Latest posts by Zack Ruskin

It’s usually a bad sign if your path to employment includes urinating into a cup. Unfortunately, many folks don’t have the luxury of passing on jobs that require this invasive step. While what you drink off-the-clock isn’t grounds for termination, what you smoke may still cost you a career. In California, where the medical and […]

People like to say certain musicians are taking over the world, but in the case of hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, the hype is warranted. Since rappers El-P and Killer Mike first united in 2012 to tour, their partnership has blossomed into an empire. In addition to three critically acclaimed albums, Run the Jewels remains […]

California’s legal cannabis market is an infinitely complex map of regulations, priorities, business, and politics. As the layout of the industry continues to take shape, one area that has yet to receive much clarity is the law with regard to driving under the influence of marijuana. The latest figure to weigh in is Sen. Jerry […]

At the Independent on Monday night, class was in session. Rapper Talib Kweli – one of the game’s most accomplished and respected artists – was teaching the crowd about reggae. First, he had DJ Spintelect play “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy, before seguing into some Bob Marley. “Do you know why not everyone knows the […]

It’s quite possible that Albert Hammond Jr. holds the distinction of being the first musician ever to be inspired by a fingernail. In November 1979, his mother was rushed to the hospital, suffering a miscarriage. While that baby, Francis, was born too premature to live, Albert arrived five months later. The one-time Strokes guitarist and […]

  Most Friday nights in high school ended the same way. We’d return in the wee hours from a desolate stretch of Marin County wilderness we’d decided would make for an ideal party location and cram into someone’s living room with a mountain of Jack in the Box tacos. Then we’d watch Half Baked. The […]

The crowd was still arriving when Nick Thorburn, Honus Honus, Joe Plummer, and Brett Morris took the stage on Thursday night. It makes some sense, especially given that Mister Heavenly is a band many might not know by name. When they first came to town in 2010, fans packed Café Du Nord largely because of […]

Much like bacon and the color black, the Magik*Magik Orchestra goes with everything. Minna Choi’s revolving cast of symphony players are now an indispensable part of Pop Up Magazine’s productions, and have collaborated to bring strings, brass, winds, and more to concerts and recordings from a diverse array of artists. On Friday,  it was Brooklyn’s […]

We’ve come a long way from the days when President Bill Clinton repeatedly insisted that he “did not inhale” marijuana. While our representatives and senators may not be openly toking between budget debates, the conversation on cannabis has moved out of the shadows and into the spotlight. This isn’t just one faction of super-liberal Democrats […]

Noise Pop is a place where magic happens. No, the odds of Beyoncé hopping on stage aren’t high, but the festival is rife with unexpected collaborations and dream bills stacked with artists that are meant to perform together. In 2018, one such highlight is the union of Brooklyn’s San Fermin with the Bay Area’s own […]