Segall's still got it, Half Japanese back after 13 years and New Pornographers an indie supergroup

CU's Radio 1190 is spinning some of Ty Segall's newest on rotation. (Courtesy photo)

Ty Segall is back and better than ever. On his newest release, Manipulator, the prolific West Coast garage-rocker has cleaned up his sound and slapped on some silver lipstick to give his style of gritty psych-rock a shiny glam-rock finish.

Though this release doesn't have the lo-fi dirt of his earlier LPs, each track pulses with punk-rock energy that would be at home in a dive bar, as well as a mosh-pit laden theater. Clocking in at 57 minutes, Manipulator is Ty's longest release to date.

With a wide-spanning spectrum of genres and influences, this newest album is a summation of every single album the young rock star has released. Tracks range from psych-folk rock, a la 2013's Sleeper, or even noise-rock jams, akin to 2012's Slaughterhouse. Without a doubt, Manipulator is Ty Segall's most accessible to date, but like any great rock and roller, the album is a solid set of tracks written by a man who truly loves rock 'n' roll music.

Many bands in the experimental-rock genre are the groups that demand to be taken seriously. Thankfully, the experimental-rock outfit Half Japanese is back after a 13-year break to bring their goofy style of indie rock to the masses. Overjoyed is everything you need to make a great Half Japanese record out of tune guitars, ferocious punk energy, and of course, Jad Fair's signature sing-talk howl.

Though the band has been releasing unconventional and primitive punk music since 1980, there is no sign of stopping the weirdness on this newest release. Even considering the album production has cleaned up since the '80s, the group is still as raunchy and primal as ever.

CU's Radio 1190 is spinning some of Ty Segall's newest on rotation. (Courtesy photo)

Since the early-00s, The New Pornographers have become one of the bigger names in bombastic and anthemic indie pop. But with successful side-projects from Neko Case and Dan Bejar (of Destroyer), the group of Canadians has become an indie supergroup in recent years. After four years, following up 2010's Together, the group is back with its sixth studio release, Brill Bruisers. Shedding away every tinge of darkness, songwriter A.C. Newman sounds happier and more celebratory than ever. Though the side projects of this bad may over shadow The New Pornographers at times, the group embraces each other's efforts, which can be seen on the bombastic remake of "Spidyr" originally by Dan Bejar's group, Swan Lake. Even though each member is a strong musician on their own, they really flourish as one cohesive group.

Other additions to rotation:

Link:
On-Air Next: Ty Segall, Half Japanese and New Pornographers

Theres a little something for everyone in one mans plans to develop the former Valhalla restaurant property.

Alex Kashef, the current owner of the property that once belonged to former Sausalito mayor Sally Stanford, has included several new additions in the latest environmental study for the seven-unit condominium project at 201 Bridgeway.

The revisions include the reconstruction of a public boardwalk, the creation of public beach access ramp at the foot of Main Street and a bus pullout on Second Street. The study also includes concessions to nearby property owners, including a new garage for a neighbor.

Its going through the planning stages right now, and I feel like Ive given an arm and a leg, Kashef said. I wish they would leave me an arm and a leg so I could actually finish it.

Between the bus pullout, boardwalk and access ramp, Kashef said he has spent $100,000 on plans and studies for public improvements. He has yet to build anything.

Since I am improving the property, which is an abandoned building no one else can do anything with, I am required to improve my sidewalks, Kashef said.

Community Development Director Jeremy Graves said when a developer subdivides property, cities are allowed to ask the developer to make improvements to the frontages.

The project subdivides the parcel into seven residential parcels plus a common area parcel for the parking area and garage. The parcel, where the Valhalla sits, happens to have three frontages along Bridgeway, Main and Second streets.

Those frontages already have improvements, Graves said. What city staff is asking the developer to do is update those improvements to be consistent with todays codes.

Graves said the new Federal Emergency Management Agency maps will show that both the Bridgeway boardwalk and the Main Street boardwalk are too low.

Originally posted here:
Sausalito condo project to accommodate other city work

Thanks largely due to the construction of two new homes along with a pair of commercial remodeling projects, local construction is almost on pace with 2013.

According to the August building report, posted by the city Tuesday, 14 construction permits were issued during the month with a total project value of $640,110. That brings the permitted construction for the year-to-date to $2.01 million.

At this time a year ago, construction stood at $2.38 million.

While the 2014 figure is down almost $370,000 from a year earlier, construction crews made up significant ground from July when the total value of construction permits was just $23,303. The June figures werent a whole lot better, coming in at $52,435.

The combined value on the two permits for new residential construction during August is $318,000. For the entire year, four permits for new homes have now been issued for a total value of $354,000.

Three permits were issued for residential additions for a combined value of $24,000; three for residential remodeling for $2,800; four for garages or carports, $5,310; and two for commercial remodeling, $290,000.

For the year-to-date, permits issued in 2014 include four for new residential; residential addition, 20; residential remodel; 15; residential repair, one; residential demolition, four; residential accessory, two; garage/carport; 20; storage building, three; new commercial, one; commercial addition, one; commercial remodel, 13; commercial demolition, three; commercial accessory, two; masonry fence, one; and signs, 21.

