
Columns
Letter from the Editor: Carnival Shoes
I came at Mardi Gras originally with the view of an outsider. We had family friends in the river parishes of South Louisiana that we visited every year of my childhood (usually in February) for…Read full article

Astrocreep: Tough Love
Greetings, fair creepoids. February brings with it both obstacles and blessings. Mercury goes into retrograde on the 6th. Many fear these periods for their disruptions in communication, travel, and technology. But they can also be…Read full article

Guidance Counseling: Ice Balloons
Ice Balloons are a collection of Brooklyn musicians, ranging from TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone to what the band bills simply as “a common fly.” Their self-titled album (available at iceballoons.bandcamp.com) features a cobra…Read full article

Red Light Fever: DJ Hunter King – Surf is his Turf
4 p.m. on Monday. You’re in your car, stuck in traffic heading home from work. The only thing keeping you from going completely insane is the playlist you put together the night before, cleverly titled…Read full article

Reality Bites: Whiskey State
Last month the President offered us his annual State of the Union address, which received predictably polarized reviews. While the tone of this installment was a touch more upbeat than in years past, I was…Read full article
Features

A Speck-Tacular Interview with Rachel Speck
I went to Mimi’s in the Marigny this past January because Rachel Speck is someone I respect: she is a fellow artist who is also a professional, full-time, certified, bona- fide teacher. I love the…Read full article

Not Enough! Fest Update
Not Enough! Fest is an annual music festival that showcases and supports new collaborative work by women, queer folks, and people of color. Last year was the first year for this festival in New Orleans,…Read full article

Mangos With Chili: Fragrance Free and Full of Prayer
Cherry Galette felt a surge of excitement when the van pulled up at JFK Airport for the start of her first tour with performance troupe Mangos with Chili. “It was like: Oh my god! This…Read full article

Post Modern, Post Coital with An Outopia for Pigeons
What do a pigeon fighting extinction, a panhandling sperm whale and Puritan minister Cotton Mather have in common? They all have a lot of sex with each other in the crazy surrealist world that is…Read full article

Jigglin’ with Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra may be best known for pioneering the West Coast political punk scene of the ‘80s with his band, Dead Kennedys, and his record label, Alternative Tentacles. However, his interests and activities throughout the…Read full article

Country Girl: An Interview with the Carolina Chocolate Drops’ Rhiannon Giddens
The Carolina Chocolate Drops appeared seemingly from the ether, a band of 20-something African-American kids from North Carolina who scored a Grammy nomination (and win) for Best Traditional Folk Album for their breakout LP, Genuine…Read full article

The Last Supper: Grab’n’Go Mardi Gras Edition
Anyone hosting a Mardi Gras party near a parade route is well aware of the many roles your home takes on: base station, rest stop, hospital, safe house. Likewise, a good Mardi Gras spread is…Read full article

Ladder Parents, Tear Down This Wall!
Forget the drunken tourist, the out- of-control fraternity bro, the creepy Rolling Elvi and the Bacchagator. The ladder parents are the most terrifying creatures at the parades. Krewes spend months planning and creating their floats…Read full article
Reviews // Photos // Comics

Reviews, February 2014
Books DALT WONK THE RIDDLES OF EXISTENCE (LUNA PRESS) You can choose to take playwright and poet Dalt Wonk’s latest, The Riddles of Existence, at face value and treat this oversized deck of cards as…Read full article