Email Author Rae Alexandra

2011 Stories by Rae Alexandra

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  FEATURED STORY

  How To Use Venue Coat Checks Without Being a Douche

  published Aug 24, 2011

  Ah, venue coat check. Utterly necessary if you want to stay comfortable at your gig of choice -- and totally undervalued by almost everyone. A few years ago, I worked coat check in Slim's. It was a ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Dear Kanye West, Please Leave Amy Winehouse's Music Alone

  published Aug 19, 2011

  Dear Kanye West,Congratulations. You are officially the most bemusing man in music. We say this because it's been seven years since The College Dropout and we still can't figure out if you're a sly g... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  R.I.P. Warrant's Jani Lane: Top Five Sexist Rock Videos He'd Have Enjoyed

  published Aug 16, 2011

  Like us, you are probably still reeling from the news that Warrant frontman Jani Lane, died last week. Okay, so maybe it's not a "probably" situation -- maybe it's more of a "maybe" kind of thing. Com... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How to Be a Loudmouth Rapper and Get Away with It, Featuring TOPR

  published Aug 12, 2011

  In case you haven't heard, TOPR is an S.F. underground rapper with a rage problem, beloved by hip-hoppers and punks the nation over. In the midst of working on his seventh full-length, Afterlife ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Anderson Cooper Calls Out Chris Brown; Ladies Everywhere Swoon

  published Aug 10, 2011

  So, remember that thing that happened at the 2009 Grammysr That thing where Chris Brown  and Rihanna both no-showed on account of the fact that he'd beaten the crap out of herr Then shortly after... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  An Open Letter To Adele (For Being Awesome)

  published Aug 05, 2011

  Dear Adele,We'd like to congratulate you on being in the Top 3 of the Billboard chart, with your incredible 21 album, for 22 weeks straight now. For 12 of those, you've been at No. 1, and we cou... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How to Beat Boredom While Waiting in Line for a Show

  published Aug 04, 2011

  The dreaded show line: Sometimes it's just an unavoidable and inevitable part of concertgoing. Even for those of us who usually simply walk away from bars and clubs that have lines in favor of places ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How to Work in a Record Store (Without Becoming a Cliche)

  published Jul 28, 2011

  Ever wonder how to work in a record store without turning into Jack Black's character in High Fidelityr Well, Robert Edwin Haines has the answers: He's worked in record stores for 21 years -- the las... More >>

• All Shook Down Music Fest: A Guide to the Artists

  published July 27, 2011

  Crystal Castles www.crystalcastles.com If you don't... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How to Be a Sound Guy (Without Electrocuting Anyone)

  published Jul 20, 2011

  So you wanna be a sound guyr Get paid to go to all those showsr Control how everyone in the room hears the bandr Sounds pretty sweet, huhr Bay Area native Nick Malgieri has been doing sound since he w... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Sunday: Alkaline Trio Plays Third S.F. Show in a Month; Remains Compulsive Viewing

  published Jul 18, 2011

  Alkaline TrioJuly 17, 2011@ Bottom of the HillBetter than: Sitting at home and reminiscing about how great music was ten years ago.Back in 2003, Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba did a last-minute aco... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  John Mayer Blames Twitter for His Own Stupidity; World Rolls Eyes

  published Jul 15, 2011

  So, guess what happened the other dayr John Mayer announced to an audience of students at Berklee College in Boston that he was addicted to Twitter, prompting the sympathy of, we imagine, li... More >>

• New Girl, New Fall TV Shows, and (We Hope!) No Charlie Sheen

  published Jul 13, 2011

  Unless you don't have a television, or are actively boycotting the Fox network (we know we should, based on its heinous news channel, but we just like Family Guy and The Simpsons too much ... Damn you... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How to Go to a Show and Not Be a Douche to the Bartender

  published Jul 13, 2011

  Getting a drink at gigs can be a nightmare -- especially if the show is sold out. You're hot, you're sweaty, you're claustrophobic, and, heck, you're really thirsty. But no matter how uncomfortable yo... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Taylor Momsen Gives Lap Dance Onstage, Becomes Even More Depressing

  published Jul 08, 2011

  Holy crap, is there a teenager on earth more depressing than Taylor Momsenr Earlier this week, not content with parading her emaciated body around, dressed only in underwear and stripper shoes, s... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How to Get Your Band a Record Deal (Without Being on TV)

  published Jul 06, 2011

  So you're in a band, you're just starting out, and, yes, you want a record deal so the world can hear your musical genius. We all know the big boys only sign people from reality television competition... More >>

• Axis Dance Company Duo Gives Breathtaking Performance on So You Think You Can Dance

  published Jul 01, 2011

  We told you yesterday about Oakland's Axis Dance Company -- a group so dedicated to the art form that physical disabilities aren't a barrier to performing. And -- as we mentioned in advance -- it mad... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  America Sucks: Six Great Songs Complaining About the USA

  published Jul 01, 2011

  So it's almost the Fourth of July -- a day when we are all obligated to find a barbecue, pretend it's sunny, get drunker than we probably should in the middle of the day, and complain about British pe... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  The Voice's Season One Finale: Dia Frampton Was Robbed

  published Jun 30, 2011

  So last night was the grand finale of NBC's The Voice -- the first vaguely credible vocal talent show to find itself on American television. The night before, on Tuesday, the last four contestants ea... More >>

• Train Releases a Signature Wine, Becomes Instantly More Irritating

  published Jun 24, 2011

  Prepare to be hit by a tsunami of nausea as we inform you that Train -- probably the most insipid band from the Bay Area -- is bringing out a wine (called "Drops of Jupiter" -- after one of its bigge... More >>

• So You Think You Can Dance: The Rare Reality Show That Makes Life Better

  published Jun 23, 2011

  How many people do you know who can do the splitsr We don't know any. It's quite possible that we're just not hanging out with a bendy enough crowd, but, frankly, this wasn't something we ever though... More >>

• How to Navigate S.F.'s Record Stores (Without Crying)

  published Jun 22, 2011

  You're new to San Francisco. Or maybe you're not. Either way, we have a ton of awesome record stores that are quintessentially San Franciscan (read: weird) and navigating them isn't always the easiest... More >>

• Face to Face: Show Preview

  published June 22, 2011

  Of all the melodic punk bands to emerge in the mid-'90s, Face to Face remains one of the most valuable. It's ironic then, that the... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  After The Voice, a New Respect for Christina Aguilera. Really.

  published Jun 17, 2011

  We've not always been very kind to Christina Aguilera on this blog. Last time we mentioned her, we accused her of being "wasted out of [her] yodeling, gurning mind," for example. We may have also ment... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  How To Be a Band's Tour Manager (Without Murdering Anyone)

  published Jun 15, 2011

  Casey Schafer is an ex-tour manager with more than a decade of on-the-road experience, working with a variety of artists, including pop-punk bands (MxPx) and rap superstars (Lil Wayne). He now owns an... More >>