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The Avenue

MAE Q&A

By CAITLIN HEAD Avenue Writer | Sep. 10, 2008

After the merger of their record company Capitol Records and the subsequent release of their new album "Singularity," the members of modern rock group Mae realized something: This isn't working. Despite experiencing severe debt, lack of management and a minor existential crisis, the band set out to find out a new way that did work. Drummer Jacob Marshall talked about the group's upcoming show in Gainesville, its trials with finding management and where it wants to go from here.

The Avenue

Game day all-nighter

By JOSH NEDERVELD | Sep. 10, 2008

On Friday, my token spontaneous friend approached me with a proposition for a would-be adventure. The scheme was simple: a night spent waiting in line for ESPN's "College GameDay," the Holy Grail for many university men. It sounded boring, but he promised there would be TWIZZLERS. I said I would go.

The Avenue

Hitman finds emotional side in “Bangkok Dangerous”

By JACK BENGE | Sep. 10, 2008

"Bangkok Dangerous," a new thriller starring Nicolas Cage, manages to deliver some action along with a heavy dose of tired plot devices and distracting camera-work. Taking a cue from Michael Haneke, the Pang brothers decided to direct a remake of their own film in English. In the remake, Cage plays a hit man named Joe who only lives by four rules. The most important of these rules is to know when to get out. This theme plays at the heart of "Bangkok Dangerous."

The Avenue

New Kids stray too far from The Block in new album

By ROBERT HILSON | Sep. 10, 2008

Caution: Objects in your rearview mirror are older than they appear.

The Avenue

Welcome to College Bites

By CHRISTINE HART<br | Sep. 9, 2008

I first became interested in cooking in high school and came to UF (pursuing a degree in art) with ideas and recipes that have helped me cook healthily for myself while staying on a budget. Because I am on often cooking on the fly for one, I have to remain flexible; thus I developed an improvisational attitude towards cooking. As I see it, if you become familiar with a particular ingredient, technique, or basic recipe and learn how to play with it, it can become so much more than one involved, rigid recipe ever could.

The Avenue

For lovers of books and health food

By SEAN MCCAUGHAN | Sep. 3, 2008

Of the many reasons a restaurant may not be a crazy success, often ¾ dare I say most of the time? ¾ the quality of the food is the last. Some of those places are so devoted to the goodness of what they serve that they totally overlook everything else, including promoting themselves. They miss unbridled potential. That is the biggest problem with one of my favorite places in town, The Book Lover's Café.

The Avenue

"Encounters": Documentary shocks with beauty

By HUNTER SIZEMORE | Sep. 3, 2008

"Why is it that a sophisticated animal like a chimpanzee does not utilize inferior creatures? He could straddle a goat and ride off into the sunset," asks "Encounters at the End of the World" director Werner Herzog, who also directed "Grizzly Man" and "Fitzcarraldo."

The Avenue

Rise above the influence of the soapy Gillette Man

By DEVIN CULCLASURE | Sep. 3, 2008

Two weeks ago, I was watching TV with some buddies when I discovered something disturbing â€" an uncommon occurrence on TV, for sure.

The Avenue

"Traitor" betrays audiences' high expectations

By DAVID STUZIN | Sep. 3, 2008

In this post-9/11 fantasy world, everyone is split into two sides: freedom fighters and terrorists, with no room for middle ground. Based largely on this premise, "Traitor" comes off as rather unbelievable, and at times almost ridiculous, as it channels Cold War-era nuclear fears brought about by propaganda.

The Avenue

Oh Sanders has rebirth with "Death"

By LANE NIESET | Sep. 3, 2008

At 2 a.m. on a main street in Athens, Ga., a parade is forming. This is not your average late-night parade, but a kazoo parade led by the singer of legendary indie-pop band The Music Tapes. Members of local band Oh Sanders followed a crowd of 300 fellow indie-music fans, passing spectators and fraternity houses while repeating the same six notes on the kazoo.

The Avenue

Honky–tonk Dawg on "Malt Lick'er"

By HENRY TASKIER | Sep. 3, 2008

It was an ordinary day when Three Legged Dawg band member Billy Ray took a walk in his yard. His dog had taken a dump in the grass. To his amazement, a butterfly was perched on the excrement as if to symbolize the triumph of freedom and beauty over ¾ well, crap.

