Fans rejoice for late STS9 addition at HG

To the dismay of Sound Tribe Sector 9 fans, their original spring tour dates did not include Burlington. Then, on Valentine’s Day the members of Sound Tribe—the nickname for instrumental post-rock dance group STS9—announced that they didn’t think they were going to see enough smiling faces on their tour.  

BoomBox live

The Cynic catches up with Russ Randolph and Zion Rock Godchaux of BoomBox in anticipation of their SpringFest show.

Díaz visits UVM

With the same straight-forward and honest wit recognizable in his writing, author Junot Díaz read from his latest collection of short stories, “This Is How You Lose Her,” and provided unconventional insight to a UVM community of artists and admirers April 22.

Slow Magic: an imaginary show

With only a handful of people aware of his true identity, Slow Magic performed with El Ten Eleven in Burlington for his first time at Signal Kitchen March 17.

Rap duo ascends stairs

LA-based hip-hop duo People Under the Stairs—made up of MCs Thes One and Double K—as been shaking up the underground hip-hop scene for the last 10-plus years now and it doesn’t look like they are going to be packing it in any time soon.  

An 'intricate puzzle'

'Mad Men': Ep. 4

“To Have and To Hold” is a curious thing; it’s one of the most plot oriented episodes of the show in quite some time, pushing storylines forward in a fast and frenzied manner. 

Behind the Bible Camp Sleepovers

The Cynic met up with Bible Camp Sleepover members Willoughby, Erin and Tom to discuss the band’s origins as well as what they have in store for SpringFest 2013. 

First-year to play SpringFest

Will Overman may be a first-year student at UVM, but his background as an artist and a performer is marked by years of experience and dedication. 

Kung Fu's funky return

With the Burlington music scene electrified for the 4/20 cohesion of Twiddle and Kung Fu, the Cynic caught up with keyboardist Todd Stoops to talk about being on the road, how close is “too close,” what the future holds and how the name “Kung Fu” developed.

Inside the underground

From packing basement shows at house parties to playing venues such as Higher Ground, Burlington-based bands and DJs have been attempting to find their way above ground.

Boards become art for a cause

Students curate local art show

Art enthusiasts and fellow shredders, students Timothy Andreasen and Brandon Sauer, have combined their passions into a unique idea with a community-driven cause: Art on Board. 

Shocks continue

'Game of Thrones': Ep. 3

“Game of Thrones” constantly builds us up to a point where we find nothing shocking. Where we feel we’ve seen every scandalous or violent thing possible. But then someone stumbles upon a giant swirl of decapitated horses and the show tops itself once again. 

Minetti Quartett puts on impressive show

Concert Review

Minetti Quartett charged the UVM Music Building Recital Hall with incredible energy on Sunday, April 7 as a part of the Lane Series’ 2012-2013 performance season.

Bonobo's return: 11 years in the making

Simon Green discusses latest album and tour

The iconic electronic composer behind the down-tempo sounds of Bonobo–Simon Green–is at it again.  

Cleaning up the Dirty Projectors

Lead singer chats with the Cynic

The Cynic chatted with David Longstreth—lead singer and creative force behind the band—to talk about the recording process, what the touring lifestyle is like and the surprising influence of Lil Wayne on their style.

DRK Productions celebrates three years

Electronic music, glow sticks and about 125 guests in costumes inspired the formation of a productions company three years ago at a downtown Burlington house party.

'The Doorway:' Ghosts in the machine

Mad Men: Season Six

“The Doorway,” the two-hour premiere of “Mad Men’s” penultimate and sixth season, is cinematic in structure, somber in tone and pitch-black in subject material.

GZA at Higher Ground: 'What hip-hop is about'

Concert Review

New York-based hip-hop collective RATKING opened for Wu Tang Clan’s leader GZA on the first leg of their five show New England tour together on Thursday, March 28 at the Higher Ground Ballroom.

