LOTRO Reviewlotro gold wow gold wow goldI have fond and distinct memories of my Mother's horrified look as I walked around the house singing "Where there's a whip, there's a way," and even more fond memories of the humorously bewildered look as I tried to explain her where I got the phrase from. A few years later, I had the pleasure of being able to read the books that these fantastic movies came from, and further enjoy the tales of Tolkien on yet another level. In the recent past, the new movies have brought the story even more to life with epic Hollywood flare. Turbine takes [b]Lord of the Rings Online to the next step - we've read about the world and we've seen movies of it, but in April 2007 we get the chance to gather our fellowships and embark on our own adventures and tales in Middle Earth.I've played a range of games from UO to WOW and what holds my attention more often than not are the diversions and the community - I have Centipede and Space Invaders if I want

Time Out Chicago

Get Lucky Pints, parties, parades, and more shenanigans. Check out everything Irish on page 12.

Also, check out Damnit, Mamet where we explore David Mamets new festival at the Goodman Theater-is it too safe for this notorious potty-mouths reputation? (Page 20)

Plus, get ready for the Smoking Popes reunion tour! Find details on the comeback tour of Chicagos beloved band on page 22.

Chicagos Where-To-Go What-To-Do Weekly

Issue # 54

March 9, 2006 March 16, 2006

EAT OUT & DRINK UP The citys best restaurants and bars. Seeking out the wine lists you can afford. We explore why restaurants tack on such a high surcharge for wine, find the restaurants that dont and uncover a couple specific brands you can order at these Chicago wino-friendly restaurants. Dont miss the review by Editor Heather Shouse on May Street Market, the sleeper hit restaurant that offers mid-level diners excellent

LITTLE NOBODY, feat. ROBO*BRAZILEIRA

"ROBOTA"

(IF?/Hypnotic Room)

Some angles don't change, like the silly Little Nobody infatuation for things robotic.

The name of the new Little Nobody EP is 'Robota', and for this one we shanghaied Japanese producer Toshiyuki Yasuda (one of Si Begg's favorite musicians, and who just finished working with Senor Coconut, a.k.a. Atom Heart) into the arrangement, to do gorgeous, robot-style vocoder vocals as Robo*Brazileira.

The resultant track (with accompanying remixes by Funk Gadget and Dick Drone) was released today in the digital download terrain via IF? in conjunction with Hypnotic Room, on Beatport, etc, and it's just been remixed by Steve Stoll and Jammin' Unit, so look out for those wild versions early on in 2009.

In the meantime, the rather crazy original version here is already getting steady club and radio airplay in Japan and over in the UK, as well as on 2SER in Sydney and 3PBS in Melbourne. More info and feedback from fellow DJ/proddies is

Sydney Festival announced their initial lineup last week and we're stoked to announce that we'll be back in the fire again this year with a night of dancefloor frivolity. Our night is titled Disco Noveau and we've got two very special international acts lined up as well as couple tasty local crews...

HOLY GHOST are one of the most exciting acts to come out of the current indie/disco scene. Born and bred in New York city, Alex Frankel & Nick Millhiser base themselves in Brooklyn and are signed to the legendary DFA label, home to the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip and The Juan MacLean. Their first single on DFA, 'Hold On' was released in 2007 and made them the toast of the New York club scene, quickly sending waves of excitement through the electronic music community worldwide. Their sound is classic DFA - clean and powerful with amazing percussion sounds.

Mysteriously popping up as writing, recording and touring members of The Juan MacLean, live performers with LCD Soundsystem on Late Night With Da

On December 11, 2006, Wildflowers Records singer-songwriter Amy Speace was in NY for a live interview on WFUV 90.7 FM's "Folk Sunday Breakfast with John Platt." Now her live performances on the show, including songs 'The Real Thing,' 'Dreamin' and 'Step Out of the Shade, are exclusively available through social network site ReverbNation at www.reverbnation.com/amyspeace

This coincides with the release by MusicDish of Amy's most memorable radio performances through a new downloadable MP3 album "Amy Speace - Live On Radio." Gathering nine tracks from performances on Ft. Collins' KRFC 88.9 FM, NY's WFUV 90.7 FM and Boston's WMBR 88.1 FM, as well as syndicated show The Art of Song, the album is available for download at www.musicdish.net/amyspeace/mp3/

John Platt's three-hour tour of tunes strikes a balance between the "Joni Mitchells/Harry Chapins/Jackson Brownes" and "lesser-known but equally talented" singer/songwriters. Guests have ranged from icons like Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Loudon Wainwright, an

by Mark Kirby,

Whatever one could say about Hills Rolling, the moniker of one-man band Trey McGriff, you can't accuse him of having shallow roots. On his myspace page he lists as influences about one hundred or so bands and musicians. There are old schoolers (Otis Redding, The Beatles, Pink Floyd), new schoolers ( The Killers, My Morning Jacket), tweeners (Nirvana, Dinosaur, Jr.) electro types (The Cure, Depeche Mode) and eclecticians like him (Beastie Boys, Beck). No doubt this is in part a smart-ass commentary on the "what are your influences" question. It is also a list of people he has most likely listened to and is another way of saying that all the music he has heard, or for that matter, everything he has been through, is recorded by the brain, swished around by time, and reflected in his songs. Loves, hates, sounds, tastes, it's all in your head. Musically and lyrically, this message comes through loud and clear on his CD Sweet Tea.

With all this in his musical blender, he has come up with

Relationship…for some that word stirs up fears of commitment and for others it conjures up the idea of ever lasting love. For many on the dating scene ‘ever lasting love’ is their ultimate goal but how do you find someone to go on a date with and once you do how do you go from date to relationship?

While the person you’re dating may be looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right, they may not be looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right now, meaning pull in the reins and go a little slower. But let’s start at the beginning instead of jumping straight to the finish line. Let’s get back to the basics.

To get back to basics, let’s start with a history lesson. Dating can be a scene right out of your High School memory banks. Many are haunted by memories of their first date and the nervous tension that resulted from the anticipation of it: “Did I pick the correct outfit?” “Will I smell good to them?” “Is my breath okay?” “What will

More and more office workers are trapped at their desks during the lunch hour. In fact, according to a recent Omnibus survey, 60 percent of office workers in the United States said they eat lunch at their desks at least once or twice a week. To accommodate this growing trend and bring humor into the work day, Healthy Choice has joined forces with MSN to introduce the "The Working Lunch" -- a unique Web site featuring a live, four-hour show consisting of improvised sketch-theme comedy segments, directed by visitors on http://www.workinglunch.msn.com. (PRWeb Nov 13, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Healthy_Choice/comedy/prweb1608524.htm

Oi Oi!. Kid Acne returns with a new (well, not so new now) album on Warp offshoot, Lex Records. Opener Freddy Fresh sets the pace with ego banter in Kid Acnes formidable style, and its here you either love him, or hate him Oh No You Didnt turns to post-punk overload, while dont pity me returns to hip-hop with a wobbly grime bass, but Kid Acne still spits his humorous anecdotes Things get a tad confusing as he jumps styles, from hip-hop, electro, post punk, straight up punk, to old school hip-hop. While its an interesting musical ride, Kid Acnes raps do detract from the soundtrack, and unless you relate to his particular humor, it all seems a bit dull and pointless. I for one just cant get it out of my head that this sounds a little too much like the UK equivalent to The Beastie Boys, minus two members, crucify me if you will, but the vocal style just doesnt do it for me. I have picked up a couple of the singles, but only because they contain instrumental versions If Kid Acnes humor

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