The Avenue

Students guide to interview style

By REGINA STUZIN | Sep. 3, 2008

Some people may think college is just a holding tank of fun before entering the real world, but it's actually much more than that. It's a time to figure out what we want to do with our lives and see where we want to plant our feet. In order to figure that out, we all have to endure the dreaded interview process.

The Avenue

Style in The Swamp

By ASHLEY ROSS | Sep. 3, 2008

Don't lie. You know all summer long, the second an orange or blue article of clothing caught your eye, you were nearly required to buy it. Football season is back, ladies and gentlemen, and it's time to whip out your game day attire. Urban Meyer's whiteout didn't quite succeed â€" for more reasons than multiple see-through sundresses after the first quarter downpour â€" and at the Florida vs Hawaii game, orange and blue still reigned as the dominant colors in the Swamp. Sadly, I witnessed far too many fashion faux pas. So, to clear up some game day fashion confusion, here are some do's and don'ts.

The Avenue

Come here often?

By Gabrielle Falconeiri<br | Sep. 2, 2008

When UF was ranked the No. 1 party school at the beginning of the semester, I was not remotely surprised. The bar scene and nightlife have always been a significant part of college life in Gainesville.

The Avenue

Dandy Warhols’ new album under new label not so dandy

By ROBERT HILSON | Aug. 27, 2008

In terms of sheer size, the only thing larger than "…Earth to the Dandy Warhols…" is Courtney Taylor-Taylor's massive ego. It would be irresponsible to credit the growth of said persona to past experience this kind of megalomania you're born with but those once-coveted Seth Cohen playlist adds and the exposure in 1960s revivalist doc Dig! couldn't have helped matters. Having since mistaken Sundance for the Academy and obscurity for fame, Taylor and his Dandy band shed the limitations of their modest guitar rock orientation, and with this latest paralysis-inducing, hour-plus space jam, permanently shoot to hell any lingering pop flirtations in favor of misfired trance drones, none of which will be featured in a K-Swiss commercial. "Earth" is the kind of brazen kiss off you'd expect from a man with two last names.

The Avenue

Guitar heroes: Save Tuesday nights for 1982’s game night

By MEGAN HERON | Aug. 27, 2008

For those strolling past the dimly lit bar windows of 1982 on a Monday night, be prepared to witness something other than locals watering down their worries. Instead, bystanders might find Gainesville's rock star wannabes imitating the greats on popular music video games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

The Avenue

Embrace swamp sexcapades after drop/add week

By STEPHANIE DUNN | Aug. 27, 2008

It's mid-August, and the bells of Century Tower - maybe a few e-bill notifications, also - are beckoning you to UF, a sultry and sticky swamp where you become an under-financed, oversexed version of your at-home self.

The Avenue

Orchestra regroups after summer tour

Aug. 27, 2008

Their venue burned down in Boone, N.C., They played to a crowd of more than 100. They played to a crowd of less than 10. They were greeted by a shotgun-wielding man in the mountains while attempting to find another venue, a house party thrown by people on house arrest.

The Avenue

“Hamlet 2”: A B movie or not a B movie?

By DAVID STUZIN | Aug. 27, 2008

While watching "Hamlet 2," you may be bombarded by a number of questions that seem important. "Who is Steve Coogan?" you might find yourself thinking. "How did a barrage of misfits in Tucson magically learn to act and sing?" and "Why is the funniest joke about Elizabeth Shue, an actress who has been a blip on the blockbuster radar since the late 1990s?" Though these questions may seem minor, they'll consistently make you question the validity and overall merit of the movie at large.

The Avenue

Shape up for fall fashion, and toss the shapeless shirts

By REGINA STUZIN | Aug. 27, 2008

Ah, back to school. Remember the days when going back to school meant buying a whole new wardrobe? Returning for another academic year was the perfect reason to go shopping and your perfect excuse for spending money. "It's for school next year" seemed to be one of the few replies that parents actually accepted. In college, it's like no one even cares.