Authors - Detroit Metro Times

Urinal Cake Records – “UrineFested” 6/21-6/22
Profile: Urinal Cake Records (on Metro Times Music Blahg – “Urinal Cake Records’ First Year + New Gardens (Grows)”) “Urinefested” Local Label Showcase -2 day Fest in Detroit June 21-22nd at P.J.’s Lager House (1254 Michigan Ave), Friday: The Clone Defects, Terrible Twos, Moonhairy, Obnox, Ritual Howls, Mountains and Rainbows – - Saturday: Johnny Ill Band, Protomartyr, Growwing Pains, Drugs Dragons, K9 Sniffles, Feelings, Guinea Worms, and the Keep On Trash DJs. — Visual artwork displays by Jeff Arcel, Thelonious Bone, Davin Brainard, Zak Bratto, Joe Casey, Luke Chapelle, Jimbo Easter, Andy Gabrysiak, Ben Lyon, Johnny Lzr, Kara Meister, Nai Sammon, Timmy Vulgar, and Matt 7 http://urinalcakerecords.com – pjslagerhouse.com ~ There seems to be a lot of local DIY record labels, lately. But Johnny Ill nonchalantly shrugs that into perspective: “Shit, there could be no one to put out your music. I’m not dong it, so I’m glad guys like Eric are doing it…” It’s still a rarity, says Ill (a.k.a. John Garcia of The Johnny Ill Band,) for someone (like Eric Love of Urinal Cake Records) willingly financing and spending time resources for local songwriters to produce, package and distribute their works. “The worst thing that could happen [...]
City Slang: Battlecross post-Orion news
Following their triumphant appearance at OrionFest, local metal heads Battlecross has announced that drummer Kevin Talley (formerly of Six Feet Under, Chimaira and Dying Fetus) will be staying on with the band for its forthcoming tour. See Battlecross performing Slayer’s “War Ensemble” at OrionFest here. The new album, War of Will, will be released via Metal Blade on July 9, and the first single will be “Force Fed Lies”. Battlecross will be on the Mayhem Festival with Rob Zombie throughout the summer. Follow @City_Slang
DIA ‘Courts’ New Diners
Who says the Detroit Institute of Arts is only for art admirers? The addition of a Friday night music schedule has found some new converts. And now food lovers can rejoice as the museum unveils a new go-to place for visitors to eat, drink, relax and socialize. It’s the newly revamped Kresge Court. Combining an elegant atmosphere with competitive prices, visitors can enjoy an array of gourmet snacks, sandwiches, salads and desserts that use regional ingredients. Befitting a hip hangout, the dishes skew creative. If you’re stopping by for a quick lunch, you’ve got to try the fine ficelle salad. The stars of this show are prosciutto, black mission fig jam, wild arugula and European-style thin sourdough baguette. The green goddess salad features local greens, carrot ribbons, marinated summer squash, sunflower seeds and currants. Other offerings include DIA deviled eggs and wasabi tobiko caviar; artichokes, radish, black olive aioli and flatbread; toasted farro salad with shaved fennel; surryano dry-cured ham with hot pepper pickles and more. Desserts include Italian pudding with bittersweet chocolate, seasonal fruit croustade, and an alcoholic spin on a Detroit classic, a Boston rum cooler with Vernor’s ginger ale, French vanilla ice cream, Captain Morgan spiced rum, [...]
The 1943 Detroit Race Riot, 70 years later
Mention “Detroit” and “riot” to most metro Detroiters today, and most people will think of the year 1967. Some will call it a “riot” and some will call it a “rebellion,” but chances are that nobody will talk about Detroit’s forgotten riot, the 1943 Detroit race riot. Most likely, that’s because the events of 1943 don’t neatly dovetail with our conventional narratives about the Greatest Generation, and they provide ugly examples of white racism that most area residents, if they remember them, would rather forget. And that’s a shame, because the 1943 riot offers a chance to look beyond simplistic sociological assumptions about ’60s civil disorder and the ensuing urban disintegration. This is especially interesting at a time when historians such as Thomas Sugrue are re-examining Detroit and the roles played by whites and their institutions, often uncovering sweeping antecedents that transcend a passive white exodus. And for those whites who think the ramifications of institutional racism are overstated, those old photographs of white mobs rampaging up and down Woodward Avenue, beating and stabbing black Detroiters, might change a mind or two. And 1943 is also worth another look because it helps define the early civil rights movement. It saw African-Americans effectively [...]
Oh Criminals, Where Art Thou?
