PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater, visual arts, travel, and the Internet.^[1]

History[link]

PopMatters was founded by Sarah Zupko, who had previously established the cultural studies academic resource site PopCultures.^[2] PopMatters launched in the fall of 1999 as a sister site providing original essays, reviews and criticism of various media products. Over time, the site went from a weekly publication schedule to a five-day-a-week magazine format, expanding into regular reviews, features, and columns. In the fall of 2005, monthly readership exceeded one million.

From 2006 onward, PopMatters produced several syndicated newspaper columns for McClatchy-Tribune News Service^[3]. As of 2009, there are four different pop culture related columns each week.

PopMatters is publishing "Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion", ed. by Mary Money, with Titan Books in May 2012. PopMatters published four books in a series with Counterpoint/Soft Skull^[4] in 2008-2009 including "China Underground" by Zachary Mexico, "Apocalypse Jukebox: The End of the World in American Popular Music" by Edward Whitelock and David Janssen, "Rebels Wit Attitude: Subversive Rock Humorists" by Iain Ellis, and "The Solitary Vice: Against Reading" by Mikita Brottman.

Staff[link]

While PopMatters doesn't actually employ writers, it does publish content from contributors located around the globe, based in six continents and numerous countries. Its staff includes writers from various backgrounds, ranging from academics and professional journalists to career professionals and first time writers. Many of its writers are published authorities in various fields of study.^[5]

Editors
Karen Zarker, Sr. Editor, Ops. Mngr., and Books Series Manager
Cynthia Fuchs, Film & TV Reviews
Evan Sawdey, Interviews
G. Christopher Williams, Multimedia
shathley Q, Comics
Arnold Pan, Music
Sachyn Mital, Events
Colin McGuire, Music Reviews

Features Editors
Arnold Pan
Bill Gibron
Matt Mazur
Stuart Henderson
Josh Indar
C.E. McAuley
Jake Meaney
George Russell
Karen Zarker
Sarah Zupko

Contributing Editors Adrien Begrand
Bill Gibron
Matt Mazur
Lynnette Porter

PopMatters also currently hosts an ever-growing number of blogs, including:

• "Moving Pixels," a look at video game arts by G. Christopher Williams;
• "Sound Affects," a music criticism blog edited by A. J. Ramirez;
• "Short Ends and Leader," a multi-faceted film blog by Bill Gibron;
• "Channel Surfing," a television blog edited by Sarah Zupko and Karen Zarker;
• "Graphic Novelties," all things involving comics and graphic fiction, edited by shathley Q;
• "Notes from the Road," live event coverage, edited by Sachyn Matal;
• "Re:Print," discussion of everything books, edited by Gabrielle Malcolm.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• PopCultures.com
• PopMatters on Facebook
• PopMatters on Twitter

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2010)

Tommy Giles Rogers
Rogers after a performance in Louisville, KY in 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Tommy Giles Rogers, Jr.
Born	(1980-12-24) December 24, 1980 (age 31)
Origin	North Carolina, USA
Genres	Progressive metal, metalcore, thrash metal, technical death metal, death metal, deathcore, electronica, industrial, alternative rock, progressive rock
Instruments	Vocals, keyboard, guitar, drums
Years active	1999–present
Associated acts	Between the Buried and Me, Giles, Prayer for Cleansing, From Here On, Undying

Tommy Giles Rogers (born December 24, 1980^[1]) is an American musician, most notable for being the lead vocalist, keyboardist, and founding member of the American heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me. His vocal style combines death growls and screams with peaceful, sometimes falsetto singing melodies.

Musical career[link]

Rogers started his musical career in 1999 by being a guitarist for the metalcore band, Prayer for Cleansing, when they disbanded; Rogers founded the heavy metal band, Between the Buried and Me in 2001; after acquiring a full-lineup they released their three-song demo and then their self-titled debut album in 2002. In 2004 Rogers released a self-titled debut album for his electronica side project, named Giles. Rogers was one of the vocalists for the metal band From Here On and has appeared in numerous other musical projects including the influential metal band, Undying. He is a part of a clothing line and a small musical duo project with Jacob Troth that is known as Jacob Rogers.

He has made a few vocal guest appearances since the success of Between the Buried and Me, such as his featuring in the August Burns Red song "Indonesia" and on the Devin Townsend solo album Deconstruction.

