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Vampires: Change Agents?

Each generation likes to think of itself as completely new and different from those that went before, but a glance at popular media raises the question: Are our monsters predictors of change?

The emptiness and superficiality that many people feel in modern life is a reflection of our world's materialism. We covet things because we have no "thing" with which to measure—or register—"true" value.

Felicia Tillman

"I have big, big, big faith," Felicia Tillman says. The 34-year-old Jackson native believes that becoming the author of two plays was a spiritual thing for her.

Show Some Love

If you have been reading my column for a while, you know a few things about me: I like records, sneakers, hip-hop, funk, reading and the occasional dose of rock 'n' roll. You also probably know that going to see live music is a huge part of my life.

Support Your Local (Mall) Record Store

At a New Year's Eve potluck, James Crow (aka Herbert Brown) told me a tale of buying records at the FYE music store at Northpark Mall. He captivated me with descriptions of full record bins loaded with new albums and re-releases of classics. He came home with A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders," among others.

Phantom Limb: Profane and Holy

Water Liars recorded its debut album, "Phantom Limb" (out now on Misra Records), in three days at drummer Andrew Bryant's home in Pittsboro, Miss., while singer/guitarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster was visiting for a long weekend.

Motorcar Man

If you've lived in the metro area for at least six months, then more than likely you've seen local singer/songwriter Larry Brewer's name pop up frequently in the JFP's music listings.

Wilco, ‘The Whole Love'

It should be evident to those of you who read my column that I am not a rock 'n' roll aficionado. I do not dislike the genre; I just need very little to sustain myself. I get all the rock I need from about a dozen bands taken in small doses.

Dreams Come True

"You can dream a little dream, or you can live a little dream, I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase, but never get it." —Aesop Rock, "No Regrets"

Blowing the Roof Off

Baby Jan Smith and Chalmers Davis joined forces in the spring after meeting and working with each other in the choir loft at Wells United Methodist Church. The two hit it off, and have been performing all over Jackson since mid-summer.

The Full Circle

He was a tall, kind of goofy-bumbling-professor type who was nice to me, even though I was there to whisk his daughter away. We did not get much time to talk and get to know each other on this first meeting, as is to be expected given the circumstances. I learned a lot about Charles that day, however, when Catherine took me to the den saying, "You've got to check this out."

The Search is Over

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 21, the normally "reserved and nonchalant" Jason "PyInfamous" Thompson was concerned and nervous. The Jackson MC had just put the last 10 days of his life into relentlessly pursuing a specific goal with only one desired outcome: winning the Coors Light "Search for the Coldest MC" contest.

Fighting Stereotypes

Country-music fans wearing in cowboy boots, hats and tight jeans walked into the Mississippi Coliseum. The dim room did not dull the crowd's excitement. Restless Heart would play later. A Mississippi band, Crossin Dixon would open for the popular county act. Pete Castorena, promoter and showman, walked on stage and introduced the Mississippians. The crowd roared.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Sure, summer is not officially over. In fact, it is nowhere near being over in any real sense of the word. As those of us who have spent sizeable amounts of time in Mississippi know, our relief will not come until October—if we're lucky.

Open to Local

"Spacewolf," released in May 2011, is the first album of the band Spacewolf, made up of guitarist-vocalist Drew McKercher, bassist Don Hawkins and drummer Murph Caicedo.

The South's Coldest MC

This week, Jackson music fans have an opportunity to propel one of our own into the national spotlight. Jason "PyInfamous" Thompson, 29, is a top-four finalist for Coors Light's "Search for the Coldest MC" contest as the winner in the South region. Fans can vote for PyInfamous through June 17 at http://www.searchforthecoldest.com.

Better With Age

My top-five favorite recording artists of all time are: Stevie Wonder, Wu Tang Clan, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Talking Heads. This never changes, as these are the five artists on which all of my music tastes are based. It does get a little iffy, however, when I try to make a top-10 list.

Tugging the Harp Strings

Music is an undeniable part of Mississippi's culture, so much so that the state brands itself the "Birthplace of America's Music." Mississippi transplant Kristi Flake wants to add another element to the Magnolia State's rich musical heritage: the harp.

Lead 'Em to the Light

Over a perfectly sparse, yet somehow still-cinematic beat, David Banner leaves no doubt about where his mind is with his new collaboration record with producer 9th Wonder, "Death of a Pop Star."

Ladd Profiles Frank Melton in Reason Magazine

JFP Editor Donna Ladd writes about Mayor Frank Melton's shenanigans for Reason Magazine. The piece starts:

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