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All Stories
pick your favorite Islington vision
News - general
Written by Matt Kanner   
Thursday, 03 April 2008

public mulls Islington Street options

Imagine if Islington Street were a one-way traffic corridor with a bike lane, widened sidewalks and small trees along the roadway. Or what if the massive parking lot at Plaza 800 were converted into open space above a two-level underground parking structure? Supposing the street was dappled with pocket parks, raised crosswalks, small parking areas and a bus hub?

These were among the ideas pitched during a final public workshop for the “Islington Street Improvement Action Plan” project. The meeting, held at Portsmouth Public Library on March 27, concluded a series of public feedback sessions aimed at determining what type of Islington Street area residents would like to see. Consultants Richardson and Associates, of Saco, Maine, used that feedback to devise three loose concepts for improving the street. Those concepts were presented to a few dozen residents last week, each of whom had a chance to comment on their favorite ideas.
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overlooked pond in need of friends
Outside - general
Written by Bill Trotter   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

Long neglected and abused, Portsmouth’s North Mill Pond can’t get healthy without help from the community. Not only have The Advocates for the North Mill Pond answered the call, but they’ve also teamed up with fifth grade students from New Franklin Elementary School to monitor water quality and pond cleanup.

Now the two, in conjunction with the Hodgson Brook Restoration Project, are asking local residents to attend their banquet Tuesday, April 1, at the New Franklin Elementary School in Portsmouth. The banquet will be a combination of informational messages—many of which composed by the children—and celebration, to begin at 6:30 p.m. and end around 7:30 pm.
The partnership between The Advocates and New Franklin Elementary school was forged out of the need to provide local residents with a basal level of knowledge regarding local watersheds.

“If you are going to start somewhere (in the education process), you might as well start with the kids,” says Candace Dolan. As the Hodgson Brook Restoration Project watershed coordinator, Dolan saw the children as conduit to reach the community as a whole. She hopes an early education will lead to a lifetime of sustainable practices, but is also counting on the children to relay this newfound message to their parents.
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getting real with ‘The Goat’ at the Players’ Ring
Stage - general
Written by Scarlett Ridgway Savage   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

The people Generic Theatre usually have their ear to ground when it comes to the cutting edge, the new, the hip and hot, or the really unusual. This year’s production, currently onstage at the Players’ Ring, fits all three categories.

Edward Albee’s “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?” follows the playwright’s usual pattern of keeping the audience on the edge of the seat, wondering what’s really happening—Captain Subtext is generally the star of any Albee play, open sexuality has a strong supporting role. In 1963, his play “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?” was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. However, the board’s advisory committee was so horrified by the content of the play that they overruled the decision, and no drama prize was awarded that year.

Albee dares to speak of things the rest of us do not. He will always be celebrated for this, and he will always need to keep a bodyguard close by because of it.

In “The Goat,” we have what seems your perfect happy Manhattan family: parents Martin and Stevie (Alan Huisman and Helen Brock), still madly in love after 22 years, and a happy, healthy 17-year-old boy Billy (Camden Brown). Martin doesn’t let the fact that Billy has recently proclaimed his homosexuality upset him—after all, as he and his best friend since childhood, Ross (Mike Pomp), decide, it’s probably just a phase.
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unique texture makes ‘Warm Woolen Paintings’ a tangible experience
Art Show
Written by Bill Trotter   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

When Three Graces Fine Art & Furnishings owner Kim Ferreira puts an art exhibit together, she hopes to reach all audiences with an eclectic array of works. Typically, the back half of her gallery boasts a bevy of styles and mediums while the front half displays a featured exhibit. This month’s feature, “Warm Woolen Paintings,” most assuredly will help her accomplish the goal of variety.
Tiffany Torre is a Vermont painter who, as she puts it, has been “trying to find my identity.” Her search became deeply introspective when she left the Northeast for college in Tennessee. Surrounded by an unfamiliar culture and landscape, Torre drew comfort from her New England roots, which prompted her artistic relationship with wool. 