Comedian Erik Griffen brings edgy act to UVM

Entertains student crowd for April Fool's Day

When comedian Erik Griffin isn’t playing the sex-crazed co-worker Montez Walker on the hit TV series “Workaholics,” you can probably catch him doing some quality stand up.

Arts Initiative works displayed in L/L

'Sometimes I Feel Like a Cloud' exhibit showcases work of student artists

The advent of spring leads us into a season filled with muddy boots, rambunctious birds and the installment of new student art in the Living/Learning gallery.  

'Game of Thrones' starts strong

The Cynical TV Review

The third season of “Game of Thrones,” possibly the most ardently and passionately followed series on television, premiered this week with the excellent “Valar Dohaeris.” 

Kubrick's legacy

The Cynical Viewer

Stanley Kubrick was a brilliant artist, writer, producer and director who was initially rejected by America for his edginess yet stand as a powerful American figure in the history of film. 

Exicision executes forceful show

In the music world, the past couple of years have been exciting for electronic music fans.  

Best Concert Venue: Nectar's

Best of Burlington

Founded in 1975, Nectar’s has been providing the Burlington area with food, beer, and most importantly, music for the past 38 years.

Best Art Gallery: Fleming Museum

Best of Burlington

Boasting a collection of over 25,000 objects and nine annual special exhibitions, it’s no wonder that UVM’s Fleming Museum was voted the best art gallery in Burlington.

An inside look: Higher Ground

To get an inside look as to how the venue has come into its own over the years, the Cynic sat down with Higher Ground co-owner Kevin Statesir in an interview that sheds light onto the past, present, and future of this concert hotspot.   

Two-person student team curates community art project 'Alive' in DC

Inspired by the gallery “Run” showcased at local restaurant Penny Cluse, two Davis Center curators have brought a community art project of their own to campus.

Ten Vermont bands you shouldn't miss

Burlington is known for its local music scene. Here are 10 bands you shouldn't miss.

Circa Survive and Minus the Bear hit HG stage

Fans in flannels of every color gathered at Higher Ground last Thursday to hear co-headliners Circa Survive and Minus the Bear perform two very different sounding sets. 

UVM alum band Kloptoscope on the rise

Kloptoscope is truly a homegrown band.  An on-the-rise electronic rock group, Kloptoscope was formed in Burlington, VT and features five UVM graduates.

Joffrey Ballet impresses

Hailed as “America’s Company of Firsts,” which includes the first dance company to appear on television, perform at the White House, visit Russia and the only one to grace the cover of TIME magazine, it could be said The Joffrey Ballet was overdue for its first performance at the Flynn.

Signal Kitchen upgrading

Downtown venue to make live streaming easier

Equal parts music venue, production house, art gallery and recording studio, Signal Kitchen has the unique ability to host shows then share the live experience through its media platforms.

A 'finale' review

The Cynical TV Review: 'Girls'

This week’s episode of “Girls” marks the end of one of the most narratively choppy seasons for a comedy in quite a while. 

'Amok' a success

The Cynical Listener

I have grown to become weary whenever the term “supergroup”—a band composed of musicians who have achieved fame through their own respective bands—is thrown around in today’s music scene. 

This Week in Arts

March 22-28

This Week in Arts highlights upcoming events at UVM and in the Burlington community. Sarah Sickle provides her recommendations for local concerts.

MGMT to headline SpringFest

UVM is about to be shocked by an electric eel: MGMT is headlining SpringFest 2013. Set to take place April 27, Burlington will be the second stop for MGMT’s 2013 spring tour. MGMT rose to fame in 2008 with their first LP “Oracular Spectacular,” which featured the hit singles “Electric Feel,” “Time to Pretend” and “Kids.

Robot and human actors share the stage at Flynn

On Feb. 21 and 22, the Flynn Space opened its small stage for both human and robotic actors alike as part of a collaborative performance between the Seinendan Theater Company and Osaka University Robot Theater Project. 

