The lockout is over. The NBA season for 2011/12 has been saved and come Christmas Day we can look forward to a condensed 66 game sprint to the finish line. How will the teams cope with a rushed training camp and free agency period not to mention a shortened season that contains more back to back games than ever before? The Marshalltown casts its eye over the forthcoming season and tells you who will be challenging, who will slip and who has no prayer. In this second installment The Marshalltown breaks down the Eastern Conference. To read the Marshalltown's preview of the Western Conference in Part 1 click here The Contenders Boston Does anyone know what’s happening in Boston? A team with an ageing squad that was run ragged by an athletic Miami Heat decides to put its most exciting young player and future team leader on the trading block? You read that right. Boston put...
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The lockout is over. The NBA season for 2011/12 has been saved and come Christmas Day we can look forward to a condensed 66 game sprint to the finish line. How will the teams cope with a rushed training camp and free agency period not to mention a shortened season that contains more back to back games than ever before? The Marshalltown casts its eye over the forthcoming season and tells you who will be challenging, who will slip and who has no prayer. In this first installment The Marshalltown breaks down the Western Conference. The Contenders Los Angeles Lakers Last season was a humbling experience for the Lakers. Legendary coach Phil Jackson retired after seeing his Lakers swept in the second round of the playoffs by eventual champions, Dallas, while the growing knee problems of Kobe Bryant compounded the feeling that the curtain was closing on this current Lakers squad. Sadly for Lakers fans...
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The Marshalltown reviews the year that was in movies and picks out the five best films of 2011.
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The Marshalltown looks at the legacy of Greg Ginn- a pioneer of alternative music who paved the way for future musicians but who also became an outcast over the last twenty years.
Read MoreBeing a man in the 21st century is a confusing and dangerous tightrope. Turn on the TV and you’ll be subjected to a dazzling array of mama’s boys, losers, numbskulls, sleazebags and thirtysomething men who act as though they’re twelve. feelings of anger, confusion and self-loathing have been a subject that many musicians have grappled with as they try to distil the struggles of manhood. Here are Songs for the Wounded Man
Read MoreIt can be said that the 1990s was the start of global excess; a new community fostered by the success of globalization and capitalism. It was a decade characterized by all its “rises” and “falls;” fads, trends, and cultures that emerged as quickly as they seemed to burn out. Grunge, Kurt Cobain, alternative radio, Beverly Hills 90210, roller blades, Bill Clinton- forever became part of 90s folklore as the world’s population pushed towards the new millennium. Music in itself cultivated some of the most lasting of these images- styles and genres that leapfrogged a truly forgettable 80s and have left its enduring mark on the continually progressive genres found today
Read MoreThe art of making mixtapes has become as revered to music fans as the music on them. Cherished for their personal touch and their sometimes sentimental value; they have been part of music culture for as long as we can remember. From those mixtapes you’ve made for your high school crush, to those made for the road; they are an indelible part of any music lover. So we here at Sound the Sirens continue on the long tradition of mixtapes and bring you Songs of a Mixtape; select tunes from some of our favorites of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Our second installment of our mixtape series, dubbed "Hello Sunshine," features songs selected by writers as their interpretation of the title.. [ PLAY MIXTAPE ] 01. The Shins – “Caring is Creepy” From the album Oh, Inverted World (Sub Pop, 2001) When I first heard this song back in 2001, I noticed right away this song was...
Read MoreThe art of making mixtapes has become as revered to music fans as the music on them. Cherished for their personal touch and their sometimes sentimental value; they have been part of music culture for as long as we can remember. From those mixtapes you’ve made for your high school crush, to those made for the road; they are an indelible part of any music lover. So we here at Sound the Sirens continue on the long tradition of mixtapes and bring you Songs of a Mixtape; select tunes from some of our favorites of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Our first edition, named “Here’s Looking At Us,” shares songs of personal value to each writer- for reasons noted in each accompanying text. [ PLAY MIXTAPE ] 01. Operation Ivy – “Sound System” From the album Energy (Lookout, 1989) This song rests on the shoulders of a talented bunch. Included in this bunch is the great Jesse...
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