Categories
Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Mimi McLaughlin of Magnolia Collective

 

photo by Mike Benson

What happens when members of Gambling the Muse, The Pnuerotics, Whiskey Smugglers and Red Collar come together? Sadly, “dance-off” is the wrong answer. Fortunately, Magnolia Collective isn’t. Coalescing their talent and love of Americana music, Daniel Snyder, Rich McLaughlin, Jason Butler, Zach Terry, Mimi McLaughlin, Jonathan Truesdale, and Andrew Mayo have formed an all-star folk rock revue of “bootgazers.”

They’ll celebrate the release of their debut EP Ghost Stories this Saturday, Dec 3rd at the Local 506. So sure, they’re off to a good start, but can one of their own survive our five-question beatdown first? See for yourself after the jump.

Categories
almanac

ROSS’S ALMANAC

Compiled by Kirk Ross

The wintry west extends his blast / And hail and rain does blaw
— Robert Burns, Winter: A Dirge

The Winter Solstice slips in Dec. 22 this year at 30 minutes past midnight. The best thing you can say about the onset of winter is that the steady loss of daylight comes to an end. The first day of winter, you see, is a happy moment — for the days grow longer from then on. Unfortunately, that means a long journey into night through the better part of December. So take your Vitamin D and run outside in midday as often as possible. Sunlight is precious. Savor it. Oh, and bundle up.

Dec. 1 – Sunrise: 7:07 a.m.; Sunset: 5:02 p.m.
Dec. 30 – Sunset: 7:26 a.m.; Sunset: 5:12 p.m.

Moon Phases
First Quarter – Dec. 2 Full Moon – Dec. 10
Last Quarter – Dec. 17 New Moon — Dec. 24

The Full Moon in December is the Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Frost Moon, Winter Moon and Long Night’s Moon (you catching the theme here?).

Planets & Stars: Venus rules the morning sky while Jupiter rules the night. The month is also another big one for meteor showers. The Geminids burst out of Gemini around the 14th and the Ursids can be found near the Little Dipper around Dec. 22. And since it will be winter, check out the Winter Triangle — Betelgeuse, Procyon and Sirius — near Orion.

December is Bingo Month, Universal Human Rights Month and, according to The Onion, National Awareness Month.

Significant Dates
• Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day and Rosa Parks Day
• Dec. 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• National Cookie Day is Dec. 4
• Bill of Rights Day is Dec. 15
• National Maple Syrup Day is Dec. 17
• Chanukah begins on Dec. 21
• National Egg Nog Day is Dec. 24
• Christmas Day is Dec. 25
• Dec. 26 is Boxing Day and the start of Kwanzaa

For more of Ross’s Almanac, please visit rossalmanac.com/journal

Categories
Featured

Holiday spirit

Maybe you’re not the first one to start caroling, or maybe you just hate eggnog. Perhaps it’s the commercialism of it all that brings you down, or maybe you’re so over the tacky Christmas sweater parties.

Categories
Featured

FAUNA: The uninvited guest

by Mary Parker Sonis

You don’t have to travel to Madagascar to find one of nature’s most unusual mammals. In fact, this bizarre creature can be found rummaging through your trashcan, taking up residence in your garage or boldly walking into your kitchen to cadge a treat from the cat food bowl.

Categories
Featured

A mutually rewarding publishing experience

by Vicky Dickson

In 2007, Elizabeth Woodman was looking into starting a publishing company.

Categories
Featured The Eater

THE EATER: Food of the Year

by Kirk Ross

It’s midway through feasting season and you’re thumbing through the end-of-the-year edition of MILL. That means it’s time for The Eater’s annual Food of the Year Award.

Categories
Featured

CAUGHT ON FILM

Actor-Writer-Director Profile: Clark Gregg
by Margot C. Lester

Former Chapel Hillian Clark Gregg is on the TV a lot right now. The New Adventures of Old Christine is now in syndication, and he and his wife, last season’s Dancing with the Stars champion Jennifer Grey, co-star in Road to Christmas, a Lifetime movie in heavy rotation during the holidays.

Categories
Featured Food

TASTE OF THE TOWN

Provence

Born and raised in the Provence region of southeastern France, Felix Roux has been developing his culinary art since the age of 16, when he began his apprenticeship with his father at the Jane Madeleine Restaurant.

Categories
Featured Food

HOP LINE: Winter Beers

By Evan Crouch

An Expression of Holiday Cheer
The holidays are upon us once again. For many, this time of year brings back fond memories of time spent with loved ones, family traditions and good food, drink and cheer.

Categories
Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Alex Maiolo of Fan Modine

Orchestral, alt-pop wiz Gordon Zacharias of Fan Modine is at the great advantage of having a wealth of ideas and a deep bench of local talent at the ready to spin them into beautiful reality. The slow build of the band from solo project to collaborative crew has always depended on a collusion of whip-smart arrangements and passionate players.  Now having released a new hook-happy, texturally rich production, Gratitude for the Shipper, the band set to let that dynamic shine yet again.

So, sure, they’ve got a way with making music, but can guitarist Alex Maiolo handle our five questions? See for yourself after the jump.

Categories
Arts & Music

SPOTLIGHT: The Kingsbury Manx

The Kingsbury Manx. Photo by Ross Grady
Instead of waiting around for the sixth Kingsbury Manx album, due out early next year, get out of the house and get your fix at their Saturday, Nov. 19 show at Local 506.