Even I am not immune to the simple joy of spending an early summer afternoon blowing away milk jugs with a .44

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Temporal Things has some great photography up, including shots of Freedom Falls and this one, my favorite:


While you're at it, you should also check out her phenomenal band photography. I'm very jealous.

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A New Castle, PA area sketch group is seeking models for a Tuesday evening sketch group for semi clothed, 2 hours sessions on the the 17th of June and 1,15, 29 July. Please contact for further info.

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Gargoyle Entertainment is looking for zombie extras for their latest film 12/24 in Pittsburgh on Friday June 6th from 10am till ?. Email Anthony Colliano with a resume and headshot.

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The Grant Resource Center located in the Franklin Public Library now has a blog.

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The Pennsylvania Tourism people are looking for your PA hiking stories.

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The YA YA YAS is a young adult book blog.

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Free and Legal Downloads:

Martin Sexton Live at B&A Warehouse on February 8, 2001

Del McCoury Band Live at Allegany County Fairgrounds on May 24, 2008

Matisyahu Live at Wakarusa Music Festival on June 17, 2005

Franklin, PA native Mark McClusky taught himself how to play guitar by stealing an instruction book from the public library. As punk as that may sound, Come & Gone, the album he eventually created with the now defunct Lakeside Rebar, is Jayhawk-y Americana and now available in its entirety for download.

The Derrick examines Oil City Council's response to the idea of making support for the Arts Revitalization project vocal and official.

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Got too much time and money? The Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry is searching for an organization to take over the First Night New Year's Eve celebration.

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The Vindicator takes a look at the new exhibits at New Castle's Hoyt Institute featuring works by Sun Young Kang, Brenda Bates Clark, Michele Perelman and Jack Carlton through June 27.

And while we're talking about the Vindy, how about this headline,

"Oakland’s ‘Full Monty’: too long, but enjoyable"

I amuse me.

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Temporal Things blogger Ollie points the way towards The Black Oven, a blog that combines baking and black metal:

Despite their traditional significance, I consider red velvet cake to be one of the more menacing desserts. I assure you that lurking beneath the moist and dainty surface there is a wretched force to be reckoned with.

These confections are sinister entities, thinly veiled under a cloak of cream cheese innocence.

Deceptive, yet somehow charming, they will make you pray for Ragnarok.

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Threadless is now offering limited edition prints of some of their designs. Oh why, oh why must I be poor?

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Did you know Brother From Another Planet is in the Public Domain? I didn't either, but it is and you can watch it:

or download it. Free and legally, because that's how I roll.

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Fred Oakman, vocalist for Meadville's Signal Home, has developed a side solo project.

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Free and Legal Downloads

Robyn Hitchcock Live at Borders Books on November 2, 2004

...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead Live at Waterloo Records on March 28, 2005

Guster Live at Fenix Underground on March 11, 2000

Slippery Rock University is sponsoring a show of Marine Corps combat photographer Russell Lee Klika through Feb 14th.

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No more polaroids.

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Westmoreland County is the "Roswell of the East".

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Temporal Things is a blog run by a Venango Campus student and local hardcore fan (and fine photographer)

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The Westmoreland Museum of Art is hosting "Seeing the City: Sloan's New York," a traveling exhibition of 97 paintings, drawings and prints that present an in-depth view of John Sloan's years in the city and the city's effect on his art. I love Sloan's work and will probably make the drive down before it closes in April. The Butler Institute in Youngstown also has a couple of nice Sloan's including "Recruiting in Union Square":

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Speaking of Art, the Smithsonian is offering
A Thousand Kisses: Love Letters from the Archives of American Art. My Favorite? "I Went to Buy The Sunday Times":

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Free and Legal Downloads:

Dengue Fever
"Seeing Hands" (mp3)
"Tiger Phone Card" (mp3)
"Sober Driver" (mp3)
Buy at iTunes Music Store


American Music Club
"All My Love" (mp3)
"I Know That's Not Really You"
Buy at iTunes Music Store




Jason Collett
"Out Of Time" (mp3)
"Charlyn, Angel of Kensington" (mp3)


Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble
"Music for 18 Musicians" (mp3)
"Music for 18 Musicians" (mp3)
"Music for 18 Musicians" (mp3)


Vic Chesnutt Live at 40 Watt Club on February 2, 2008

Last year at about this time, I mentioned that if I didn't have restraints, I would have headed out to Calvin College's Festival of Faith and Music. Since then, I've noticed that Calvin actually does a number of really interesting thigns regarding faith and popular culture. I'm not prepared to wear a "Johnathan Edwards is my HomeBoy" But it's fascinating to see a faith based college approach the world in a very different way than say (ugh) Grove City College or Hillsdale.

There are a ton of good downloads from last year's festival including a Neko Case Interview, an Emmylou Harris interview, The Psalters "The Cry of the Exodus", and a Music Criticism Roundtable