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed with my Detroit experience so far. In the past 8 months, I have no gunshot wounds, stabbing scars, or even a stolen vehicle to show for it. I don’t even have a lower credit score! When I told everyone I was moving here, I got a wave of backlash and pleas to reconsider. It reminded me of the time I traveled to the Middle East and, as I was boarding my flight, received a hundred text messages and calls saying, “If you go, you are going to DIE!” Well, my time in the Middle East was just as disappointing and uneventful as my time here in Motown. Where have all the criminals gone? With a nice bout of insomnia, I used to walk to the YMCA at 5 a.m. to work out in total darkness. My Dad freaked out when I told him. What my father can’t understand is that, unless you live right downtown, and once the sun sets, the streets of Detroit are deserted. No cars. No homeless people. Even the pimps seem to take the night off. I could streak down Woodward (my apologies for the [...]
City Slang: Weekly music review roundup
Send CDs, vinyl, cassettes, demos and 8-tracks to Brett Callwood, Metro Times, 733 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 46226. Email MP3s and streaming links to bcallwood@metrotimes.com. We had previously received a sampler CD from Funky D Records signees The Royal Blackbirds, and the full album Shot Down landed on our laps this week. Thanks to the presence of singer Rebecca Saad, there’s a cool, kinda Amy Gore-esque feel to the bluesy garage rock, perfectly highlighted by covers like “I Can Only Give You Everything” and the title track. The originals are cool too, and Tino Gross has dragged out the dust and grit from these youngsters. Great piece of work, all told. This week’s City Slang stars the Horse Cave Trio sent in the 2010 single “I Am the Sheik” (Funky D), and it’s worth another mention because it’s so damned gnarly, nasty and heavy. These guys are known for their rockabilly swagger, but they can let out an unholy roar when they want to. Detroit Frank DuMont loves his hometown so much, he put it in his name. His band is called the Drivin’ Wheels, and the logo was designed by Gary Grimshaw. Mind you, his new Let Me Be [...]

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Bend Me, Shape Me The mayoral race in Detroit. | 6/12/2013
Letters to the Editor Money Talks, Jack | 6/5/2013
Letters to the Editor Wake the F#@k Up! | 5/29/2013
Feedback The Orr-acle Speaks, Penrose Rising, and more! | 5/22/2013
Precision, Precision Heed the Calls | 5/15/2013
Keep Manhattan? “Green acres is the place to be. Farm living is the life for me. Land spreading out so far and wide. …” | 5/1/2013
Taking advantage of a broken system. Muttraker, Guns and Bridges, Hits a Hit | 4/23/2013
Let My People Go and Other Fine Messes If you can't raise the bridge, lower the river... | 4/9/2013
Letters to the Editor Praise for ‘Sun’, Space case, If Duggan is the best we can do … | 4/3/2013
Letters to the Editor Saving time | 3/27/2013
Letters to the Editor Socialist study | 3/20/2013
Letters to the Editor Jack attack | 3/13/2013
Letters to the Editor Our cover story on old band photos brings some performers out of the woodwork | 3/6/2013
Campbell’s kids What’s that ineffable quality that makes Bruce Campbell so … groovy? | 2/27/2013
Letters to the Editor Government can wave no magic wand | 2/27/2013
Letters to the Editor Secret Republican, Medical Marijuana, and Belle Ghoul | 2/19/2013
Letters to the Editor Schooling us on workers’ rights, poverty, and more. | 2/13/2013
2013 Metro Times Lust Poll The annual Lust Quiz exposes a bit of what goes on behind closed doors — and in public! | 2/6/2013
Letters to the Editor Legalize it, buggin' about Duggan and more | 2/5/2013
Letters to the Editor Freeway widening plans cause more ire, deaf vs. Deaf, and more | 1/30/2013
Detroit bright and dark Detroit: Enter the white knights of capital | 1/23/2013
Letters to the Editor Does Jack Lessenberry have a problem with female pols? | 1/9/2013
Kudos on our Lansing coverage, and more | 12/19/2012
Letters to the Editor Kudos to Jack and Jackman | 12/12/2012
Letters to the Editor Kudos to Jack and Jackman | 12/5/2012
Letters to the Editor Moving our letters back, and an erratum | 11/21/2012
Letters to the Editor Comments range from socialism to our redesign | 11/7/2012
Letters to the Editor Thoughts on helmets, contradictions and more | 10/17/2012
Letters to the Editor Reader sounds off on transit in Michigan | 10/10/2012
Letters to the Editor Bing’s a failure? Let us count the ways. | 9/26/2012
Letters to the Editor Sounding off on Matty and Lansing | 9/19/2012
Letters to the Editor | 9/5/2012
Letters to the Editor Mitt, Rand and more | 8/29/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers sound off on hope for the city, ICP and more | 8/22/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers on bankruptcy and Detroit's glory days | 8/15/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers sound off on the movies | 8/8/2012
Letters to the Editor White rapper story brings caustic response | 8/1/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers on bugging our representatives and more | 7/25/2012
Letters to the Editor A reader agrees about industrial hemp | 7/18/2012
Letters to the Editor More on those tar sands, and an erratum | 7/11/2012
