by Erin Broadley

Ghost towns have a bad reputation: Shop doors creak, saloons swirl with phantoms of unloved prostitutes, rotting jail cells are haunted by remorseless outlaws, and the dusty streets are patrolled by spirits of hardened deputies.

For some, ghost towns are merely creepy roadside attractions; for others they are American landmarks brimming with history’s shadows and latent inspiration. The abandoned mining settlement of Jerome, Arizona is one of the oldest and largest American ghost towns. Until recently, its roads lay ruined and its doors were boarded up. It quietly waited for some headstrong thrill-seeker to dust it off and polish its potential. Now a vibrant artist community, Jerome is the place that Maynard James Keenan calls home.

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by Laurelin

Relationships are funny. I remember thinking when I was dating my ex that two people couldn’t be more perfect for each other. I was so lucky to be with my best friend and I couldn’t imagine facing the world with anyone but him by my side. As time went on I think I realized that maybe that was part of our problem – maybe we were always just meant to be friends. The world started looking a little different to me when I finally pinpointed that what I had always viewed as one of our strengths was actually a fatal weakness.

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by Laurelin

Missy recently posted something on SuicideGirls that got me thinking. She asked us to make videos of how SG has changed our lives, what it meant to us and how it has shaped our pasts and futures. Even though I am not a Suicide Girl (not for lack of trying!), I couldn’t help but think back on everything that SG has brought to my life…

I remember the first time I ran across SuicideGirls like it was yesterday. It was 2005, and I was at Newbury Comics, happily clutching some Tori Amos CD singles and a pair of fuzzy leopard dice to hang from my review mirror. A book caught my eye. There was a topless girl with tiny black pigtails, looking quite surly staring back at me from the cover. “She’s adorable,” I thought. The inside pages carried a strong statement, one that is captivating to alternative women of all ages, races and body types. Most of us have spent our entire lives feeling like we don’t belong. These girls looked like they didn’t fit in either. They were covered in tattoos, some had pink hair, others seemed to have more metal than skin – but in that, they were perfect. And naked. In front of everyone!

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by Blogbot

This Sunday (Feb 27th) SG Radio’s very special guest will be Bay Area folk rock singer/songwriter Garrett Pierce. In town for a March 2nd Silverlake Lounge show, he’ll be playing songs live in-studio from his forthcoming album, City of Sand.

Taking SG Radio’s carefully cultivated ‘bring-a-bottle’ vibe to the next level, Garrett- who also happens to be a wine expert – will be pairing his rustic yet sophisticated, fresh and zesty songs with wines that best express his music, and will be leading a tasting live on air between songs.

We’ve posted the tasting menu below, so you can purchase the wine (or similar finds) ahead of the show and join in the fun at home!

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by Laurelin

The idea: Seven days of sobriety. This might not sound like a big deal to you guys, so imagine it this way: comparatively, I might as well be asking you 9-5ers for a week without coffee, or a week without food. Beer is my friend, my evening companion, my job and my love. My friends and I rarely have a night out without it and never a shift at work without serving it. Lucky for me, the night that my beloved Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl, beer and I spent a bit too much time together, and I was more willing than ever to give Sober Week a try. Here’s what happened.

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by Laurelin

Boston is one of the oldest cities in the entire United States. Boasting such a long history one can’t help but feel proud as a resident to be a part of something that just feels… bigger. But let’s focus on what’s really important. Take a seat Tea Party, because Boston is also home to some of the best dive bars on the East Coast. There are really too many to name, but these are my favorites: Boston’s Top Five. I wish I didn’t have to choose, but let’s be honest, no one wants to read a novel dictated by my liver, and man, mine is really starting to hurt. If there is any special mention to be had, it’s to my research team: Lindsay, Meg, Dave and Sara, this is for you guys.

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by Ryan Stewart

“Making wine… it just went from obscurity to sexy.”
– Jody Savin

It’s commonly referred to as the “Judgment of Paris,” a blind wine tasting staged thirty-two years ago that pitted a number of French reds and whites against some upstart competitors from California’s Napa Valley. The organizer of the event, a British wineshop proprietor named Steven Spurrier, made no secret of his belief in the superiority of the French labels and was shocked (as was the whole wine world) when the results came back and Napa had bested all competitors.

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