NASHVILLEZINE

Okay, Nashvillezine, breathe! C’mon, baby, breathe! *gives CPR* A pulse! IT’S ALIVE!

Everything is going to be okay.

I’m going to start off by admitting three things: I am a recent transplant Nashvillian, I am a writer, and I am a nerd. I love computers, fantasy stories, can quote the Princess Bride (“Have fun storming the castle!”), love anime and Hayao Miyazaki (a Japanese animated filmmaker of epic proportions), and even shrieked with joy when the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was Rickrolled…and subsequently had to explain it to my parents.

If you didn’t understand one or more of the references above, hi, nice to meet you! There is a whole world of subculture that many people will only brush by in their lifetime, and I will be pausing to (hopefully) clue you in on things that won’t necessarily be common knowledge. But if I stopped to explain everything I mentioned above, it would take away from what I am actually here to talk about, which issss…..

Writing. Particularly of the fanfiction variety. This topic is one I’ve really wanted to talk about for a long time, and I won’t harp on it: I will simply state my opinion.

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Last night I made some chocolate cupcakes to take to work and enjoy.

Not many people know this, but lately in West Nashville, we’ve had an onslaught of ninjas roaming the streets of Sylvan Park. They have one mission: to destroy all baked goods. So lo and behold! Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning and saw this:

I even caught one of the little bastards on camera!

Please come to 12th & Porter Friday night to see one of Nashville’s best kept secrets, the rock band NOVELIFT. NOVELIFT has been making sweet music for over 4 years, and was named “Best Unsigned Alternative Rock Band” by Verbicide Magazine, yet the Nashville community prefers to keep them as secret as these pastry destroying ninjas. The cost is $5 and they will be selling their new album “Up In Clouds” for $10. Come out Friday night and don’t say I didn’t warn you about the cupcake ninjas!

You had to know going into Baltimore that the matchup between the Titans and the Ravens would produce more than a couple of bloody snot bubbles.  It got so intense, we even had Titans fighting each other!  The offense couldn’t get anything going for 58 minutes, but in the end everything was on the up and up, because everyone’s favorite old-ass quarterback Kerry Collins led a late fourth quarter drive straight down the field and ripped the hearts out of the Ravens’ proud defense.  I’ll tell you what, even without Brian Billick, it’s sure easy to hate that team.  Folks we’re sitting at 5-0 and staring at a bye week and the Kansas City Chiefs.  Barring anybody going to jail during their time off, this is looking pretty good. (continue reading…)

When Kerry Collins threw an interception on the Titans’ first play from scrimmage, LP field exploded in stunned silence. But we watched ol’ KC shake it off – something he has had his fair share of experience of, on and off the field -  and go on to guide Tennessee to three touchdowns and 21 first half points.  Last year, 21 points would have come from seven Rob Bironas field goals!  It is just so refreshing to see this team having fun and congratulating each other. With Indianapolis losing to Jacksonville, we’ve got an early two game lead in the division. Honeymoon’s not over yet… (continue reading…)

After twice reading this review of the new Kings Of Leon album, I am even more convinced that this review had to be written by a bitter, former lover of frontman Caleb Followill. Follow the link to read cringe worthy zingers such as “though his band has toured the world several times over, [Followwill] can’t see past his own dick” and, my personal favorite, “surely, we can do better for the platonic ideal of a rock band than four guys gunning for a spot rightfully inhabited by My Morning Jacket but instead coming up with the best songs 3 Doors Down never wrote.”

Behold!

I originally thought this space would be taken up reviewing the latest episode of “The Vince Young and the Restless”, but thank gawd Kerry “Tom” Collins and the rest of the Tennessee Titans football team gave us something else to talk about yesterday.  A victory over the hapless Bungles, and guess what, everybody?  Still undefeated and leading the division!  If the season ended today….. (continue reading…)

Maybe you’re busy thinking about Next Big Nashville right now, but I’m betting you’ve gotten so tired of music that sounds the same and the same and the same that you’ve already given your free wristband away. Here’s an event to juxtapose against all the NBN egos and decibles. Monday, September 15, Belmont University’s Music and Discourse lecture series presents Visiting Scholar Sounak Chattopadhyay, a popular young singer and performer of classical Hindustani music who is beginning a U.S. tour. He will be joined by percussionist Ben Mawhorter and a Nashville-based harmonium player whose name is missing from the info I have. The following events are all free and open to the public.

10:00, Massey Concert Hall: “India—Land of Myriad Colours” Lecture of general interest for the university community.

2:00, Neely Dining Room: Workshop with Sounak and tabla player Ben Mawhorter.

7:30, Massey Concert Hall: Concert. “Colours after Sunset: Ragas for Evening Moods.”

Hey folks, NashvilleZine is now optimized for your iPhone! Go ahead and check us out. You’ll find a clean interface with all the same awesome information you find on the “big” version.

And since we use WordPress to power our site, our contributors can use the WordPress iphone app to blog right from their iPhones. We’ll be blogging from the shows! Don’t you want to contribute?

When it was announced last year that the original lineup of Superdrag would be getting back together for the first time in over a decade, true rock n’ roll fans all over the country rejoiced.  When the band decided to record a new record, it was set in stone: this would be the greatest thing since, well, the first go ’round of the ‘Drag.  All signs point to the new LP being a continuation of the Nashville/Knoxville quartet’s signature melding of 60’s pop, 70s crunch, and 80s college rock.  We caught up with Mr. John Davis in anticipation of Superdrag’s performance in Nashville this Friday night…. (continue reading…)