“We are covered eight to nine months out of the year,” Torre explained in a recent interview, and wool provides “the feeling of always being covered. I basically fell in love with the feel and texture of the wool.” Her initial experimentation came in the form of soft sculpture, a material primarily consisting of hand-dyed wool; however, further familiarization with the material opened Torre’s eyes to future possibilities.
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The Apple
Tales from the Video Vault
Written by Larry Clow   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

NF Geria III-Produktion, 1980
starring: Catherine Mary Stewart, George Gilmour, Vladek Sheybal and Joss Ackland
written and directed by: Menahem Golan

the plot: In the far-flung future of 1994, the world is under the control of Boogalow International Music, a multinational conglomerate. Each year, BIM owner Mr. Boogalow (Sheybal) hosts the World Vision Music Festival, using it as an opportunity to recruit a new pop star for his evil empire. But even Boogalow is surprised when Bibi (Stewart) and Alphie (Gilmour), a sweet folk-rock duo from Moosejaw, Canada, win the contest. Boogalow rushes to enfold them in his world, tempting Alphie and Bibi with promises of money, fame, sex and drugs. While Bibi jumps at the chance to become an international pop star, Alphie is hesitant, experiencing a series of frightening visions just before signing the contract. He refuses to sign, and so Boogalow exiles him to a life of poverty and sadness. Meanwhile, Bibi gets wrapped up in the glamorous life, with legions of fans and hangers-on surrounding her. As Bibi’s career takes off, BIM slowly worms its way into controlling all facets of society, forcing citizens to wear a BIM mark and participate in daily exercise programs. Alphie meets up with Mr. Topps (Ackland), the leader of a hippie enclave that shuns modern society and refuses to submit to BIM’s control. As Alphie attempts to free Bibi from BIM’s clutches, Mr. Boogalow sets into motion a plan to crush Alphie, Mr. Topps and the hippies once and for all.
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a chorus of (boy) angels, plus you
Music - general
Written by staff   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

The renowned American Boychoir will fill St. John’s Church in Portsmouth on Wednesday, April 2, and the group is encouraging local boys in grades 3-7 to stick around for an audition after the concert. No preparation or experience is necessary for the audition, but auditioners should love to sing.

The American Boychoir’s performance will celebrate with music from each of the choir’s seven decades, works highlighting contemporary American composers, and selections from its new CD. 

Children age 16 and under are admitted free. For adults, the suggested donation is $15 per person, and for students and seniors it’s $10. Tickets are available at the door. The concert begins at 7pm.
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'Gallowsbird’s Bark'
Long Play
Written by Liberty Hardy   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

by The Fiery Furnaces
2003, Rough Trade Records

the sound: You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and with its debut album, “Gallowsbird’s Bark,”  The Fiery Furnaces hit the ground running, injecting its unique sound into the indie rock scene. On the album’s first track, “South is Only a Home,” singer Eleanor Friedberger talks/sings/chants the lyrics over her brother Matthew’s driving guitar and drum beat, while in the background it sounds like someone’s kitten is running across the piano. Eleanor actually sing-speaks the lyrics over many of the songs, her smoky voice narrating the cacophony of sounds that her brother supplies. Matthew’s guitar riffs and piano are often accompanied by static, zips and whistles. “I woulda had a asthma attack / If I seen the shark bite back,” Eleanor states in “Asthma Attack,” a catchy number with bluesy guitar and a bass line that sounds like someone is randomly grabbing the strings. “Tropical Ice-Land” would make for the coolest Bacardi commercial ever, and “Bow Wow” has the Quaaludy-feel of a theme to a ’70s sitcom. “Crystal Clear” includes a thump to rival The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” plus the added bonus of the chant, “Filthy, dirty, cloudy, muddy, messy, mucky, crystal clear.”
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looking back at the finish line
Cover Stories
Written by staff writers   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

