like me, you spent a majority of your Thanksgiving break catching up on all your favorite TV shows. Forget homework and anything productive — it was all about missed episodes, which got me thinking. I might be the only one, but I often find myself watching a… Read more »

Are you feeling down in the dumps since the colder weather has come? Do the happy times of your Thanksgiving celebration just seem too far away? We have all heard the saying “you are what you eat,” but is it possible to eat yourself happy? New research is showing that may… Read more »

After stopping at venues up and down the East Coast, touring in lower-central Canada and the Midwest, Richie Hawtin’s CNTRL: Beyond EDM tour finally made its much-anticipated stop in Madison Saturday to what was a particularly welcoming audience. Interestingly, Hawtin held a panel at the Madison Media Institute prior to… Read more »

Recently, life has been a blur for Milwaukee-based folk band Field Report.”Everything seems to be happening pretty quickly,” said Field Report’s front man Christopher Porterfield. Porterfield formerly played with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver until branching out with Field Report, the name of which is an anagram of his last… Read more »

Coming off of a year that has seen a tour by railway, a concert DVD, an appearance on Prairie Home Companion and a new album Carry Me Back, Old Crow Medicine Show has been a very productive bunch. However busy the band might be though, founding member Christopher “Critter” Fuqua… Read more »

There are few things as quintessentially Wisconsin as a Friday night fish fry. When German Catholics settled Wisconsin, sauerkraut and wienerschnitzel were not their only contributions to the newly developing culinary scene. Being good Catholics, they also observed meatless Fridays. It is important to note, however, that “meatless” means an entirely… Read more »

On this campus, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wearing sweatpants and a comfy T-shirt to class everyday. I mean, come on; we’re in college. We dress to impress when we go out at night, but no one expects us to look decent in class, and that is… Read more »

One-room schoolhouses, log cabins, barns or anything else people think up. These are examples of the many creative Little Free Libraries people have made around the world, and many students have probably seen them around Madison. For those who do not know much about the Madison-based organization, the group’s documentary,… Read more »

Tonight at The Majestic Theater, Madison citizens are invited to cast their vote for the best players in the local arts scene. RAW:natural born artists is hosting a showcase where attendees can vote on Madison’s best photographer, performing artist, filmmaker and more, ultimately selecting a winner from each of the… Read more »

Mornings during a college semester can often seem like a 100-meter dash. We rush to get dressed, pack our books, study last-minute for that big exam and zoom out the door to class. It is not surprising, then, that many of us skip the first meal of the day. So what… Read more »

So, it may be a little early to start talking about the holidays. After all, if Starbucks starts serving their eggnog lattes right after Halloween, why can’t fashionistas get in the spirit too? With holiday parties as an excuse to show off the most festive, luxurious fashions and Santa’s wish… Read more »

It took Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris more than 18 months to complete his latest album, 18 Months. Although the album’s title likely represents the duration of time Harris took to release all the album’s tracks — from the date of the televised premier of its first single, “Bounce”… Read more »

A short while back, yours truly wrote a column on why everyone should give metal a chance, regardless of its apparent inaccessibility lent by the paint-peeling, bowel-churning vocals. As I mentioned then, although the vocals take some time to get used to, they generally impart an intelligent message worth spending… Read more »

I had the opportunity to write about DLux, the new burger joint opened by Food Fight, a few weeks ago and it got me thinking about burgers. They’re just a patty and a bun, right? Sure, maybe at their core, but the styles of burgers have become so varied that… Read more »

Last week, you learned some how to look back to the ’90s to bring your style to the next level. Now this week, we’re looking for inspiration from different countries and cultures all over the globe. Sometimes being stuck in this little bubble we call Madison is limiting in terms… Read more »

Andy Burrows may be better known as the drummer from Razorlight and We Are Scientists, but with his first solo album Company he shows that he has the kicks to step out into the limelight. Despite the lack of attention he received while leading the band I Am Arrows, with… Read more »

“You know, everywhere we go we like to turn places into little road houses,” Ryan Bingham said during the first of a two-night stand at the Majestic Theatre. He lived up to his promise. Bingham, of west Texas, is known for mixing classic country with folk, as evidenced by his Grammy-winning… Read more »

It’s no secret that college life can be draining. Pulling all-nighters studying for exams, staying up late on the weekends and waking up “early” for 11:00 a.m. kick-offs at Camp Randall can leave little time for sleep. When students need an extra boost, many of us turn to coffee, tea,… Read more »

Going home for the weekend, I was excited to show off my new fashion finds to my family, and I walked through my front door wearing a white pair of high-waisted Levi’s capris tucked into a chambray button-up. My mom, who usually showers my outfits with compliments, instead greeted me… Read more »

