Scene

Mayer takes ‘crooked’ music path with ‘Battle’

Beginning with “Heartbreak Warfare,” John Mayer’s latest record has a slow, dark sound that defines most of the album. As a whole, the songs are covered in more background sound than John Mayer fans may be used to; the time and energy it took to make each song are evident, but it takes away almost any catchy quality they might have had.

Jammin’ Java ready to whistle as ‘File’ work

Single File, a pop/rock band from Colorado, are just beginning to make a name for themselves. They’ve performed on Warped Tour and opened for big name acts, and, earlier this year, they debuted their first full-length album, “Common Struggles.” But the band has yet to make much of an impression nationally.

FEATURE PIC: Leonid meteor shower illuminates Washington, D.C.

‘Boondock II’ holds true to indie original

In comparison to “The Boondock Saints”, the new sequel is bigger, badder and certainly funnier. In “Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day,” fraternal twins Connor and Murphy MacManus, (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) are hidden deep in Ireland with their father (Billy Connolly), having narrowly escaped capture in the last movie. But when a murderer in Boston kills a priest and frames the Saints, they cut their hair and beards and leave the sheep farm to clear their name in Boston.

‘Shear’ fun at Kennedy

"Shear Madness" is the longest running show at the Kennedy Center. Put on eight times a week since 1987, it also happens to be the second longest-running play in the history of American theater. A comedy who-dun-it murder mystery where the audience gets to solve the crime, "Shear Madness" is best for a first date, or to drag one's parents to when they visit D.C.

Stereotypes a problem for lesbian community

During a recent party, we had lesbian sex described to us. It’s like a Jell-O shot: first, you get your finger in to loosen it up, then place your mouth around it to get at the goods. But lesbians are more than just Jell-O shots at parties.

‘Change’ gives partisan advice

You’re young, politically-inspired, electronically-savvy tweeters ready to change the world. According to Jayan Kalathil and Melissa Bolton-Klinger, the authors of “Generation Change: 150 Ways We Can Change Ourselves, Our Country and Our World,” you are “Generation Change.”

Palmer goes beyond boundaries on tour

Amanda Palmer is today’s traveling muse. Over a decade into her multi-project career, the alternative-punk-cabaret songwriter best known for being one-half of the Dresden Dolls is done releasing music.

Competition makes youths count

Creating an original film about underprivileged youths pulling themselves up by their bootstraps would obviously prove to be a challenge. Then add a national business plan competition with a first place prize of $10,000. Now there is a recipe for something fresh.

Found Footage Festival best served with booze

The Found Footage Festival is right at home in the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse, where the smell of beer is present but not pungent. It has a warm atmosphere that facilitates the humor in poking fun at some truly bizarre videos that co-curators Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett have collected and edited down to the bare bones over the years.

Get saucy with pasta addition

I used to keep a jar of spaghetti sauce in my refrigerator until a friend of mine taught me how to make my own. A good tomato sauce takes a bit of time, but it’s easy, it keeps well and you can also double the recipe and freeze some for later in the month when you’re buried in projects and final exams.

Peter Bjorn and John keep crowd quiet

Peter Bjorn and John kicked off the start of their United States headline tour Nov. 7 at the 9:30 club. The tour, which is appropriately named the “10th Year U.S. Birthday Tour,” is a celebration of a whole decade of making music together.

Fiasco gives ‘people’ voice at GWU

As hip-hop star Lupe Fiasco exited the stage, he was met by a roar of applause from the over 200 students who had crammed into George Washington University's Jack Morton Auditorium to watch history come to life. Nov. 9 marked the second stop on the College Tour to promote the new film "The People Speak" in which he co-stars.

‘Radio’ glorifies rock in UK

When Richard Curtis’ newest film “Pirate Radio” opens, the music has already begun, and one is immediately catapulted back to 1966, right in the middle of one of the most historically mind-blowing decades of rock ‘n’ roll.

In Istanbul, studies of the past are history

I glance around the classroom. The Turkish students seem used to this. One’s muttering a mnemonic. Another’s writing, then erasing, then writing again, wearing through his test sheet with each pencil swipe.

Coming out captured in theaters

Next to terrorism, swine flu and our economic recession, nothing terrifies the average American more than some dude-on-dude action. Next week, two films — one, a big studio stint and the other, a low-budget indie — that cannon-balled into the shallow pool of gay film will be released on DVD.

Millan ‘stars’ in her new solo project

Amy Millan doesn’t want to disappoint you — she said so herself. The singer, best known for her work with Canadian indie powerhouses Stars and Broken Social Scene, wrapped up her fall tour right here in the District when she took her ethereal country-folk act to DC 9 this past Sunday, Nov. 8.