RPM bloggers reflect on the trials and triumphs of February 2008

The mainstream music industry is filled with savage competition and rabid money-grubbing, which has led to some damned ugly situations. In a nasty demonstration of this trend, Kid Rock recently sucker-punched Tommy Lee in the face. And remember when Axl Rose publicly challenged Vince Niel to a rumble? For that matter, remember the Guns N’ Roses song “Get in the Ring?” Here at RPM headquarters, however, we deplore violence. The RPM Challenge promotes a sense of collective musical camaraderie that has been reflected in countless blog entries on the RPM discussion board. Musicians across the globe found creative unity in the singular objective of writing and recording 10 songs or 35 minutes of original music in 29 days. Artists who were oceans apart went through the same daily rigors as they attempted to balance their RPM projects with day jobs, families and basic necessities, like eating and sleeping.

The 2,400-plus participants who signed up this year were propelled forward by a common motivation. The noncompetitive nature of the Challenge, which offered no reward other than the personal gratification of finishing, spurred determined participants to support and encourage one another throughout the month, bolstering each other’s spirits when they encountered inevitable setbacks, and congratulating one another when they successfully laid down a track or wrote a new tune.

Approximately 750 finished albums, all postmarked by March 1, arrived at RPM headquarters in Portsmouth this year. Hundreds of listeners will get their first chance to hear selected tracks from those albums during the citywide listening party on Friday, March 28. Festivities begin at The Music Hall before spreading to at least five venues in downtown Portsmouth.
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Chris Humphrey; The Fringe
Alan Chase's Jazz Universe
Written by Alan Chase   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

Two upcoming shows at The Press Room in Portsmouth are the focus for this edition of The Jazz Universe. On Sunday, March 30, vocalist Chris Humphrey will host a release event for his excellent debut recording, “Nothing but Blue Sky,” accompanied by The Press Room Trio led by Ryan Parker. The following Sunday, April 6, one of Boston’s legendary jazz groups, The Fringe, will make its Press Room debut. Both shows begin at 6 p.m. and cost $10.

Chris Humphrey has long been one of the hidden gems of the greater Seacoast music scene. A talented musician who could have gone in a variety of directions, he chose to focus on being a jazz vocalist. But he’s not the kind of vocalist who is content to sit back, sing the lyrics and let the other musicians do all the work. Instead, Humphrey strives to be an integral part of the ensemble, interacting with his fellow players. It was this approach that led him to go with the quartet format for his debut album.

“I finally decided on the quartet because I wanted to be the ‘horn,’” Humphrey said in a recent interview. The choice allowed him the freedom to interact with the other players on the session, which, in turn, allowed the whole session to have a freer atmosphere, “with more room to roam around in the music,” as he describes.
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geek chorus
Music - general
Written by Liberty Hardy   
Thursday, 27 March 2008
This weekend, New Hampshire will again be blessed with the presence of They Might Be Giants, founding members of the geek rock movement. (Geek rock being code for “people who are brainier than us and play music.”) Saturday, March 29, TMBG will play two shows at the Music Hall in Portsmouth. The first concert is geared toward little geeks, as TMBG will be performing their original children’s material, and then later in the evening, they’ll rock the older crowd with favorites, plus songs from their latest release, “The Else.” In preparation for the show, we’ve compiled a list of information you may not know, to saturate your brain, compiled from the countries mentioned in TMBG’s song “The Alphabet of Nations” from “Here Come the ABCs,” an album of original songs about the alphabet.
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electric cars at UNH; freshman class outranks other classes in number of police calls
From The New Hampshire
Written by New Hampshire Staff   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

electric cars to be driven by faculty and staff

UNH faculty and staff have the opportunity to test drive two electric cars, thanks to a number of organizations concerned with the environment, including UNH Energy and Campus Development, the Office of Sustainability, and the UNH Energy Task Force in partnership with Maine Electric Vehicles of Falmouth.