UVM DJs sparking BTV

Most UVM students have a hard enough time balancing extracurriculars along with their studies.

Visitor brings the blues

UVM’s Recital Hall was packed from front to back with music fans of all ages Friday Feb. 22. An anticipatory hush came over the audience and the stage illuminated as all eyes were transfixed on the man seated before them, blues player and guitar virtuoso Corey Harris.

The Oscars: a film lover's plea

I am almost done with the Oscars and if you like film, and are interested in preserving one of history’s greatest artistic mediums, I think you should be too. 

Music after radio

The invention of the radio was a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of the music industry. 

Girls Gossip: a review of Ep. 19

For those still questioning after a season and a half of “Girls,” this week’s episode —appropriately titled “On All Fours”—proves that constant discomfort can still be entertainment.  We get to see Shoshana’s zany hairstyles. She somehow was able to top last week’s Zenon-esque braid rope with a hair donut just above her forehead; perhaps a result of her new foray into adultery.

Art of 'gloving' no stranger to controversy

Despite having its roots on the west coast, the seven-year old art form called “gloving” has become a common sight in the Burlington night scene that some students have quickly made their own. 

High Trash

Rethinking trashy art and sustainability

Last Fall, the University issued a campus-wide ban on the sale of bottled water, ushered in by student activists and celebrated with the installation of a Davis Center arbor constructed entirely of plastic bottles.  

Aesop rocks HG crowd

The lights dimmed down low as DJ Big Wiz took his place behind the mixing table against the back wall of the Higher Ground stage Feb. 15. The projection screen backdrop lit up as the words “Aesop Rock” were scrawled out in red. The crowd roared; For many fans, this show had been a long time coming.

The Cynical Listener

Foxygen creates nostalgiac gems

Foxygen, a Los Angeles-based songwriting duo, is comprised of longtime friends who have produced countless EPs of ranging quality and sound beginning in their early teenage years.  

The Cynical Viewer

Murray love in Hyde Park

If I had a time machine I would love to walk onto the set of SNL in 1977 and tell a young, mustached, up-and-coming Bill Murray that in 36 years he would play the U.S. president in a Golden Globe- nominated role just to see his reaction. 

A Valentine’s Day playlist

So you want to have a magical Valentine’s Day with your significant other, but you don’t know what music to play? I’ll set you right.

Papadosio unfiltered

Anthony Thogmartin (vocals), Mike Healy (drums), Rob McConnel (bass) and brothers Billy and Sam Brouse (keyboard/synthesizer), have all come together to create a unique melding of elemental instrumentation and other-worldy electronics.

Five films to touch your heart

Let’s face it: Valentine’s Day isn’t for everyone. It’s a hard pill to swallow no matter your status, and if you’re alone on V-Day, it’s even harder. But that’s where the magic of movies comes in. 

Five tender raps

Away from the commercialized radio party songs, there is a softer side to this traditionally hyper- masculine music. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I would like to share with you five of my favorite rap songs about love. 

This Week in Arts

Feb. 14 - 19

  This Week in Arts highlights upcoming events at UVM and in the Burlington community. Sarah Sickle provides her recommendations for local concerts. Thursday Feb. 14 Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band Higher Ground, 7:30 p.m. $17/20 It’s Valentines Day, and you can all back off because Josh is my date.

Inside the lotus flower: EOTO

Electronic improv duo brings their unique show to Higher Ground

  The creative energy from the String Cheese Incident’s drummers Michael Travis and Jason Hann has truly taken flight in the duo’s band EOTO.  This completely improvisational project combines organic instrumentation with electronic beats and bass.

Joan Watson at L/L

Red-brown terra-cotta collects on the floor of the L&L Pottery Studio as Joan Watson trims a plate; a plate that will help construct the final ceramic sculpture in Watson’s first solo ceramic installation in over 30 years, “Assemble, Disassemble, Reappear.