Ben Affleck (“The Town”) released his third directorial film, plunging those old enough to remember into nostalgia, while edifying others on the feuding nations and realities of the Iran Hostage Crisis during the Cold War. Affleck stars as Tony Mendez, a disheveled CIA agent with a shaggy haircut and a… Read more »

The list of undisputed stand-up comedy royalty is a short one. Names like Richard Pryor, Woody Allen, George Carlin and Bob Hope will always ring true for comedy fans. Of course, this impressive list should also be augmented with some of the newer greats such as Louis C.K., Chris Rock,… Read more »

Fall means colder temperatures, yet all you fashionistas out there probably agree that fall is seriously one of the best (if not the best) season for your style. From the colors to the fabrics to the comfort of the clothes, you would have a hard time trying to convince me… Read more »

Closed beta versions of video games are like test runs distributed to a limited audience, and people with access often think of themselves as the “real” beta testers, but this is not the case. In a closed beta, only a fraction of the bugs remain undocumented, and the company wants… Read more »

Genius or insane? There is a fine line to draw between the two, one that artists have towed since the dawn of self-expression. Yoni Wolf, front man and songwriter for Why?, isn’t helping make any distinctions. Wolf comes off as a literary savant in his writing and delivery with wordplay… Read more »

All good things must come to an end. For everything else, we just pray it eventually dies. Then there’s “Jersey Shore,” the raunchy, controversial reality show entering its final season, set in Seaside Heights, N.J.. Full disclosure: I lived in New Jersey for six years and am often bombarded with… Read more »

Next week, Lifetime will premiere “Prank My Mom,” the newest reality prank show to exploit innocent victims at the hands of a network and bitter yet good-humored offspring. As the title makes explicitly clear, the victims are the mothers of said pranksters. In a sketch format, three mother-and-child pairs hash… Read more »

The Majestic Theatre celebrated its 5th Grand Re-Opening anniversary this weekend with an exciting slate of music Friday and Saturday night. On Saturday night, the theater welcomed the Dirty Projectors for their true anniversary, but Friday featured a trio of bluegrass bands with Kalamazoo’s Greensky Bluegrass as the headliner. Concertgoers venturing… Read more »

With the release of their fourth studio album, Battle Born, The Killers have moved into a new stage in the band’s lifetime — middle age. But they’ve averted crisis this time; it’s the same old Brandon Flowers and company delivering anthems, ballads and powerful guitar movements. Battle Born is somewhat… Read more »

Looking into the next month of film, it’s no surprise a flux of horror/thriller movies are arriving just in time for the Halloween season, including Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” (Oct. 5), along with the fourth and latest edition of “Paranormal Activity” (Oct. 19). Of the month’s newest arrivals, here are some… Read more »

On a chilly, quiet Sunday evening, Madisonians patiently awaited folk rock lord Conor Oberst to roll into town. Good-hearted, flannel wearing folksters of the Midwest gathered at Capitol Theater where the Overture Center for the Arts hosted the beloved, all-American singer-song writer for a night of nostalgic reflection spanning a… Read more »

Walk into a thrift shop and you are likely to feel overwhelmed. Aisle upon aisle of musty youth baseball t-shirts from 2006 and size 17 khakis are bound to scare away any self-respecting fashionista. But then you meet a cute little hipster girl and compliment her denim jacket, only to… Read more »

It’s Tuesday, and any audiophile knows what that means: new album releases! In the modern digital age, the fare is rarely as climactic as it should be. After all, most everything has leaked somewhere before its release date. The only exception here occurs when the release date gets pushed back,… Read more »

When most of us think of foreign music, our mind either goes blank or we think of tribal music we were forced to listen to in an anthropology class. While the music video for Chilean band Astro’s “Ciervos” is also reminiscent of anthro with its shirtless, pelt-wearing characters running amok… Read more »

It takes a talented director and strong cast to produce an exceptional opera filled with a hailstorm of popular culture, both from the past and the present. Such was Saturday’s performance of “The Good, The Bad and the Divas” by Madison’s Fresco Opera Theatre. With Fresco Opera Theatre, it’s all… Read more »

Growing up, each school year invariably started with my mom photographing me and my back to school outfit. Look through our family album and you’ll find a series of pictures of an awkward, backpack-bearing girl at various ages. There’s me going to kindergarten with an alphabet printed dress. Next is… Read more »

The concept of “owing” something is one that drives many aspects of life in nearly every walk of life: An employee owes his or her employer punctuality and reliability; a teacher owes his or her students the individual assistance, attention and challenge that they need to flourish; parents owe their… Read more »