Starting on March 17, the cars, which are called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, will be driven around campus for two weeks to assess the benefits of adding them to the Clean Fleet Program.

“Neighborhood Electric Vehicles are one potential niche market alternative fuel vehicle that might be useful as part of the UNH-Durham campus fleet,” said Steve Pesci, the Energy and Campus Development project director for special projects.

The vehicles are being loaned by Maine Electric Vehicles of Falmouth to be driven around campus, beginning at the center of campus and going as far as West Edge. The test drives will simulate the 25 mph average low-speed on-campus drive.
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N.H. House moves along notable bills; town and trust hope to preserve land; Portsmouth parking
In Brief
Written by Patrick Law & Bill Trotter   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

N.H. House moves along notable bills

Last week, there was a flurry of activity among New Hampshire lawmakers, with the Senate and House sending along several bills to each other. Global warming, marijuana, text messaging and negligent hiking were among the issues addressed by the House and that will now be taken up by the New Hampshire Senate.

House Bill 1434 commits New Hampshire to a 10-state regional effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Approved 214-107, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative would allow New Hampshire to adopt its own laws and regulations to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. The bill would also establish an energy conservation and efficiency board.

Another bill passing from the House to the Senate is a 10-year, $2.3 billion highway plan, which would shift focus from new construction to projects that would improve existing roads and fix troubled bridges. Under the bill, 89 red-list bridges would be replaced or fixed over 10 years. Also, sections of Interstate 93 would be given priority. Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth and the widening of the Spaulding Turnpike would also be given priority.
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wheat worries
News - general
Written by Patrick Law   
Thursday, 27 March 2008

high prices are hurting local businesses

Oil isn’t the only commodity inflicting sticker shock these days. Wheat prices have increased dramatically over the last year, leaving many local business owners struggling to adapt.

For Me & Ollie’s owner Roger Elkus, the price of wheat has more than tripled in the last three months. He use to pay $11 for a 50-pound bag of wheat, but lately, he has had to shell out around $30 per bag.

Unlike larger bakeries, which buy their wheat a year in advance and therefore enjoy a set price for the entire year, Me & Ollie’s purchases flour as the need arises. The price they charge for a loaf of bread reflects the most recent price they paid for a bag of wheat. “Unfortunately, because we’re small, we have to react pretty quickly,” Elkus said. When the price of wheat is up, Elkus charges more for bread. Eventually, the bigger bakeries will change their price, too. “They let the little guys pave the way for sticker shock, so they can kind of ease their prices up,” Elkus said. “We have to go in unprotected.”

The U.S. and parts of Canada remain the world’s largest producers of high quality, high protein wheat. But in recent years, Russia, Australia and parts of South America have emerged as alternatives to the North American market. The growth of these markets has paralleled the rising demand for wheat products in places like India and China, where economic development has created a burgeoning middle class with a taste for western foods. 
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a tale of two artists
Art Show
Written by Chloe Johnson   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

two-person art exhibit on display at Nahcotta

It was accidental at first, the juxtaposition of artwork by Beth Pearson and Lillianna Pereira.

The two artists were among the many who had a few works featured in the Enormous Tiny Art Show II at Nahcotta last year and, because the pieces happened to be arranged alphabetically, they were right next to each other.

Deb Thompson, owner of the art gallery on Congress Street in Portsmouth, said both were well received and people wanted to see more.

“I thought they had a lot more to say, both of them, visually,” she said.

A two-person art exhibition featuring Pearson and Pereira is on display at Nahcotta until Sunday, April 6. The artists have a different way of expressing themselves, but Thompson says they share a similar energy.
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‘Last Chance to See’
Tome Raider
Written by Liberty Hardy   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
222 pages, William Heinemann Ltd., 1990

Few people like to be preached at—especially when they have already taken it upon themselves to read a book about a heavy subject, like endangered species, for example. We already know the facts: Since our appearance on this planet, humans have polluted and poached their way through all corners of the world, destroying and eliminating thousands of different species of animals, birds, insects and plants. In short, we suck. We know this. But our simple little brains don’t want to feel guilty, they want to be entertained. So why not take a man famous for writing funny books that include aliens, the existence of which has yet to be proven, and let him tell the story of creatures who may not exist much longer?

