The Selfish Gene grabs Isthmus Band to Band Combat 2009 title Kenneth Burns on Friday 11/20/2009 12:04 pm, (1) Recommendation Sleek, solemn rock trio The Selfish Gene prevailed last night at the Frequency in the final round of Isthmus Band to Band Combat, the local-music contest staged by your favorite Madison alternative newsweekly. The runner-up was The Midwest Beat, the quartet whose brisk pop songs are drenched in Mersey Sound jangle. The winner was chosen by club patrons, who cast votes. >MoreTop Wisconsin beers to pair with your Thanksgiving meal Robin Shepard on Friday 11/20/2009 12:00 pm, (1) Comment, (3) Recommendations Beer and Thanksgiving are intrinsically linked in the settlement of this country -- the Pilgrims had beer on the Mayflower -- so why not serve local beers on your holiday table? Granted, it can be a challenge to find just the right beer(s) to go with the cornucopia of flavors found in a Thanksgiving feast, but try breaking down the meal with several beer options. >More
Rich white folks adopt a black football player in The Blind Side A giant in the family Kenneth Burns on Friday 11/20/2009 A great swath of American men might fall in love with Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, the generously entertaining movie about, among other things, the sweeping cultural phenomenon that is football in the South. She is beautiful. She is rich. She loves football. And she carries a gun. >MoreModern Skirts' keyboardy rock is Peach State-bred An Athens band, but with real Georgians Rich Albertoni on Friday 11/20/2009, (1) Comment The most famous bands that emerged from Athens, Ga., in the 1970s and 1980s defied the conventions of Southern rock. Then again, influential members of the B-52's and R.E.M. didn't grow up in the South. The B-52's' Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson grew up in New Jersey. R.E.M.'s Peter Buck was originally from California. Even Michael Stipe, who was born in Decatur, Ga., spent his childhood traveling the world with his military family. >More
A guide to Madison restaurant Thanksgivings Buffets celebrate plenty and provide plenty to celebrate Kristian Knutsen on Thursday 11/19/2009, (2) Recommendations Eating out for Thanksgiving is often dismissed as a betrayal of the holiday's central concept: the traditional home-cooked meal. But a visit to restaurants serving dinner on the big day reveals families celebrating and giving thanks nonetheless. >MoreMadame Fromage: Baked Miniature Pumpkins with Blue Cheese recipe Tenaya Darlington on Wednesday 11/18/2009 2:00 pm One of my favorite combinations at the Thanksgiving table is baked squash with some sort of savory stuffing. This year, I'm planning to adapt a Deborah Madison recipe that calls for cream, a leaf of sage, and a spoonful of Gruyere baked inside a mini pumpkin; instead of using Gruyere, I'm going to combine blue cheese with the cream, and a few cranks of black pepper. >More