National Building Museum

The World's Top Architecture Museums
Jonathan Lerner

Spending so much of our lives inside them, and surrounded by them, we often take buildings for granted. But architecture can help us understand history and grapple with the future. The following fascinating museums are dedicated to buildings, cities and landscapes

Taking the Kids To San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences
Eileen Ogintz

We're at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, which in the year since it has re-opened has emerged as the city's top cultural tourist attraction, drawing more visitors than Alcatraz

Political History of the Stars & Stripes
by Andrew Burt

The history of the American flag is the story of a nation struggling to find its identity, Woden Teachout argues in her new book, Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism. Teachout, a professor of graduate studies in history and culture at the online Union Institute and University, recently spoke about the evolving meaning of the flag in American culture.

Book Review: Phish: The Biography - By Parke Puterbaugh
Don’t be digging into Parke Puterbaugh’s new Phish: The Biography looking for details of who consumed how many drugs and how wasted they were when they did – and shame on you if you do. Move on, my friend; be glad that all hands have returned from the dark side and are smiling once again. I suppose you could say that Puterbaugh’s love for the band no doubt tempered his attack, but there’s not a whole lot left out that we need to know – and what’s here is a good read for those who love the band.

Gallery: Las Tortugas Festival - Yosemite, CA 10/29-11/1/09
Las Tortugas Festival, held in Yosemite, CA from October 29th - November 1st, 2009.  Artists included Umphrey's Mcgee, Tea Leaf Green, The Mother Hips, New Monsoon and more.  All photos by Susan J. Weiand

Sights & Sounds: Vulture Whale - 'Bamboo You' [mp3]

The Hot Spot: Crash Kings
LA based trio, Crash Kings, are putting their own unique spin on the three-man-band concept.  Fusing keyboard-born compositions with agressive layers of rock, their crafty tunes are accomplished without the hint of a guitar.  Incorporating a clavinet (a keyboard with guitar strings) outfitted through a distortion pedal, the result is an arsenal of innovative and rich sound.

Gallery: Roger Daltrey - House of Blues, Boston MA 11.8.09
Roger Daltrey performing at the House of Blues in Boston, MA on November 8th, 2009.  All photos by Richard Gastwirt

Sights & Sounds: Morningbell - "Lets Not Lose Our Heads" video premiere

Show Review: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - performing The River - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 11/8/09
It’s been a little over a week since Bruce Springsteen returned to the NY Metropolitan area.  After closing down Giants Stadium with two performances each of Born To Run and Born In The U.S.A apiece (but sadly only one of Darkness Of The Edge Of Town), the two Garden shows looked to be even more special.  Earlier that week, it was announced that on the first night, he would play The Wild, The Innocent And The E Street Shuffle and on the second, the entire 20-song double album, The River.  Neither of these had ever been performed in their entirety and the second show looked to be an especially ambitious project, even for The Boss.  Then again, Bruce wouldn’t have tried if he knew he wasn’t up to it.

Sights & Sounds: Beach House - "Norway" - from Teen Dream due 1/26

CD Review: KISS - Sonic Boom
Before even listening, Sonic Boom suffers from some degree of disingenuousness just because they dressed Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer up as Ace and Peter. C'mon guys, at least Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent got their own Kiss persona. And gee, the cover art looks a little familiar too.

CD Review: Elliott Brood - Mountain Meadows
When you hear the title phrase Mountain Meadows, you may think of pastoral fields growing high in the sky with peaceful ease, not so for this Canadian trio.  Elliott Brood has constructed an aggressive electric folk period piece that deliberates on, or at was least inspired by, the Mountain Meadow Massacre of 1857.  Things kick off hot and mean with the best track on the album “Fingers and Tongues”; guitars ring with confidence over a feedback drone and ghost-like backing vocals.

CD Review: Mark Karan - Walk Through The Fire
Some four years in the making, Mark Karan's Walk Through The Fire nevertheless sounds like it was recorded in a single inspired yet relaxed moment of inspiration. The songs, the arrangements and the musicians are all in sync and the combination of Karan's self-production and Gavin Lurssen's mastering preserves the warmth as well as the clarity of the album's sound.

Sights & Sounds: Flaming Lips - "Watching The Planets" (YouTube)

Feature: Truckin' On: Rob Koritz On DSO, Post-Kadlecik
One of the scene's most visible bands has a certain void, now that word's out that John Kadlecik will exit Dark Star Orchestra early next month.But in an exclusive interview with Glide, DSO drummer Rob Koritz reminds us not to worry -- Jeff Mattson's aboard (at least for now) and Dark Star has big things ahead in 2010.

Feature: The Gaslight Anthem - Fist In The Air
 As the drummer for New Jersey’s grit-punkers The Gaslight Anthem, you might suspect that Benny Horowitz might have developed a bit of an ego, considering that The ’59 Sound, the Gaslight Anthem’s second LP has been making the rounds on every critic’s “Best of...” lists. It’s chugging, relentless, fist-in-the-air anthems even garnered the attention of Bruce Springsteen. The ’59 Sound has garnered heaps of comparisons to The Boss’s immortal sound, and he even graced them with his presence during their encore at Glastonbury this year.