Electropop duo Teengirl Fantasy just released their sophomore album Tracer, but the sounds are intentionally anything but hot off the shelf. Snubbing the scripted hooks and builds of today’s popular electronic, the band’s commitment to spontaneous, live mixing led them to an album that sounds more like a nod to… Read more »

People may learn to play an instrument for any number of reasons: fun, creativity, expression, intellectual expansion, attracting members of the opposite sex and so on. Though all of these reasons are certainly viable in their own right, perhaps the most important reason to learn to play a musical instrument… Read more »

I have a theory about men and women. A theory, specifically, about how men and women have sex and why they relate to one another in the bedroom the way that they do. Call it social construction, call it biology, call it whatever the hell you want, but let’s be… Read more »

You either hate it or love it. The series that has grossed more than $2 billion at the box office is set to release its fifth and final film this fall. Yet, even during this long lull between parts one and two of “Breaking Dawn,” it seems like you can’t… Read more »

The dream of the ’90s is alive in Madison — no need to buy a plane ticket to Portland. Instead, just hop on your fixie and pedal away to Williamson Street, located only two miles from campus and what should be a hot contender for the world’s Most Hipster Block… Read more »

Summer is fast approaching, and that can only mean one thing: music festivals, music festivals and, wouldn’t you know it, music festivals. Of course, considering some of these festivals span days and boast acts with incredibly high pedigrees, it may be quite difficult on one’s pocketbook to attend all of… Read more »

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, it’s another Hump Day! Savor them, readers — there are only a few more left this year! This week, we’re going to delve deep into the pleasurable wonders of the female body. Because there’s more goin’ on down there than just the clitoris and… Read more »

Once upon a time, back in high school, my best pal and I dazzled an auditorium full of high schoolers with a quirky song we wrote ourselves. Donning Packer jerseys, we took the stage of the talent show by storm with our song with lyrics like “dontcha know?” and “oh,… Read more »

It’s Hump Day again, and you know what that means — another round of sex questions, another round of sex answers. In the past, I’ve prioritized answering your sex questions over your relationship questions (this is, after all, a sex column). But this week, I decided that I’d answer questions… Read more »

L.A. beach babe. New York glamour girl. Southern belle. Many cities and regions bring up images of distinct styles, fashionistas and fashionistos who take their locale into account just as much as they do designer names and the newest trends. So doesn’t it make sense that Madison, a city known… Read more »

Perhaps it’s something in the water (or, more likely, something in the smoke), but yet another musical project formed by former metal musicians has created a masterful jazz-inspired, soul, R&B, decidedly not-metal album. The band in question is Zelliack (a portmanteau of the two members’ first names, Zack [Ordway] and… Read more »

Happy hump day, avid readers! Spring has sprung, and on a college campus such as ours, sexual health awareness is in the air. April marks the kick-off of National STD Awareness Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the University of Wisconsin’s Sexual Health Fest. For frequent study breaks over the next few… Read more »

The popularity of “The Hunger Games” movie and book series has spurred a debate online. Fans of Japanese cinema are calling foul on series author Suzanne Collins, saying the central premise of “The Hunger Games” is ripped from popular title “Battle Royale.” “Battle Royale” is a 2000 Japanese film in… Read more »

Happy March Madness, everyone! This time of year, we begin to see a plethora of spin-off brackets come out, ranging in theme from restaurants to bands to clothes. The majority of these brackets, however, focus on food and drink. This year, my friends and I decided to jump on the… Read more »

During the springtime, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of pretty floral dresses and bright girly colors. This color explosion is a welcome departure from the drab of winter, but that ruffled pink mini-dress seems a little been there, done that. That’s when androgyny comes into the picture.… Read more »

The album is a strange and endangered beast in today’s music scene. Artists’ definitions of what constitutes an album vary wildly from genre to genre, sub-genre to sub-genre and even musician to musician. Confusing things further are releases that are not exactly albums but rather fall under the term “singles”… Read more »

As much as I’d have liked to write in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I’m really not a big fan of any Irish or Irish-inspired music. Instead, I’m going to do a quick rundown of what I’m currently listening to and why you, dear reader, should be giving it your… Read more »

It’s that time of week again, and the day we all look forward to — Hump Day. This week, I’m tackling as many of your questions as possible by answering them in twenty words or less. You ready? What’s a good sex position for a man with a small penis?… Read more »

Andrew Bird is nearly 40 and has been a professional musician for almost 20 years. His career has not been riddled with hiatuses, endless side projects or significant drama of any kind. He has never gone more than three years without releasing an album. With every release he pushes his… Read more »