MetroPulse Stories

Windhand Makes Epic Heavy Rock the Old-Fashioned Way

everettm@metropulse.com (Matthew Everett) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:17:00 -0000

Windhand's music is suffocatingly, morbidly slow and heavy, with subterranean bass shrouded in fuzzy guitar distortion and eerie vocals that are buried so deep in the mix that they become ethereal, wordless incantations. There’s an Old World vibe—shadows of haunted houses, Hammer horror movies, and Victorian occultism—filtered through the dark haze of a ’70s drug cult.

The Artful Dodge: Why Won’t Knoxville Commit to Public Art?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:08:00 -0000

So what has Knoxville’s Public Arts Committee achieved in the five years it’s been around? According to its own members, not a lot, really. It was originally formed five years ago when the city realized it had no formal public arts policy, and no program to approve pieces of public (outdoor) art. But aside from approving or disapproving public-art proposals, the committee doesn’t really chart a direction for acquiring new art for Knoxville. And that’s largely because it has no operating budget and no acquisition budget. If other cities can do it—like Kingsport!—how come Knoxville can’t? Or won’t? Holly Haworth takes a look.

'Scum' and 'Life Is Sweet' Serve Up Divergent Views of the British Working Class

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:56:00 -0000

Scum and Life Is Sweet, a pair of older British films out now in new video editions, offer two contrasting and indelible visions of that most endlessly gawkable aspect of British life—its working class.

Local Music Review: The Reigns Band

mconnergibson@gmail.com (Mike Gibson) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:47:00 -0000

There’s a craggily handsome quality to Reigns Band frontman Evan Melgaard’s voice—a smoky, weathered tenor, with hints of honey audibly seeping into the cracks of each croupy rasp.

Local Music Review: Hudson K

neely@metropulse.com (Jack Neely) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:42:00 -0000

Hudson K’s new album, Ouroboros and the Black Dove, marks a new turn for Knoxville’s most unusual duo. (Why, they don’t even have a guitar!)

Does the Audience Really Get the Satirical Thriller 'The Purge'?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:15:00 -0000

Sometimes the reaction to a movie is more interesting than the movie itself. Such is the case with The Purge, the futuristic home-invasion tale from writer/director James DeMonaco, which set a record last weekend when it grossed $36.4 million—a bigger opening than any other original, R-rated horror film to date.

Knoxville's People-Driven Public Art

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:14:00 -0000

There’s public art, and then there’s the art of the public, what might be called the people’s art—small neighborhood committees, less organized groups, or individuals acting alone, committing random acts of art in unexpected places. It springs up despite a lack of funding. Small grants are scraped together. Fund-raisers are held, volunteers give their time and energy, college students experiment.

The Fall's Recent Winning Streak Comes to an End With Lackluster 'Re-Mit'

everettm@metropulse.com (Matthew Everett) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:08:00 -0000

The Fall is a paradox, remarkable as much for its consistency—the British band has released an album every year or two for more than three decades, dating all the way back to 1979’s Live at the Witch Trials—as for its wide-ranging sonic unpredictability.

Clang Went the Trolley: Knoxville's Terrain Remains a Barrier to Tying Downtown Together

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:53:00 -0000

In another setting, walking the less than a mile from the riverfront to the Old City would be a leisurely stroll. But making that trek can feel more like a hike.

LAKE LIFE CALENDAR: JUNE 13-23

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:52:00 -0000

Events happening on or near Knoxville-area lakes and rivers.

Joe Evans at the Last Chance: One or Two Pieces in the Puzzle of an Obscure Blues Duo

neely@metropulse.com (Jack Neely) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:51:00 -0000

In 1991, Document Records released a 20-side compilation of the 1927 and 1931 recordings of an unusual country-blues group called The Two Poor Boys. Their real names were Joe Evans and Arthur McClain.

Letter: At What Cost Boom?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:49:00 -0000

Gross: When President Obama ran for his second term, he campaigned on an “all of the above” energy policy.

Letter: Knoxville's a Beaut

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:48:00 -0000

Totten: Let’s all “do the right thing” and make Knoxville the city that complements the natural beauty of our area.

What Are Core Values? We Face a Battle Over the Future of Education in Tennessee

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:46:00 -0000

Gov. Bill Haslam’s education reforms hit a couple of speed bumps this past legislative session, but his reforms may hit a brick wall come next session.

Ho Hum Council Races

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:45:00 -0000

Do term limits, in reality, mean eight-year terms?

What Does Vacant Mean?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:44:00 -0000

The state constitution says the governor can appoint a judge to a vacant position. What’s a little sticky right now is what constitutes a vacant position.

Campaign Without a Candidate

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:43:00 -0000

An organization has been formed to find and support a candidate against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in next year’s Republican primary.

Marina Report: The Bamboo Bar at Fox Road Marina

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:42:00 -0000

If you grew up in the country or are lucky enough to have experienced rural living, then you may remember the joys of the little country store and grill that was like an oasis in the desert.

Oak Ridge's Young Activist Marcel Neergaard Gets State Rep. John Ragan's "Reformer of the Year" Honor Revoked

paige.huntoon@metropulse.com (Paige Huntoon) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:42:00 -0000

When Marcel Neergaard decided to start a petition calling for StudentsFirst—a national political action committee pursuing “transformative” school reforms—to revoke the “reformer of the year” honor it had awarded to Tennessee state Rep. John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) in April, he didn’t know what to expect. But he managed to get exactly what he sought, as Paige Huntoon reports.

Lady of the Lake: Get Hooked

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:39:00 -0000

Alright, so I’ve never been much of a “fisher woman,” but since I have written about a broad spectrum of water-related sports, I thought it was time to look at the fishing community as a water sport.