Top films of 2012

You may be asking yourself, why is this list coming out in February? The answer is because many great films opened in limited release in 2012, and I had to wait until now to watch some of them. I feel that I have now consumed enough cinema necessary to create a well-informed list.

Girls, Girls, Girls: A review of Ep. 2

A man, his guitar, and a modified suitcase kick-drum: these are the basic components that comprise Alejandro Rose-Garcia’s musical act, more commonly known as Shakey Graves.  It doesn’t seem like much, but Garcia is the ideal example of an artist who is able to accomplish a lot with so little.

Shakey Graves an unheralded gem

  A man, his guitar, and a modified suitcase kick-drum: these are the basic components that comprise Alejandro Rose-Garcia’s musical act, more commonly known as Shakey Graves.  It doesn’t seem like much, but Garcia is the ideal example of an artist who is able to accomplish a lot with so little.

Big Gigantic's big return

  From music festivals to indoor venues, Big Gigantic has been filling crowds with electronic euphoria since 2009. The duo has a jam band and jazzy musical vibe while also hugging the sounds of synthesizers and a thumping bass.  Big Gigantic is set to return to Higher Ground Feb.

The Cynic goes Creeking, finds a Phish

Max Creek is a versatile jam band that began in the early 70s and has continued to grow and make music for the last 40 years.

Film uncovers the body

The 2012-2013 UVM Film Series: The Body in Film premiered Jan. 24 with a showing of surrealist writer/director Darren Aronofsky’s “The Fountain.”  

"Gangster Squad" ain't 'G'

“Gangster Squad” is a newly released action-crime drama by Ruben Fleischer, director of “Zombieland.”

Lotus kicks off tour at Higher Ground

Back in 1999 Lotus formed at a small liberal arts school in Indiana. The original members were twin brothers Jesse and Luke Miller, Mike Greenfield and Mike Rempel. Then in 2001, they added Chuck Morris to the mix.

Jeff Buckley, a retrospective

I’ve heard many times that it’s better to burn out than to fade away.  That is all well and good, but what of those who never had the chance to do either?

The Oscar's masterful snub

The Academy Award nominations were announced two weeks ago, and another year brings  another collection of non-shockers: “Lincoln,” “Les Miserables,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Amour” and “Argo” lead a group of strong contenders, while mildly surprising choices like “Life of Pi,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and “Django Unchained” finish the list.

Psytrance duo infects Higher Ground

  Burlington is a city known for its wide variety of personalities. Concert venue Higher Ground does its best to bring in acts that are most attractive to this eclectic community and hit the mark with singular act Infected Mushroom. Burlington’s experimental music lovers welcomed Infected Mushroom to the stage on Saturday Jan.

Kendrick Lamar rises above

  Kendrick Lamar came into the limelight of the hip-hop world last year with his excellent sophomore mixtape, “Section.80.”  His endlessly inventive style on tracks like “Rigamortis” and “HiiiPoWer” raised the expectations for his major label debut “good kid, m.

This Week in Arts

Jan. 18 - 24

    This Week in Arts highlights upcoming events at UVM and in the Burlington community. Sarah Sickle provides her recommendations for local concerts. Friday  Quiet Lion  Radio Bean 11 p.m. Quiet Lion is a Tommy Alexander project that I’ve grown pretty fond of.

Student dance talent showcased

As the lights dimmed in the Patrick Gym Dance Studio last Saturday, Dec. 1, the crowd grew silent. All eyes intently watched the floor, eager for the Orchesis Dance Company’s Fall Showcase to begin.

Orchesis, from the Greek word meaning “to dance,” is one of UVM’s premier student-run dance clubs. 

Musician Spotlight: Eric George

Recent UVM graduate Eric George, class of 2012, describes himself as being in a marriage between love and music. 

“I used to go by a different name before college,” he said. “But now, entertaining is fundamentally and quintessentially my life.” 

"Witches" a refreshing fantasy novel

While the fantasy world is still rocking from the Twilight phenomenon, one author is attempting to bring adult contemporary fantasy novels back.

