Nov 26th, 2008 · This season, stores like TJ Maxx and Sears are offering customers the option to buy on layaway — make a deposit, and the store keeps the goods until the price is paid in full. Layaway hasn't been in vogue for decades, but it's making a comeback because credit cards are no longer cheap or easy to use.
Oct 30th, 2008 · Released last month, Willoughby's I Know What You're Up To is an entirely alluring album with a decidedly retro vibe to it. Imagine a 1960s-era lounge, the sort that James Bond would casually visit for his shaken-not-stirred vodka martini, and you might start to get a feel for what frontman Gus Seyffert has created.
Aug 11th, 2008 · The fast-paced, playful pop songs from the Arizona-based band What Laura Says are utterly infectious, full of quirky vocals and banged out piano chords. Lyrically, the record walks a line between comedic sarcasm and poignancy. But What Laura Says takes the pop formula one step further, injecting thick, full band instrumentation and a slew of retro sounds, from psychedelia to folk and bluegrass. The result is a very catchy record that keeps things light without losing any sort of musical integrity.
Jun 27th, 2008 · Al Green's latest record is a departure from his satin and sandpaper soul hits of decades past. For Lay It Down, Green collaborated with hip-hop artists such as The Roots drummer Quest Love. The album may be closer to the retro-soul Green helped inspire than to the originator's best work, however.
Apr 16th, 2008 · Advertisers really hate it when people fast-forward through their television ads, and ABC hopes to counter that by going retro. Next month, ads during Jimmy Kimmel Live will be live just like in the early days of television, when much of TV was live.
Nov 27th, 2007 · In his new book, Gastroanomalies, author James Lileks highlights what he calls the most "questionable culinary creations" of the good old days. The book is filled with images of retro dishes and has chapter titles such as, "Fun Things to Make with Ground-Up Cow."
Jul 25th, 2007 · Nicole Willis is a retro soul singer from Brooklyn. Her really tight band, the Soul Investigators, is from Finland. The group sounds like it's from Memphis and it's one of Oliver Wang's favorites of the year so far.
Jun 3rd, 2007 · The Black Keys are a duo from Akron, Ohio. The band went from college dropouts mowing lawns to cult stardom. Their sound is an ultra-retro throwback to the days when Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix channeled American blues artists.