I am working on a site for an upholsterer in Charlestown, Pa. Here’s what it’s looking like so far.
Web Design: US Asphalt Services
US Asphalt Services is a sealcoating business in Pottstown, Pa. This project involved targeted online advertising during the peak paving season.
Web Design: Beech House
This project was for a sober living house in Pottstown, Pa. I went for a clean and clear design, sticking to black and white and giving everything plenty of breathing room.
Web Design: Red Corner Benefit
Red Corner Benefit is an annual event that raises money for children who are battling cancer. The event’s organizers asked me to build a blog where they could post photos, videos, and information.
Web Design: Elk Dog
Built this site for a band in Phoenixville, Pa. Used a blue gradient and cloud brushes for the background.
Album Review: Calexico, 'Carried To Dust'
By Ross Dallas
Too often, contemporary albums are a jumbled mix of singles rather than a coherent piece. There is no sense of reprise, and 10 out of 12 songs will serve as calk to fill in the cracks around two songs intended for airplay. So, I was delighted when I heard that Calexico was releasing an album loosely inspired by the Hollywood writers’ strike, which tells the story of someone who leaves work, and sets out on a journey with a marked map. The new release, “Carried to Dust,” doesn’t follow this narrative rigidly, but the concept of traveling lays the groundwork for a richly diverse and complex album.
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Dr. Dog's Last Day On U.S. Tour, 2008
By Ross Dallas
You could tell they were tired. It was the last day of Dr. Dog’s longest tour to date, and that morning they were still drinking beer when some people are sipping their first cup of java.
WERS was bustling that Friday. If people weren’t rushing to set up equipment, they were finalizing plans for a quickly approaching Live Music Week, in which the station would host nearly 40 in-studio performances. Everybody was busy, except the members of Dr. Dog. In front of a bright window looking out on Boston Common sat Scott McMicken, Toby Leaman, Zach Miller, Juston Stens and Frank McElroy, quietly staring at the floor. Calm, unassuming and passive, Leaman had the reflective expression of someone waiting for a train home.
Local Homebrew Suppliers Confident Despite Recession
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By Ross Dallas
Americans are spending less and most small businesses are losing money. Restaurants, retail outlets and car dealerships suffer from a lack of customers. But in Cambridge, a business specializing in home beer brewing is thriving. Robert Chasse, who works at Modern Homebrew, says his job is secure.
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Interview: Vampire Weekend's Chris Baio
Chris Baio backstage at The Orpheum in Boston. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Teller/WERS)
Before playing a sold out show at the Orpheum in Downtown Boston, Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio sat down for an interview with WERS.org. Baio talks about blogs, bands and Boston, and reflects on the past 18 months on the road.
You had a few weeks between touring Europe and playing shows on the East Coast. Did you have the chance to work on some new music in that time?
Very little, actually. We did have a practice that was exclusively to work on new stuff and also on a remix together … right before Thanksgiving. Other than that, I mean, we were on Conan and we did the MtvU Woodies, and other than that it’s only been a couple of other days at home really. So it hasn’t been long enough, I guess. Our game plan, as far as new material goes, is we’re going to finish up this tour in a week. We’re going to take two and a half weeks off, and then on January 4th we’re going to regroup and just really start writing and recording.
Do you plan on working with any other artists in the future? Perhaps some African pop musicians?
We haven’t really ruled anything out. I think we’re always open to playing with other musicians and definitely working with other people. For right now the game plan is the four of us in a rehearsal space for the immediate future. But I could definitely see us working with someone else, whether it’s someone that we mix with or someone that we have come play on our record, we’ll see.