Rogers recorded a solo album under the name of Thomas Giles, entitled "Pulse", which was released February 1, 2011.^[2]

Discography[link]

With Between the Buried and Me

• Between the Buried and Me - Lifeforce (2002)
• The Silent Circus - Victory (2003)
• Alaska - Victory (2005)
• The Anatomy Of - Victory (2006)
• Colors - Victory (2007)
• Colors Live - Victory (2008)
• The Great Misdirect - Victory (2009)
• The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues - Metal Blade (2011)

As Giles

• Giles - Victory (2004)

As Thomas Giles

• Pulse - Metal Blade (2011)^[3]

With Prayer For Cleansing

• The Tragedy - Southern Empire (2004)

With From Here On

• Hope for a Bleeding Sky - Tribunal (1999, 2005)

As a guest

• August Burns Red - Constellations - featured vocals on "Indonesia" (2009)
• The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction - featured vocals on "Planet of The Apes" (2011)
• Intensus - Intensus - featured vocals on "Outlast Robinsum" and "I'm A Wisdom" (2011)
• Johnny Booth - Connections - featured vocals on "Ink and Sky" (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Interview with Tommy Giles Rogers (Italian)
• "Slumber Party" music video by Giles

Nick Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and writer best known for his breakout role as Ron Swanson in the acclaimed NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He is also a woodworker.

Early life and career[link]

Offerman grew up in Minooka, Illinois; his father taught junior high in nearby Channahon. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993. That year, he and a group of fellow students co-founded the Defiant Theatre, a Chicago-based theatre company. Offerman lived in Chicago throughout the mid-1990s, where he participated with the Steppenwolf, Goodman and Wisdom Bridge theatre companies. During this time, Offerman became acquainted with Amy Poehler, who was heavily involved with the Chicago improv comedy scene.^[1]

Film and television appearances[link]

Offerman has appeared in films such as November (2004), Cursed (2005), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Sin City (2005), and The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009). He has been married since 2003 to Will & Grace actress Megan Mullally. Offerman guest-starred on Will & Grace during its fourth season and on King of Queens, playing a plumber on the Thanksgiving episode in the former show and a hobo in the latter show. He appeared on his wife's talk show, The Megan Mullally Show. In 2003, he appeared in three episodes of 24 and has guest-starred in an episode of The West Wing.

He can be currently seen on the TV series Parks and Recreation on NBC as Ron Swanson. Prior to this, his most prominent role was as Randy McGee on George Lopez. He was one of the workers in the factory and the love interest of Benny Lopez. In 2003 he appeared in Gilmore Girls in the episode "The Festival of Living Art", and once again in 2005 in the episode "Always a Godmother, Never a God". Offerman was featured in an early episode of the HBO series Deadwood in which he played Tom Mason, attempted assassin of Wild Bill Hickok. Offerman appeared in episode 15 of Monk's third season, "Mr. Monk and the Election", as a helper for the campaign of Natalie Teeger.

In 2007, Offerman co-starred in the Comedy Central series American Body Shop. Offerman appeared as Capt. Hardy in the 2012 film 21 Jump Street.

Current role[link]

Offerman is good friends with comedic actor Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight Schrute in The Office. The two became friends while auditioning for the same roles early in their careers and remained in touch, with Offerman even building Wilson's kitchen table.^[2] In 2009, Office producers Michael Schur and Greg Daniels offered Offerman a regular supporting role in their NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. Offerman accepted the role of Ron Swanson, the deadpan, government-hating head of a parks department and boss of Leslie Knope, the protagonist played by Offerman's old acquaintance, Amy Poehler.^[1] Slate magazine declared Offerman "Parks and Recreation's secret weapon", and said he regularly stole scenes and "has a gift for understated physical comedy".^[3] Offerman has also been featured in the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital with Rob Corddry and Rob Huebel.

Offerman has said that supporting parts such as that of Parks and Recreation are his ideal roles, and that he draws particular inspiration from the Reverend Jim Ignatowski, the character played by Christopher Lloyd in the 1970s and 1980s sitcom Taxi.^[1]

Personal life[link]

In addition to acting, Offerman is also a professional boat builder and has a side business as a wood craftsman. Offerman makes furniture and other wooden structures such as canoes and boats at his woodshop.^[4] He also released an instructional DVD in 2008 entitled Canoe Building with Nick Offerman, shot by Jimmy Diresta. Diresta's pay for shooting the DVD was a canoe, the second one Offerman has built.^[5] The writers of Parks and Recreation included a fondness for woodworking to his character Ron Swanson. In addition, Offerman's real-life wife Megan Mullally has a recurring role in the show as Ron's second ex-wife Tammy.

He is a fan of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears, and has been featured with fellow NBC actor/comedian and Chicago White Sox fan Craig Robinson in a series of commercials for New Era Cap Company.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Nick Offerman at the Internet Movie Database

Kevin Drew
Performing with Broken Social Scene at the Intonation Music Festival, 2005.
Background information
Born	(1976-09-09) September 9, 1976 (age 35)
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Labels	Arts & Crafts
Associated acts	Broken Social Scene KC Accidental
Website	kevindrewmusic.com

Kevin Drew (born September 9, 1976) is a Canadian musician and songwriter who, together with Brendan Canning, founded the expansive Toronto baroque-pop collective Broken Social Scene.^[1] He was also part of the lesser-known KC Accidental, which consisted of Drew and Charles Spearin, another current member of Broken Social Scene.