Letters to the Editor A Marshall Plan for American cities, and more | 6/27/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers sound off on Krystal Crittendon, M.L. Liebler and more | 6/20/2012
Letters to the Editor Why Obama really gets under some people's skin | 6/13/2012
Letters to the Editor The War on Drugs is a war on people of color | 6/6/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers sound off on Hansen Clake | 5/30/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers sound off and Whole Foods and crime | 5/23/2012
Letters to the Editor MT readers have their say | 5/16/2012
Letters to the Editor The fall of the middle class and unions are linked | 5/2/2012
Letters to the Editor A reader’s words on Trayvon Martin | 4/11/2012
Letters to the Editor soon | 4/4/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers on the falling Wurlitzer, the fallen Michael Davis, and more | 3/28/2012
Letters to the Editor Limbaugh’s affront was even worse than MT said | 3/21/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers chime in on Rush and Rick Santorum | 3/14/2012
Letters to the Editor The raid at Jumbo’s and more | 3/7/2012
Letters to the Editor Defending Prince Fielder and Detroit EMS | 2/8/2012
Letters to the Editor Blasting the War on Drugs, questioning Snyder, and more | 1/25/2012
Letters to the Editor Sleight of mind, and slightly more | 1/18/2012
Letters to the Editor New Year's Eve revisited, end the War on Drugs, and more | 1/11/2012
Letters to the Editor Readers fire away on Jack, Troy and more | 1/4/2012
A night to remember Loving recollections of New Year's Eves past, at home, abroad and in the toilet | 12/28/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers chime in on our Music Issue, bailing out Detroit, and the charm of Downriver | 12/28/2011
Letters to the Editor soon | 12/21/2011
Letters to the Editor It is time to set the record straight | 12/14/2011
Letters to the Editor Detroiters need a chance to get it together | 12/7/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on Lessenberry, Detroitblogger John and more | 11/30/2011
Letters to the Editor Readers fired up about smoke and Schuette | 11/23/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off, especially on last week’s letters | 11/16/2011
Letters to the Editor Our mailbag bulges with responses to the Pot Issue | 11/9/2011
Letters to the Editor | 10/26/2011
Letters to the Editor The homeless, the poor and more | 10/19/2011
Letters to the Editor Plenty more on failing the poor | 10/12/2011
Letters to the Editor Comebacks, crystal balls and more | 10/5/2011
Letters to the Editor The Republicans are Marxist-Leninists, Dick Cheney's untimely death and more | 9/28/2011
Letters to the Editor Web readers weigh in on Dutch moves to crack down on pot, Jack Lessenberry’s alternate history of post-9/11 America | 9/21/2011
Letters to the Editor Vote Republican for revolution, reporting for Twitter and more | 9/14/2011
Letters to the Editor Kudos on environmental justice, and a jeer for the War on Drugs | 9/7/2011
Letters to the Editor Readers sound off on socialism and Schuette | 8/31/2011
Letters to the Editor Kudos on environmental justice, mourning Blair and more | 8/24/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on Higher Ground, the Heidelberg Project and ills that plague Detroit | 8/17/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on Higher Ground, the Heidelberg Project and ills that plague Detroit | 8/10/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on Greater Detroit, getting along and an angry voice mail we got | 8/3/2011
Letters to the Editor From unhappy to outright angry, our readers sound off | 7/27/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on Holland's anti-tourist law, Gaga and more | 7/13/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on the EFM law, Stabenow and more | 7/6/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers on pot, Gaga and more | 6/29/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on the War on Drugs, puritanism and more | 6/22/2011
Letters to the Editor Gaga a-go-go, Figment responds and more | 6/15/2011
Letters to the Editor Thoughts on Al Fishman's passing and more | 6/8/2011
Letters to the Editor Sounding off on race and the Laffer Curve | 6/1/2011
Letters to the Editor Kudos on Bathgate, and don't tax my beer | 5/25/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on the Laffer Curve, Mitch Albom and more | 5/18/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on Lessenberry, the arts, the bridge and derby girls | 5/11/2011
Spend the Night - Readers' Choice The music venues and watering holes our readers treasure | 4/27/2011
Public Square - Readers' Choice Our local riches, from media to politics to business and more, as judged by our readers | 4/27/2011
Nutritional Value - Readers' Choice Our readers pick the best places to scarf, nosh, tipple and dine | 4/27/2011
The Real Deals - Readers' Choice Our readers pick what's top when it comes to shops | 4/27/2011
Letters to the Editor Like a demolition derby of ideas | 4/27/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off loud and clear | 4/20/2011
Letters to the Editor Our readers sound off on issues that matter to them | 4/13/2011
Letters to the Editor Brainwashed by the rich, funding tax cuts on the backs of the poor, and more | 4/6/2011

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