Nick Cave

As we mentioned in this week’s spring pop music preview, the 2008 Plug Independent Music Awards, a sort of Grammys for the cool kids, were held at the west side mega-venue Terminal 5 last night. And just in case you were wondering what an indie rock awards show is like, the Culture Czar was there to bring you the full report!  read more »

Madonna turns 50 this year and whether one loves or hates her, one has to wonder how many listenable albums she has left. This is as much because every album represents another persona, another clone of the same DNA, as the fact that the woman is turning 50. Eventually, she's going to transform from a M.I.L.F. to a M.I.L.A.L.M. (Mom I'd Like to Act Like a Mom). When a quality version of the single "Four Minutes to Save the World," off her new album Hard Candy (due April 29th), was leaked onto the Internet last week, fans could be forgiven for cringing a bit at Madge's cool-as-a-cucumber delivery being drowned out by the "urban," brassy hip-hop beats. Was it Mommy telling us to turn the music down?  read more »

THEATER

Ernest Hemingway only wrote one play during this literary career: The Fifth Column, a Spanish Civil War-era drama of espionage and romace that he penned while covering the war in Madrid. The off-Broadway Mint Theater will be presenting the play starting Feb. 26, marking the production's first faithful performance on the stage. [On Sale Now!]

CONCERTS

If Colin Meloy's forthcoming EP of Sam Cooke covers is anywhere near as good as the EP of Morrissey covers he did a few years back, then you won't want to miss the Decemberists front man's April 16 and 17 shows at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The EP will only be available on Mr. Meloy's spring tour, and like his Moz disc, it will probably sell out like hot cakes. [On Sale: Saturday, Feb. 9 at 12 p.m.]  read more »

A lineup has been announced for the 2008 Plug Independent Music Awards, scheduled for March 6 at Terminal 5—and what a lineup it is! Comedian Patton Oswalt is hosting the show, which will feature performances by nominees Dizzee Rascal, Jose Gonzales, and St. Vincent. But the highlight of the evening will undoubtedly be an appearance by Australia’s legendary Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, who haven’t played a show in the U.S. in eons. Mr. Cave, who is readying a new album, is this year’s Plug Impact Award Honoree, and is also up for male artist of the year. To top it all off, tickets are only $10, though it’s still not clear when exactly they go on sale.

Greg Sandow, the classical music critics and composer over at ArtsJournal, has been pondering how Sufjan Steven's BQE performance at BAM is changing the face of classical music. "Why shouldn't shows like this be part of the future of orchestras?" he wrote last week.  read more »