Deborah Harkness, with her debut novel and New York Times bestseller “A Discovery of Witches,” is poised to return fantasy to an adult audience.

Grateful Dead’s music still alive

  Over the past 15 years, Dark Star Orchestra has been recreating the Grateful Dead experience for Deadheads across the nation.  By using the same type of sound equipment, the same types of instruments, the same stage positions and even the same set lists, this cover band gives audiences the whole experience of an original Grateful Dead show.

G. Love & Special Sauce mix it up

As Garrett Dutton, known by his stage name G. Love, and his accompanying band Special Sauce walked onto the Higher Ground stage on Friday, Nov. 9, the crowd members of the packed ballroom united in applause, anticipating an evening full of blues music and some good old-fashioned grooving.

Top five albums of the year

It’s that time of the year again: snow is falling, UVM students are slipping and sliding to class, Christmas is around the corner and it’s finally time to start putting a wrap on this crazy year of 2012.  For many, the end of the year is a time for reflection.

Film adaptation of ‘Perks’ holds up to the novel

  In addition to appearances on best-seller lists, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky, has appeared consistently on the American Library Association (ALA) list of banned and challenged books since its publication by MTV in 1999.  According to the ALA, “Perks” was one of the top 10 most challenged books for offensive language, references to drug usage, homosexuality, suicide, sexually explicit language and unsuitability for its age group in 2004 and from 2006-2009.

This Week in Arts

  This Week in Arts highlights upcoming events at UVM and in the Burlington community. Sarah Sickle provides her recommendations for local concerts. Friday  Pacifica Quartet UVM Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m., $15 for students The Alex Lee Project  Radio Bean, 10 p.

Mission South heads North

UVM graduate takes band to Red Square

  Sometimes looking back to the past can lead to the most perceptive looks forward. Washington, D.C. based band Mission South stands on the shoulders of rock and blues giants to create a sound all their own. With a strong gravely vocals, powerful bluesy guitar riffs and a keen knowledge of what makes rock music great, Mission South seems poised to take off in the music scene.

Debussy at 150

Series highlights Impressionism

  One hundred and fifty years after Claude Debussy’s birth, musicians and audiences are still captivated by the composer’s brilliant and innovative body of work. In celebration of Debussy’s immense impact on the modern era, the Music and Literature Series is hosting a concert in the Music Building Recital Hall on Thursday, Nov.

'Lonerism' Casts a Hypnotic Spell

The Cynical Listener

  Comparing a band to the Beatles is not something to take lightly. It’s rare to read a review calling a new band Beatles-esque because, let’s face it: few bands can replicate their mastery of the pop song, let alone the enormous influence they had on both music and popular culture.

This Week in Arts

  This Week in Arts highlights upcoming events at UVM and in the Burlington community. Sarah Sickle provides her recommendations for local concerts. Friday  Oct. 26 Hair Down Radio Bean, 8 p.m. Hair Down is a duo comprised of Burlington singer/songwriters Joe Adler and Samara Lark.

Cellist lights up the Lane Series

  The University of Vermont presented Zoë Keating, a Canadian born and classically trained cellist, at the UVM Recital Hall Oct. 12 as part of the Lane Series.  Keating has pioneered a musical career in merging classical cello music with electronic styled looping techniques.

Flobots take a stand

Denver band spits politically charged game

  Since politics and music first mixed, generation after generation of artists have voiced discontent and frustration towards the state of global political affairs. Prominent within these musical revolutionaries is the Denver-based alternative rock/hip-hop band Flobots.

This Week in Arts

  This Week in Arts highlights upcoming events at UVM and in the Burlington community. Sarah Sickle provides her recommendations for local concerts. Thursday Something with Strings Red Square, 7 p.m., 21+ Something with Strings is a fantastic local bluegrass band with a strong folk-rock influence.