Sights & Sounds: Neil Young -"Dreamin' Man" (mov)

Stars join Children in Need fun
Top names from the worlds of TV, music and theatre are taking part in this year's Children In Need show.

Lady Gaga joins royal gala show
Eccentric chart-topper Lady Gaga is to sing for the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance at Blackpool's Opera House.

Oprah announces end of talk show
A tearful Oprah Winfrey announces her talk show will end in September 2011 after 25 years on the air.

EastEnders festive scripts stolen
Scripts for the Christmas episodes of EastEnders are stolen in a burglary at a writer's home, the BBC confirms.

One dead in Cyrus tour bus crash
An accident involving Miley Cyrus' tour bus kills one passenger and injures several other people, US police say.

Healthy Forsyth back on Strictly
Bruce Forsyth is well enough to host this Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing after missing last week's show because of flu.

Monkey joins Hawley on stage
Richard Hawley teams up with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner at a London gig that saw him hint at a future collaboration.

Peter Kay confirms tour dates
Peter Kay announces his first solo dates for nearly seven years, with four nights in Manchester next April.

Blur scoop top UK festival prize
Rock group Blur's Glastonbury set is named the best headline performance at this year's UK Festival awards.

YouTube gets automatic subtitles
Automatic captions for YouTube videos are to roll out across its channels, says parent company Google.

Herzog to chair Berlin film jury
German director Werner Herzog will head the jury at next year's Berlin Film Festival, organisers announce.

Artist Jeanne-Claude dies aged 74
US artist Jeanne-Claude, whose dramatic installations included The Gates in New York's Central Park, has died aged 74.

Painting in final Archers outing
Actor Norman Painting, the voice of Phil Archer, will make his final appearance on the long-running radio drama on Sunday.

Artist to induce seizure on stage
A charity raises concerns over plans by a dance artist with epilepsy to induce a seizure on stage as part of a performance.

Nick Cave and the Bad Sex in Fiction award?
Singer Nick Cave joins acclaimed authors Philip Roth and Paul Theroux on the shortlist for this year's Bad Sex in Fiction award.

N-Dubz pair give rape statements
Two rappers from pop trio N-Dubz make statements to police as witnesses in a case of an alleged rape.

Peas manager says sorry to Hilton
The manager of US group the Black Eyed Peas apologises to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton over a nightclub assault.

Forgery threat to music festivals
The UK's summer music festivals face a threat from counterfeit wristbands, an industry adviser warns.

Liam Gallagher 'demoing' songs
Singer Liam Gallagher says he will begin recording a solo album with the remaining members of Oasis early next year.

Twilight sequel tipped for record
Teenage vampire movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon is expected to score one of the biggest opening weekends ever for a non-summer film, experts predict.

Hudson to play Winnie Mandela
Hollywood actress Jennifer Hudson will play the controversial ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnie, in a forthcoming film.

Ferrell 'most overpaid film star'
Hollywood comedy actor Will Ferrell tops a list of film stars whose returns offer the least value for money.

Valentino on Oscar doc longlist
A film about fashion designer Valentino is one of 15 titles eligible for the best documentary Oscar next year.

M&S Christmas TV ad 'offensive'
Some viewers accuse the High Street retailer of sexism in its latest ad featuring Ashes to Ashes actor Philip Glenister.

Nicole Richie treated in hospital
Actress Nicole Richie is responding well to treatment for pneumonia in a US hospital, her publicist says.

'Exhausted' Dallerup quits jungle
Dancer Camilla Dallerup quits ITV1's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! after telling viewers: "My body can't take it."

Lloyd Webber is back in hospital
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is re-admitted to hospital after developing an infection following surgery for prostate cancer.

Television queen
Is Oprah's announcement that her talk show will stop in 2011 the end of an era or the start of a new one?

Queen mother
Freddie Mercury's mother shares her memories of him

Enigma aberration
Elgar's terrible trombone playing

Soul Power
James Brown's sax man Maceo Parker recalls his career

Magic moments
Some of Oprah's most memorable shows

In pictures
Helena Christensen documents climate change

Anti climax
Nominees for the Bad Sex in Fiction award

Movie Review | 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon': Abstinence Makes the Heart ... Oh, You Know
The big tease turns into the long goodbye in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

To Blacks, Precious Is ‘Demeaned’ or ‘Angelic’
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” has sparked heated debate about its meaning since its limited release.

Winfrey Bets on Her Future With Cable
Oprah Winfrey will end her daytime talk show in 2011 as she prepares to start a cable channel of her own.

Art Review | 'The Origins of El Greco': Saints at a Cultural Crossroads
A lustrous exhibition at the Onassis Cultural Center of Venetian Crete, where East met West, and artists painted the divine.

Music Review | Philip Glass: Glass Looks to the Heavens, Again
Philip Glass’s weighty and tangled opera, “Kepler,” which arrived at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Wednesday, examines the relationship between science and religion.

Theater Review | 'The Orphans' Home Cycle': Heart of a Small Town, Vast in Its Loneliness
The first part of Horton Foote’s “Orphans’ Home Cycle” is a thrilling demonstration of an artist soaring into the realm of the epic.