Total permits for 2014 now number 111, which is down 54 from the 165 recorded through August 2013.

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Pace of local construction quickens

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Meet Draft Station, maybe the least territorial taproom in town.

The new beer hangout in Country Club Plaza boasts a formal affiliation with Chama River Brewing Co., acting as one of the companys official satellite locations.

But Draft Station, located at 1720 Central SW, is more than a Chama-orama. Its 14 taps actually represent six different New Mexico breweries.

Chama River and its Santa Fe-based sister brand Blue Corn combine for about half of the lineup, but Draft Station also pours selections from Albuquerques Marble, La Cumbre and Bosque breweries and one out of Rio Ranchos Turtle Mountain.

We wanted to do something that nobody else is doing with taprooms (and) hopefully take it to the next level, says Robert Griego, vice president of operations for Draft Station/Chama parent company Santa Fe Dining.

The new Draft Station taproom in Country Club Plaza is affiliated with Chama River Brewing Co., but uses its 14 taps to highlight beers from several different local breweries. Pictured is bartender Robert Scipes.

While many describe the local craft beer scene as friendly and collegial, Draft Stations strategy points to some even deeper connections. The head brewers at Bosque, La Cumbre, Marble and Turtle Mountain each worked previously at Blue Corn or Chama, two of the states most established brewing operations.

We know them all, and theyre highly respected, Griego says.

That kind of history isnt a requirement for inclusion at Draft Station, and the beer selection will evolve based on customer demand, Griego says. But there is one hard-and-fast rule about whats on tap it has to come from New Mexico.

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Latest taproom highlights NM brewing diversity

HIGHTSTOWN: Council debates Borough Hall replacement

DATE POSTED: Thursday, August 28, 2014 6:34 PM EDT

By Amy Batista, Special Writer

"As I think everyone is aware, in another 10 days or so it will be three years that we got hit with Irene and Borough Hall and the Police Department facilities have been closed since," said Mayor Steven Kirson. "I just wanted to start the conversation."

Mayor Kirson asked the council to answer what their intentions are and how they feel about whether or not the borough should rebuild the facility.

Council President Susan Bluth said she does not "feel a new facility needs to be built in that location or anywhere else."

"Weve been functioning very well for the past three years over at the Public Works building," said Ms. Bluth. "I believe there could be renovations done to accommodate it even more."

"Say that area floods. We have possible, hopeful redevelopment going on across the street with the Rug Mill which will serve to start to revitalize the borough," she said. "That property will definitely fall in with the revitalization."

She noted there was a resolution "on the books" that its councils intention to rebuild in the same spot.

"I would like to see another resolution being put forth saying thats this councils intention is not to rebuild the building," she said.

See more here:
HIGHTSTOWN: Council debates Borough Hall replacement

If you've driven through Roseville's downtown, you've likely seen the traffic cones, the construction trucks and the orange signs that mark roadwork that's been going on since spring.

"You can't miss it," said Joseph Lawson, who lives a few blocks from Roseville's civic center.

Watch report:Road construction could kick start projects in Roseville

If city leaders get their way, that roadwork could be just the start of a much broader, continued face-lift of the city's downtown.

"I think we're still at a turning point, I mean the beginning of a renaissance for the downtown," said Chris Robles, Roseville's economic development director.

Robles said that as the city is preparing to mark the one-year anniversary of its new town square with a Sept. 13 concert performed by Sammy Hagar, there's a whole lot more change in the works.

For starters, Robles said that as the economy continues to improve the city is working on plans for a new parking garage next to the civic center. That garage would provide free downtown parking.

On Sept. 9- the city will host an open house to preview designs for three bridge changes or additions to better connect downtown across the river, said Robles.

Robles said there is also demand for more office space and new retail space along Vernon Street.

In the years to come, Robles also said it's possible a higher education component, possibly involving Sierra College or William Jessup University, could be located downtown.

Read more from the original source:
Improving economy puts Roseville on track for changes

Pulaski County is currently responsible for as many as 100 inmates a day. The jail has 75 beds.

WAYNESVILLE, MO. -- The Pulaski County Sheriff said Wednesday his department will need a new, larger jail if the county keeps growing.

Sheriff Ron Long told KRCG 13 the county has more inmates than it has beds in its jail despite an addition completed in March. He said the county typically has 15-25 inmates being held in other counties because the Pulaski County Jail doesn't have enough room.

"This jail was built back in 1972," he said. "Population has increased, crime has increased, and when you have 30, 40 years of an outdated facility, naturally, you're not going to have enough room to house all your inmates."

Long said the county courthouse's lot is too small to allow any more additions. He has already converted storage rooms and a garage into jail space. The jail's structure is not designed to support a second story. He said Pulaski County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Missouri, so the only long-term solution is to build a completely new facility elsewhere in the county. Long said he would need at least 130 beds to meet the county's needs. The current facility has 75.

"Where we're at right now, we're completely out of room," Long said. "The possibility does not exist for any more expansion where we are at."