Inside the mind: Wolfgang Gartner

  Over the course of just a few years, Wolfgang Gartner – the stage name of producer and DJ Joey Youngman – has become a prominent figure in the house music scene. As an ambitious artist with an innovative sound and unmatched work ethic, his recent success in the music world should come as no surprise.

Transcending barriers

Panel discusses women’s role in theatre

  On Oct. 19, the stage at the Royall Tyler Theatre was occupied by a row of American women for the UVM panel Women in Theatre: Transcending Barriers. The women occupied a variety of theater production roles: lighting, direction and playwriting.  Keynote speaker Paula Vogel, playwright of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning play and current UVM production, “How I Learned to Drive,” also joined the panel.

Fleming hosts poets

  UVM’s Fleming Museum hosted its first reading of this semester’s Painted Word poetry series on Wednesday, Sept. 26. The poets highlighted were Cathy Park Hong and Neil Shepard. Hong has three published books of poetry: “Translating Mo’um,” “Dance Dance Revolution” and “Engine Empire.

Flying Lotus’ latest album dives into the dreamland

  There are few experiences that we as humans know so little about than our dreams. They frighten us, provoke us, entertain us and, perhaps most often, confound us.  We all have them, yet no one can really say why we do. It’s a topic singular in its universality and straight up strangeness.

Dug Nap hosts local Poe Jam

BCA creates unique venue

  The Poe Jam is an open mic night held every other Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m. on the second floor of the Burlington City Arts (BCA) center.  Local visual artist and songwriter Dug Nap hosts the jam. Everything from spoken word poetry to music is fair game for those willing to step up to the mic.

Matt & Kim take on Higher Ground

Brooklyn duo bring rambunctious, upbeat style to Burlington

  Matt and Kim burst onto the music scene in 2006 with their self-titled album. The duo from Brooklyn brought a rambunctious and upbeat style that quickly caught the ear of many indie listeners.  By 2009, their sophomore album “Grand” had produced many smash hits – most notably the incessantly cheery anthem “Daylight” – and brought the duo into the national spotlight.

Female writers highlighted

Flynn Center gallery hosts annual Book Festival

  As part of the eighth annual Burlington Book Festival, Alison Bechdel, Madeleine Kunin and Tanya Lee Stone sat in on the Vermont Women Writers Panel to talk about their experiences as women in the publishing and writing world on Sept. 23. The Flynn Center’s Amy E.

This Week in Live Music

  Friday, Sept. 28, Swale’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebration at Radio Bean, 7 p.m. Whether Swale is celebrating their front couple’s wedding anniversary or their anniversary as a band, this show is going to be nothing short of a riot.  Affectionately known in my mind for their mash-up of “Bitches Ain’t Shit” (Dr.

‘Beauty Queens’ proves ugly read

  Author Libba Bray became widely popular with her first published work, The Gemma Doyle Trilogy.  Since the trilogy concluded in 2007, Bray has published three more novels – “Going Bovine” in 2009, “Beauty Queens” in 2011 and “The Diviners” in 2012, none of which have had the success of her first three books.

Burlington waterfront brought to life

Grand Point North Festival celebrates local music, food and culture

  The Grand Point North Festival rocked the waterfront on Friday, Sept. 14 and Saturday, Sept. 15.  Friday’s lineup consisted of Toothache, Brenda Ryan Power, Heliose and the Savoir Faire, Rich Robinson, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Dr. Dog and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

Local studios open doors to eager viewers

First Friday Art Walk showcases wide range of local art and music downtown

  Friday, Sept. 7 marked the beginning of Burlington’s monthly Art Walks. Over 50 studios in the downtown Burlington area opened their doors to the public, displaying a variety of mediums and expressing a wide range of creativity.  Local bands and food vendors lined the sides of Main Street, fueling an energetic atmosphere while Art Hop participants “hopped” from door to door.

