Sep 25th, 2009 · They're a big outfit as indie bands go, but the 13-piece Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have created quite a buzz in Los Angeles, and in the indie world writ large, making excellent '60s-style folk-rock that could be called revivalist. With their converted school/tour bus, their back porch acoustics and their almost communal air, this is one band not to miss.
Jul 27th, 2009 · An attorney for Lucia Whalen said she saw only the backs of two men on black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s front porch who appeared to be trying to force open the front door, and that she did not know their race when she made the call.
Jul 21st, 2009 · Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., respected as one of the nation's lead scholars, was arrested last week on his porch in Cambridge, Mass., after authorities mistook him for reported a burglar, described to police as a black male. But although Gates presented identification as owner of the home, he was still taken into custody. Charles Ogletree, Gates' attorney, discusses the case and why his client believes he was racially profiled.
Jun 15th, 2009 · On porches everywhere this summer, people are soaking up the sticky heat with beer in hand and music in the background. Jazz and beer are natural companions, so we asked the Washington City Paper's "Beerspotter" to pair bottles with records by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and more.
Jan 28th, 2009 · John Updike wrote that his favorite sensation was "being out of the rain" — but only just — on a porch, say, where you could feel the spray and know the bad weather you weren't in. Author David Lipsky remembers a man who, for half a century, acted as America's umbrella, transcribing the "middleness" of human life, with all its "grits, bumps and anonymities."
Dec 24th, 2008 · One man's attempt to speed up snow removal on his back porch seriously backfired. The Massachusetts homeowner hooked up a blowtorch to a 20-pound propane tank and took aim at the ice and snow. In a hot minute, the fire spread to the home's second and third floors causing $30,000 in damage. The Standard-Times of New Bedford reported it took 25 firefighters to put out the flames — no one was injured.
Nov 26th, 2008 · In one rural Colorado town, if you want your Thanksgiving bird fresh you go to Karla Tschoepe. She's well past the age most people retire to the porch, but Tschoepe still raises and slaughters chickens and turkeys. We visit her at her backyard operation's busiest time of the year.
Nov 4th, 2008 · Old Crow Medicine Show brings its rootsy back-porch sound to World Café, where it showcases songs from the new Tennessee Pusher. The disc takes a modern approach to Americana with gospel and rock overtones, but leaves the band's roots firmly intact.