Exhibition Review | 'Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop': Flights of Mind, Brought to Life
The Discovery Times Square Exposition’s show actually brings you closer to understanding the real workshop of Leonardo: his mind.

Nickelodeon’s Stepchild, Eager for More Love
As the musical children’s show “Yo Gabba Gabba!” continues to take significant steps into mainstream popular culture, its producers crave more support from its network.

Film: Opening Wide His (Repaired) Heart
After heart surgery, the comedian Robin Williams has become more introspective and more grateful for what he has.

Art Review | 'Tim Burton': A World of Macabre Misfits
Given the appeal of Tim Burton’s movies, you would hope that the Museum of Modern Art’s expansive retrospective of his noncinematic art would be equally exciting. Alas, it is a letdown.

Jeanne-Claude, Christo’s Collaborator on Environmental Canvas, Is Dead at 74
Jeanne-Claude worked with her husband, Christo, on dozens of environmental arts projects, including “The Gates” in Central Park in 2005.

Oscar Short List of Documentaries Draws Controversy
A screening committee from the documentary branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences overlooked at least a half-dozen prominent films.

Books of The Times: ‘You Know That Chicken Is Chicken, Right?’
Jonathan Safran Foer uses his literary gifts to give the reader some very visceral, very gruesome descriptions of factory farming and the slaughterhouse.

Movie Review | 'Broken Embraces': Almodóvar’s Happy Agony, Swirling Amid Jealousy and Revenge
Can there be such a thing as exuberant melancholy? I can’t think of another way to describe the spirit of “Broken Embraces.”

Theater Review | 'In the Next Room, or the vibrator play': Beyond Electricity, Toward Female Emancipation
Alert the authorities. Shocking sexual acts are taking place in this inspired new comedy by Sarah Ruhl.

Theater Review | 'Twelfth Night (or What You Will)': Gender Switch in Illyria, With Players 8 Inches Tall
What the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater does is improbably fabulous, and they’re doing it again in their sublime new production.

Movie Review | 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans': A New Orleans Mystery: A Cop So Bad, He’s Good
Pain, addiction and craziness fuel “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.”

Art Review | 'Alias Man Ray': Mercurial Jester, Revealing and Concealing
A traditional retrospective on Man Ray, with an irresistible biographical hook, at the Jewish Museum.

Movie Review | 'The Blind Side': Steamrolling Over Life’s Obstacles With Family as Cheerleaders
“The Blind Side” is a movie made up almost entirely of turning points and yet curiously devoid of drama or suspense.

Music Review | American Classical Orchestra: An Intimate Concert, With Original Instruments
The ensemble’s program of works by Haydn and Mozart on Wednesday at the New York Society for Ethical Culture was informed, earnest and lively.

Movie Review | 'Planet 51': A Misunderstood Alien, but Not as Smart as E.T.
The agreeable but flagrantly unoriginal “Planet 51” belongs to the mix-and-match school of animated moviemaking.

Movie Review | 'Mammoth': Bourgeois Bohemians, There’s a Price to Pay
In “Mammoth,” when a rich child eats her lunch in New York, a poor boy in the Philippines cries.

Music Review | Aprile Millo: Strauss, Neapolitan Tunes and a Festive Singalong
The soprano Aprile Millo made her New York recital debut with an eclectic program of works by Donaudy, Wolf-Ferrari and Rachmaninoff at the Rose Theater on Tuesday.

Dance Review | Wally Cardona: A People-Oriented Piece, Featuring Kierkegaard
In “Really Real” Mr. Cardona features six core dancers to convey the idea of an individual trapped in a collective.

Inside Art: Bronzino Is Given His Museum Moment
In January, a 16th-century draftsman finally gets his due at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Antiques: Comeback for Furniture at Carnegie Museum
The furniture galleries at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh reopen on Saturday and now explore design trends that spread globally during the last five centuries.

Art in Review
Carl Fredrik Hill at Scandinavia House, Dexter Sinister with Performa, Frederick Hayes at Number 35 and more.

Review: The Beginnings of Divination
An exhibit at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington on the Fal-Nameh, or Book of Omens, may lead to discoveries that will throw some light on its emergence in 16th-century Iran and Turkey.

Review: What Is Real, What Isn't?
"Art and Illusions" at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence shows off 150 works of trompe l'oeil from antiquity today.

On the London Stage: A Poet, a Composer and a Love of Theater
“The Habit of Art,” the Alan Bennett play, has at its complexly poignant core W.H. Auden and Benjamin Britten.

On the London Stage: On the London Stage, a 'Little Voice' Grown Powerful
Jim Cartwright's "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice'' tells of a teen familial face-off; and "Pains of Youth" presents a creepy image of pre-wartime doctors.

Review: Moscow's Second Stage Revels in the Homegrown
The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater in Moscow is showing a dynamic new "Hamlet" and an insightful staging of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor."

Design: Mistakes in Typography Grate the Purists
Typographic gaffes often crop up in various public places as well as in television programs and movies, offending designers who work with typefaces on a daily basis, and study them lovingly.