We’ve all been there. You’re cruising along in the car, windows down, radio blasting, everyone belting out a song like it’s an American Idol audition, when someone gets the words hilariously wrong. It’s not entirely our fault, of course. Have you listened to Nirvana? Consider that thanks to Auto-Tune, actual singing talent isn’t even required to be a megastar anymore. Do you think diction is high on the priority list? And who has those handy little CD booklet... [Read more]

There's only one more weekend before Christmas. If you're a procrastinator (like me), your holiday shopping isn’t done yet. Which means that this is your last weekend to brave the crowds for wrapping paper and stocking stuffers. But if you hate the mall (like me), you can use the Internet, a little imagination, and the pressure and panic of the last minute crunch to inspire brilliant and unique gift ideas such as . . . 5. Peace and Quiet When Wicked came to Hartford this summer, I decided ... [Read more]

Cover versions of iconic rock songs are notoriously hard to pull off. There are just too many obsessed freaks out there and full-time stalkers, waitin' for an excuse to hate. And when your cover of a great song sucks massively, those nutjobs are gonna be gunnin' for ya. That said, when fools rush in and drain every last drop of goodness out of something beautiful and vibrant, maybe they deserve a little soilage in the reputation department. Not all covers are bad; when you hear Nirvana's version... [Read more]

Flyin' south? Make sure you let 'em know! In this virtual world of ours it's nigh on impossible to avoid other peoples' egos. If it isn't Facebook or Twitter it's bloggers, blog commenters, raging podcasters or email. This latter medium, recently declared "dead" (it isn't, more's the #@$%*& pity) seems to be the worst. Never mind those people who are STILL sending those scary chain emails ("if you don't send this to eleven friends your family will be dismembered by flying narwhals") or video... [Read more]