Enter Douglas Adams, most famous for his “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” series. In 1985, Observer Colour Magazine commissioned Adams and zoologist Mark Carwardine to travel to Madagascar and try to glimpse a rare nocturnal lemur called an aye-aye, and then write an article about their trip. Over a three-year period, their adventure transformed into several journeys in search of endangered species, which was subsequently documented for BBC radio and was later chronicled in the book “Last Chance to See.”
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a healthy and wealthy future
Food - general
Written by Bill Trotter   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

Stonyfield CEO to talk business in Portsmouth

There’s a belief in many business circles that you can either focus on attaining wealth or center your efforts on environmental issues—but you can’t do both. Gary Hirshberg, chairman, president and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, begs to differ. Hirshberg was one of the first to purposely build an empire on a green philosophy. His new book, “Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World,” describes the rise of Stonyfield’s organic dairy products in the national marketplace. Hirshberg will discuss his new book at Portsmouth’s RiverRun Bookstore on Thursday, March 20.

Drawing from both his hardships and successes, Hirshberg’s book is an attempt to inspire those who hope to improve the world’s deteriorating ecosystem while still making money.

“For me, it’s been a long journey from youthful naïveté to aging clarity, but every step, however difficult, has given me the pleasure of discovering how nature’s wisdom can become humankind’s salvation,” Hirshberg writes in the new book.

Stonyfield Farm’s journey began in the early 1980s, when the company was established as an organic farming school based in Wilton, N.H. The initial mission was to teach sustainable farming practices, but this changed after a few serendipitous turns of fate.

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Blood Diner
Tales from the Video Vault
Written by Larry Clow   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

PMS Filmworks, 1987
starring: Rick Burks, Carl Crew, Lisa Elaina and Drew Godderis
directed by: Jackie Kong

the plot: When they were children, brothers George (Crew) and Michael (Burks) Tutman watched as the police gunned down their deranged uncle Anwar (Godderis), a psychotic slasher responsible for the deaths of a number of young women. But before he died, Anwar asked his nephews to carry on his work when they got older. As the boys would discover, Anwar’s “work” centered on sacrificial murder. His goal: to kill and harvest the body parts of young women in order to resurrect the ancient goddess Shitar and unleash her upon the earth. To keep the family tradition alive, George and Michael open up a vegetarian café in Hollywood, where they pick unsuspecting patrons to be their next victims. Guiding the boys is the disembodied brain of Anwar, stuck in a jar and hooked up to a speaker so he can communicate his diabolical plans.
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Doomsday
Film reviews
Written by Larry Clow   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

rated R

“Doomsday” could have easily been billed as “Grindhouse 2.” A mishmash of bits from the last 25 years worth of post-apocalyptic flicks, “Doomsday” is derivative, but fun. Part “Mad Max” and part “Escape from New York” with a dash of “28 Days Later,” “Doomsday” is like downing a dozen Twinkies and drinking a gallon of Mountain Dew. It’s a momentary indulgence in excess that’s thrilling but not necessary to repeat.

