MIDNIGHT SNACKS MEETS POP CANDY'S WHITNEY MATHESON!!!!

Pop Candy is a daily blog in USA TODAY's Life section that looks into the world of television, movies, comic books and music with a keen focus on the underground and cult in entertainment.

Written by Whitney Matheson, it has been cited in Wired, Slate, The Rough Guide to Blogging, Stereogum, Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch and RollingStone.com to name a few. She has appeared on several television networks, including VH1, E! and G4 TV.
EPpy named it Best Entertainment Blog in 2008. In 2006, the Weblogs awarded Pop Candy the Best Culture Blog.

Whitney does a great job of letting you know what is out there in the pop culture landscape before it is even a blip on most people's radars. Her column also features an amazing community of tight-knit fans that comment on her stories and bring a lot of humor and fun to the over all expierience of Pop Candy.


I had a chance to catch up with Whitney Matheson while she was at her Mother's home in Virginia.



1. Since you have moved to New York City how has it improved your blog?


I have only lived in New York for a few months, but I can tell you that being in this city has energized me, it has improved my spirit and it has sparked/satiated my curiosity. And I think all of these things directly influence the work, so they just make me a happier and more informed blogger.


2. I think you add fun insights on TV programs such as the VH1 countdown shows and on G4. Is TV something you like doing? Will we see you more on TV this year?


At first, TV wasn't something I liked doing at all. I am a pretty shy person, and I certainly think of myself as a writer and not a "personality" in that way. But now that I've done a few of those shows, I'm more comfortable on camera and I've learned how to have fun with it. I've also met people who have discovered Pop Candy through seeing me on TV, so I see the value in that.


3. Your Pop Candy meetups keep topping each other event after event. If money was no object, what would be your dream Pop Candy meetup?


Oh, my golly. It's really hard to think big when you're used to working with no budget, but I'd love to do an event with great bands and, uh, free food and drinks. And maybe have great art and videos on the walls. Michael Stipe would show up. And there would be fireworks.


4. Will we ever see official Pop Candy merchandise sold on the blog (ie. shirts, mugs, bobbleheads), or does the idea embarrass you?


The answer to one of those questions is yes. I don't think I can say which one.


Thanks Whitney!!!


READ POP CANDY EVERYDAY: http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/

MIDNIGHT SNACKS MEETS EPRHYME!!!

I had a chance to catch up with my friend Eprhyme.

HE'S GOT A 7" SINGLE OUT ON K RECORDS (PUNKLEZMERAP) - that's 3 styles of music- Punk, Klezmer (traditional Jewish music- clarinets and whatnot, Rap), HE RELEASED A SHORT-RUN OF HIS ALBUM "WAYWORDWONDERWILL", which he's working on getting out on a label...check it out!


1.-who were the most interesting people you met in 2008?

lisa smith (enterprise for equity, this woman is pure benevolent adrenaline channeled in to the social work circuit- she really wants to help you), rabbi cheski edelman (olympia chabad, this man is totally commited to kosher chicken and studying any aspect of judaism at any time anywhere with anyone- really inspiring- his door really is always open), the trugman's (chani's family, they left their families and friends and moved to israel in the seventies to start a commune with a mystical musical rabbi- they literally and metaphorically brought "granola" to israel), rose (cannupa's ex girlfriend who is an amazing photo realist graffitti artist and sculptor and poet and singer and she can punch really fuckin hard), crazy joseph (this dude has written a book on weed and judaism called "cannabis chassidus"- total tripper- his name says it all),

Rabbi dov ber Pinson (kabbalistic medtation and beatboxing- what?!) Rabbi moshe aharon (this dude will confuse the fuck out of you in the most enlightening way possible), zack monster (cook at one of the weed farms in mendocino county, ca- this man was straight out of "where the wild things are" a real bfg, he referred to food as "neck-hole material", back rubs as "getting your head squished" and offered sessions of "upside-down time"- he was a cook for the rainbow kitchen "shut up and eat it" and after working the weed circuit in cali every year he goes down to florida to sell christmans trees- he's trying to get to israel to study-

G!D bless him), matisyahu (had shabbat lunch at his house, kicked a rhyme at the table, and ended up rockin a show with him that night in front of a sold out crowd at the williamsburg music hall)

2-Are you ready for new material?

i am not tired of my album cuts. i have too much new material. i actually need to slow down and fuckin rehearse some new shit. i got music comin out of my ears (i know thats the opposite direction that music usually flows, it usually goes into your ears, but this is whats happening, i cant stop it, wrote an album this summer, got ten tracks done on a new one, and just got thirteen new instro for another one...

3-what albums that you are listening to?

MGMT "oracular spectacular", SOUND ASYLUM, PAMELA MCRAE "no secrets between sailors", THE CROSS COUNTRY MIX D-SCRIBE MADE ME BEFORE I DROVE FROM WA-NY, IDAN RAICHEL, SEAL, SHLOMO'S STORIES, CODY CHESTNUT "headphone masterpiece", OUTKAST "aquemini"- never gets old, FUGEES "the score"- never gets old, ETHIOPIQUES "vol. 4"...

Friend Eprhyme @: www.myspace.com/eprhyme