If the county does decide to build a new jail, Long said he would like the funding to come from a sales tax to fund law enforcement needs. Bonding is another option. In the meantime, Long said he is open to having non-violent offenders wear GPS ankle bracelets at home, though he pointed out all of his current inmates are suspected of felony offenses, not misdemeanors.

Excerpt from:
Sheriff says Pulaski County Jail overcrowded

Lorien Myerson

ETSU made many changes to its campus during the summer, many of which revolve around the utilization of the new space available in the parking garage, as well as other existing facilities around campus.

ETSU has one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation and as you can see it just keeps getting better, SGA Vice President Zack Sholes said. Ive always been able to take pride in this campus as a student.

Some improvements noted include the installation of HVAC into Dossett residence hall, the renovation of West Hall, renovation of the locker rooms and weight rooms in the Mountain State Health Alliance Athletics Center, and the widening of the pedestrian side walk near the amphitheater.

The summer is a great time for change at a college campus, said David Collins, vice president for finance and administration. This is like our house, we have a cycle of maintenance and during the summer there is a low enough amount of foot traffic that we can renovate and improve the interiors and exteriors of buildings we normally could not.

Collinss estimates that every residence hall room has been renovated within the past 10 years.

One of the major ongoing renovations is the resurfacing of the MSHA Athletics Center roof.

Multiple leaks in the roof brought the need for improvement to ETSU staffs attention and funding was received from the state of Tennessee to enable this improvement.

Pretty much, the Monday after graduation, we started work across campus, especially on the Mini-Dome roof, and it looks like it will be completed this November, Collins said.

Construction on the Fine and Performing Arts Center is expected to begin in the near future with the preferred location across North State of Franklin in close proximity to the Scott M. Niswonger Digital Media Center.

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ETSU makes additions to campus

Theres Money in the Middle

Welcome to what economists now call the middle skills jobs gap, where theres a dire need for people to fill jobs that require workers with more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree.

Some 69 million people work in middle-skills jobs, representing about 48 percent of the U.S. labor force. That about squares with South Carolina, wheremiddle-skills jobs account for half of all jobs, according to figures from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

And yet, as baby boomers retire, the middle is also shrinking. According to the Harvard Business Review, as many as 25 million, or 47 percent, of all new job openings from 2010 to 2020 will fall into the middle-skills range.

In other words, theres a great demand for people to fill solid, reliable and well-paying jobs that only require a high-school degree and some additional training of one to two years.

At Midlands Tech, a one-year certificate program runs an average cost of $5,000 for tuition and books; the cost is about $7,500 for a year and a half diploma program, and about $10,000 for a two-year associates degree. Scholarship assistance may be available through either a federal Pell grant (about $5,500 a year) depending on need or S.C. Lottery Tuition Assistance ($2,000), which is available to most applicants. Hot Fields: Health Care, Advanced Manufacturing, IT and Energy Midlands Technical College President Sonny White says there are as many as 12,000 jobs in the Midlands in four cluster areas of health care, advanced manufacturing, information technology and energy.

The boom in middle-skills jobs is reflective of what has long been an economic reality: a four-year college degree no longer guarantees a job. Thats part of the reason, White says, why 80 percent of his students start at age 25 or older. Theyve either gone to college and quit or stuck it out and found their diploma just didnt have that much purchasing power in the modern job market.

Among the top middle-skills jobs in the Midlands, White cites the boom in information technology jobs, particularly ones necessary to Columbias booming insurance industry.

A job as a web developer, network analyst or network administrator requires a two-year associates degree, and generally pays between $35,000 and $100,000 annually. The job prospects are outstanding in our area, White says.

Read the original here:
Windows to New Worlds

A cheer of "Go Vols!" Tuesday afternoon welcomed in the next generation of Vols, the class of 2018. Some have been waiting to call themselves volunteers for years. "I've been dreaming of coming to Tennessee sinceI was 8 years old to play softball here andI love the atmosphere. I love the people here. They're so nice," said Catherine Holmes, aUTfreshman.

Others are eager to explore a brand new city.

"I'm excited to make new friends and be on my own since I'm so far away from home. It's going to be different but I'm excited for it," said Erica Shin, another UT Freshman.

As students are walking on campus, many will see some new buildings, but both new and returning students will see construction across campus including the UTStudent Union. That's supposed to be finished in a few years. So far mostly freshmen have seen the newest additions on campus like the Fred Brown Residence Hall, but they aren't the only ones new to Knoxville.

It's the first year for some restaurants on the strip like BurgerFi. Managers say they're up for the challenge of feeding Vol Nation.

"Well we're excited and hope we get it right," said Alan Regenbrecht, General Manager of Burgerfi Knoxville. Still for some freshmen, they've got some adjusting to do.

"I have one class on the other side of campus and then another class 15 minutes later to the other side of campus," said Holmes. UT is in the middle of its welcome week.It shows students how to get involved on campus and make them feel comfortable.

It will wrap up Saturdayat 8:00 p.m.with an Orange and White movie night.

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New UT students, restaurants prepare for new school year