The end is nigh in “Doomsday,” and, this time around, a killer virus is the agent of the apocalypse. First showing up in present-day Scotland, the virus ravages the country and kills hundreds of thousands of people. With no cure in sight, Great Britain decides the best way to contain the virus is to wall off Scotland and leave any survivors to fend for themselves. Three decades later, the virus surfaces again in London—along with evidence that some unlucky souls are still alive and kicking in Glasgow. Major Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), who, as a child, got out of Scotland just before it was walled off, is assigned to accompany a crack military team into the blasted country and retrieve one of the survivors in order to find a cure for the virus.
As is usual with an impending apocalypse, complications arise for Sinclair and her team, this time in the form of a pair of warring, barbaric societies. Sol (Craig Conway), a mohawked maniac who wants to lead his people over the wall and into England, leads one group. Meanwhile, Kane (Malcolm McDowell), a former physician who tried to cure the virus, keeps his group holed up in an old castle in the countryside, intent on repelling “impure” invaders from beyond the wall.
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interactive television
Film - general
Written by Bill Trotter   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

“Gravityland” takes viewers on an online journey

The Internet has diversified to offer numerous forms of interactive entertainment, including many Web-only TV series. John Herman’s new project, “Gravityland,” launched on March 3, fits that category, but that does little justice to his creative foresight.

“I feel like I’m putting together a lot of things at the same time,” Herman said with a chuckle. 

If you have already made the trip to www.gravityland.com, you understand what he means. The “Web series” is a set of five- to seven-minute episodes, but that’s just the beginning.

Viewers can interact with the show’s actors and writers through the Internet and make suggestions as the plot unfolds. “There is always some way you are interacting with the show,” said Herman, who has spent much of his life as an improvisational actor. “It gives me an outlet.I’m really into collaboration.”

Each show will be a mixture of Herman’s loosely scripted material and whatever twists viewers choose to offer. So you might actually want to stick around for the credits.
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closing the open mike
Music - general
Written by Matt Kanner   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

Biddy Mulligan’s Wednesday night series ends after 11-year run

The evening’s lineup began shortly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, with vocalist Kathleen Soldati and guitarist Curt Bessette executing a lusty performance of a Nina Simone classic.

“Do I move you, are you willin’ / Do I groove you, is it thrillin,’” Soldati crooned.

The red-headed singer, who later offered renditions of The Beatles’ “When I’m 64” and Janis Joplin’s “Turtle Blues,” had never sung publicly until she stepped up to the mike at Biddy Mulligan’s two years ago, according to Bessette. Since then, she has become a regular fixture of the Wednesday night open mikes in Dover. Judging from the way she belted out the lyrics, it seems her confidence has grown.

On this particular Wednesday, the open mike sign-up sheet was totally booked. Following the opening tune, Bessette and bassist Alan Fraser collaborated on Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” Other acts throughout the night would cover songs by Tim McGraw, The Allman Brothers Band, Doobie Brothers, Neil Young, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and others. But there was also plenty of original material. A four-piece punk band, which included a drummer and bassist with hot pink hair, tore through a pair of fast-paced rock songs. Others played softer acoustic tunes.
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the speed of sound
Music - general
Written by Matt Kanner   
Thursday, 20 March 2008

a more experienced  As Fast As unveils its second album

When Portland, Maine-based rock band As Fast As signed with Octone Records to release its first album, front man Spencer Albee saw it as a tremendous opportunity. The label was already home to Maroon 5, and Albee thought the contract would help him market his unique artistic vision. But the resulting release, “Open Letter to the Damned,” fell short of Albee’s high expectations.

“I was under the impression … that the artist made the records and decided the direction of the band, and the record label would then decide the best way to market that. But what Octone likes to do instead was to be a little too active in the shaping of the sound, which never works,” Albee said. “Executives have no business shaping music.”

The singer, guitarist and keyboardist has since learned that if you want something done right, you’re best off doing it yourself. The band’s second album, “Destroy the Plastique Man,” was released independently on March 11. Albee and his bandmates—guitarist Zach Jones, bassist Hache Hodgkins and drummer Andrew Hodgkins—were able to branch out and embrace a whole new galaxy of sounds. With synth-heavy tracks, wildly diverse instrumentation and imaginative and playful songwriting, the album takes a sharp left turn from the straighter rock edge of the group’s debut. The result is a deliciously fresh and innovative disc.
Read more...
 
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