This Week in Live Music

Burlington's local music scene brought to light

  Friday, Sept. 21: APR at Red Square, 5 p.m. Boston-based singer/songwriter and UVM alumus Andrew Parker-Regna has made it back to Burlington for a happy hour show at Red Square. Parker-Regna’s blues and pop blends will have you hooked in a heartbeat, and his energetic stage presence is infectious.

FallFest 2012 brings rap’s next big thing to UVM

  I know this is a music column, but please bear with me while I throw a little math at you – A$AP Rocky + Schoolboy Q + Danny Brown = the next big thing in rap.  Ergo, FallFest 2012 = A must see. It’s math, so you know it has to be true, right?  “But Dillon,” you say, “you didn’t use any numbers.

Ceramic masterpieces on display

‘An outgrowth of nature’ celebrates work of Toshiko Takaezu

  A dozen sculptures by Japanese-American artist Toshiko Takaezu are on display at the Fleming Museum’s Wolcott Gallery until Sept. 12.  Inspired groupings of Takaezu’s vessels are coupled with poetry from Buddhist nun Otagaki Rengetsu. Takaezu’s unique ceramic forms are an artistic inquisition as to where the line between functionality and sculpture exists.

This Week in Live Music

Burlington's Local Music Scene Brought to Light

  Friday, Sept. 14: Grand Point North Festival, Day One. Gates at 4 p.m. If you’re still wondering who Grace Potter is and what all the hype is about, now is the time to find out. Friday kicks off her second annual Grand Point North Festival on the waterfront.

The xx evades sophomore album slump

  Few debut albums have taken over the music industry quite like 2009 effort “xx” by British band The xx.  Between going platinum in the United Kingdom, winning the prestigious Mercury Music Prize for best UK album, being featured in seemingly every other commercial and receiving millions upon millions of YouTube views, “xx” created a massive wake in the contemporary music scene.

Animal Collective Rewinds

  Over the past 10 years, few bands have been as consistently great, unique and, perhaps most notably, divisive, as the Baltimore-based group Animal Collective.  Their newest album, “Centipede Hz” – released on Sept. 3 – is the latest in a long line of psychedelic noise-pop that has captured the alternative music scene.

SEABA hosts 20th art hop

Pine Street comes to life

  The South End Arts and Business Association (SEABA) is putting on its 20th South End Art Hop from Friday, Sept. 7 to Sunday, Sept. 9.  Artist studios and local businesses around Pine Street will host the three-day event and display the artistic creations of over 500 participating artists.

This Week in Live Music

Burlington’s local music scene brought to light

    Thursday, Sept. 6, The Amida Bourbon Project and Mildred Moody at Summervale The lineup includes two of Burlington’s best musicians, Aya Inoue and Scott Mangan. Inoue has toured nationally and internationally as a solo artist and with her band The Amida Bourbon Project, most often accompanied by lead guitar player Matt Harpster.

This Week in Live Music

Burlington local music scene brought to light

  Thursday, Aug. 30: Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band. Radio Bean. 11 p.m. $3. Kat Wright is a sweetheart, but the girl knows how to get down and dirty in her weekly residency at the Radio Bean. Wright sings the blues with heart, and if you’ve never heard her and her band, it’s a Burlington must-see.

Champlain fair, national flare

Crowd drawn from 40 states

  The Champlain Valley Fair is “the 10 best days of summer” according to their website.  Located at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, the fair began Aug. 25 and will be going on until Sept. 3.  The fair is open from 10 a.m.

Screenwriter produces disappointing first novel

  Screenwriter David H. Steinberg tries his hand at young adult fiction with his debut novel “Last Stop This Town.”  Steinberg has written scripts for movies like Slackers, National Lampoon’s Barely Legal and several films in the American Pie series, and his lack of experience writing fiction is very apparent in this book.

The buzz on Bonnaroo

  As the metaphorical sun sets on the summer of 2012, the season of music festivals comes to an end. With festivals gaining more popularity each year, making the annual pilgrimage to a summer music festival has become somewhat of a tradition, especially among the students of a music loving campus like UVM.