Drew has shared in the direction of Broken Social Scene videos under the name Experimental Parachute Movement. In 2008 he wrote and directed a short film called "The Water," inspired by and starring his bandmate and former girlfriend Feist.^[2] In 2009, Drew contributed to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Drew grew up in west Toronto and attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts, along with Metric's Emily Haines,^[3] Stars' Amy Millan and novelist Ibi Kaslik,^[4] where he, Amy and Emily studied drama. He was married to Jo-ann Goldsmith, a social worker and an occasional trumpet player in BSS.

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

• Spirit If... (2007)
• "Love Vs. Porn" from Dark Was the Night (2009)
• We Got Time (2012) by Bob Wiseman for the compilation album Have Not Been The Same.

Broken Social Scene[link]

• Feel Good Lost (2001)
• You Forgot It in People (2002)
• Bee Hives (2004)
• Broken Social Scene (2005)
• Forgiveness Rock Record (2010)

KC Accidental[link]

• Captured Anthems for an Empty Bathtub - (1998)
• Anthems for the Could've Bin Pills - (2000)

Videography[link]

Experimental Parachute Movement[link]

• Apostle of Hustle
  • Cheap Like Sebastian
• Broken Social Scene
  • Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)
  • Almost Crimes (with Chris Mills)
  • Cause=Time
  • Fire Eye'd Boy
• Constantines
  • Our Age 2009
• Stars
  • Your Ex-Lover is Dead
  • Bitches in Tokyo
• Still Life Still
  • Pastel
• The Most Serene Republic
  • Content Was Always My Favourite Colour
• The Water (2009) Starring Cillian Murphy, David Fox & Feist

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Interview with Kevin Drew on kevchino.com
• with Kevin Drew at Prefix
• Interview with Kevin Drew on AOL Music Canada
• Kevin Drew on Myspace

Vieux Farka Touré
Vieux Farka Touré
Background information
Origin	Bamako, Mali
Genres	Rock, Reggae, Soul, World
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Modiba, Six Degrees Records
Website	http://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com

Boureima "Vieux" Farka Touré is a Malian singer and guitarist. He is the son of Grammy-winning Malian musician Ali Farka Touré.^[1]

Biography[link]

Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981 to Ali Farka Touré. Despite his father's discouragement and his family's lineage as a tribe of soldiers, Touré secretly took up the guitar and enrolled in the Institut National des Arts in Bamako, Mali.^[2]

In 2005, Eric Herman of Modiba expressed interest in producing an album for Touré; to do so, he had to acquire permission from Ali Touré, Toumani Diabaté, and other community elders.^[3] This led to his self-titled debut album, produced by Modiba and released by World Village on 12 February 2007.^[4] The album featured Toumani Diabaté, as well as his late father.

Following the release of a remix album, UFOs Over Bamako in 2008,^[5] and multiple tours, Vieux released his second studio album in May 2009.^[6] Fondo peaked at #5 on Billboard's World Albums chart the week of 11 July 2009 and was included in the Village Voice's Top 100 list for 2009.^[7][8]

In June 2010, Vieux was invited to perform at the Opening Celebration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup;^[9] other performers included Shakira, Alicia Keys and K’naan. That month, Vieux also released his first live album, LIVE.^[10]

Vieux released his third studio album, The Secret, on May 24, 2011. The album was produced by Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno and features Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks, and John Scofield. It also features the last collaboration between Touré and his late father.^[11] The album reached the #1 spot on CMJ's New World chart on 10 June 2011.^[12]

The Touré-Raichel Collective[link]

After a chance meeting at an airport in Germany, Israeli singer-songwriter Idan Raichel and Vieux forged a deep friendship that led to an impromptu get together at a small studio in Tel Aviv in November 2010. Joined by Israeli bassist Yossi Fine and Malian calabash player Souleymane Kane, this recording session – acoustic, spontaneous and entirely improvised – resulted in the birth of The Touré-Raichel Collective. The group's debut album, The Tel Aviv Session, was released by Cumbancha on March 27, 2012.^[13] The Touré-Raichel Collective is planning a North American tour for April and May 2012.^[14]

See also[link]

• African fingerstyle guitar
• African music

Discography[link]

• Vieux Farka Touré (2007)
• Vieux Farka Touré Remixed: UFOs Over Bamako (2008)
• Fondo (2009)
• LIVE (2010)
• The Secret (2011)

With the The Touré-Raichel Collective[link]

• The Tel Aviv Session (March 27, 2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site

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