Interview: Retribution Gospel Choir’s Alan Sparhawk unleashes his inner classic-rock beast

Retribution Gospel ChoirPlenty of musicians get mellower with age, but Alan Sparhawk’s been doing the exact opposite. For the past couple of albums, his main band, Low, has been progressively increasing the noise level on its minimalist (and originally very quiet) rock, and he pushes that envelope even further with side project Retribution Gospel Choir. Where Low is about doing more with less, RGC is a place where Sparhawk can cut loose. Rounded out by bassist (and Sparhawk’s Low bandmate) Steve Garrington and drummer Eric Pollard, the band has just released its sophomore disc, simply titled 2. Although it still shares a lot in common sonically with Low, the album gives free rein to a fuller, almost classic-rock sound, and it has a sense of freewheeling fun not usually associated with Sparhawk’s main band. Before playing at the Triple Rock Social Club Feb. 20, Sparhawk talked to The A.V. Club about Huey Lewis harmonies, Low’s dip into the dance world, and his toughest critic.

Originally published on avclub.com Feb. 19, 2010. Read the complete article.

And the Oscar for best movie quiz goes to…

How well do you know the 10 best picture nominees? What does “Hurt Locker” really mean, and what about Michael Oher’s life was fictionalized in “The Blind Side”? Test yourself.

Originally published on msnbc.com Feb. 18, 2010. Read the complete article.

Consider this a friendly handwritten note tacked onto the front door

Welcome to Christopherbahn.com. I’m a journalist and writer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. This blog is a place for me to link to articles and reviews I’ve written for other sites around the web, and to post new commentary/scribblings on entertainment and pop culture. (For articles published elsewhere, I’m just posting a short teaser here, with a link to the full article following it.) I’ve only just started setting things up so there’s not much here yet, but stay tuned.

Oscar moments we’d like to forget

The Academy Awards are all about glitz and glamour, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few hiccups. In 1959, host Jerry Lewis was caught flat-footed when the awards ended 20 minutes early, forcing him to wing his way through the end of the broadcast. In the 1970s, the show was interrupted by a streaker, and Marlon Brando famously sent an American Indian activist to accept his award for him. Here’s a look back at eight of the most infamous moments from Oscar’s last 30 years.

Originally published on msnbc.com Feb. 11, 2010. Read the complete article.

A guide to the 2010 Oscar nominees

A quick look at the nominees in the major categories for this year’s Academy Awards. (I still think Sam Rockwell got robbed for his performance in Moon.)

Originally published on msnbc.com Feb. 2, 2010. Read the complete article.

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