Magnetic Fields album draws you in
From the man who brought us 69 Love Songs, The Magnetic Fields’ Steven Merritt brings us another classic breakup album… just in time for Valentine’s Day. Here he continues the “no synth” trilogy, following i and Distortion, though the new album is starkly different from the latter. Realism, ironically, feels like […]

The Fleshlight is the ugly duckling of our sex-based consumer culture. The Fleshlight is not embarrassed by capitalism. While marketing normally consists of tricking consumers into viewing a commodity as something other than a mere tool to produce endorphins, the Fleshlight doesn’t waste time selling you meaning in a meaningless world; it provides the fuel […]

This year’s Valentine’s Day movie event is simply titled: “Valentine’s Day.” Director Gary Marshall (“The Princess Diaries,” “Pretty Woman”) presents a film that follows a series of intertwining love stories, or for some, unrequited love stories, during one Los Angeles V-Day. The film is adapted from a screenplay by Katherine Fugate with plot assistance from […]

Date, n.[deyt]: Two people getting together for an activity when the possibility of romance between them has been broached but not ruled out.

I include this definition to quiet all the whiners who claim romance is dead and Tulane has no dating scene. The Boot fosters a perfect environment to get together and grind without the complication […]

There are few times better in New Orleans to address the topic of narcissism than right now, in the midst of Carnival season where we’re dressed in beads and ball gowns and parade through the streets like we own them. This Mardi Gras when Mister throws you something, remember this: You’re not quite as special […]

Y Not? There are so many reasons. For starters, you are filthy rich. You were a member of the most influential and beloved pop band of all time. There’s simply no way you’re going to escape the legacy of being the least-talented Beatle. What, you think you’re going to record another White Album? You would […]

Abandon no hope, ye who enter here.
A restaurant named Dante’s Kitchen cannot help but inspire the slight fear that one is, in fact, dining in hell. If this is the case, I welcome my eternal damnation with open arms and open mouth.
With a menu that features standard New Orleans Creole cuisine, each item is more tempting than […]

Written by Malie Meloy (sister of Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy), “Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It” takes its title from an A.R. Ammons poem, which is alluded to in the collection’s penultimate story “The Children.” This story, like its companions, is masterfully crafted: Meloy’s slow-burning prose and deft characterization are captivating, drawing […]

If the only mention of “Battlestar Galactica” you’ve ever heard was John Krazinski’s spot-on Dwight Schrute impersonation saying, “Bears, Beets, ‘Battlestar Galactica,’” you haven’t experienced one of the most compelling shows of the decade. Contrary to popular belief, “Battlestar” wasn’t just a show about spaceships, robots and explosions, though those parts were a significant part […]

Los Campesinos! peculiarities even include its members’ matching nomenclature (Gareth Campesinos, Tom Campesinos, etc.), and the wholly necessary exclamation point in their name. As a band, they celebrate joyous noise chiming over tales of teenage heartbreak.
Their latest album, Romance Is Boring, follows the path set out by 2008’s Hold On Now, Youngster… and We Are Beautiful, […]

There’s a chance you might recognize Aziz Ansari from his performance at Tulane Sept. 23 as the Indian guy from MTV’s “Human Giant” or as the funniest part of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” If you saw Judd Apatow’s tribute to stand-up comedy “Funny People” however, you know Ansari as “RAAAAAAAANDY,” a foulmouthed shock comic whose […]

Po-boy pick: Guy’s
A small, white-washed sign jutting from the roof is the only marking separating Guy’s from its surrounding competition, a clear testament to the superb quality of the food. Some may complain that 20 minutes is too long to wait for a sandwich, but it is time well spent battering, frying and prepping the kind […]

Any restaurant located on historic Oak Street must have significant panache to compete with favorites such as Jaques-Imo’s, the Maple Leaf Bar, Ninja Sushi and Rue De La Course. Drawing its name from this popular locale, the Oak Street Café relies on charm and a casual feel to fulfill its niche as a local, […]

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Every self-proclaimed college student or person over the age of eight should recognize those words from “Star Wars.” Even if they don’t remember the opening title, they could definitely be able to differentiate Yoda from Darth Vader and a light saber from a blaster. “Star Wars” […]

Don’t be afraid to see “Precious.” If you’re wary of seeing a film that’ll make you uncomfortable, stop being a wimp and get to a theater right now. The storyline is wretched and disturbing, one with the potential to haunt you for days, but it evokes deeper emotions than mere sympathy or thankfulness. “Precious” gets […]