In an era where indie rock artists like the Arcade Fire have become Grammy-winning superstars, there’s a massive danger of the genre being diluted and exploited.  Fortunately, there’s still plenty of unpolluted musical treasures to discover in the genre.

I’ve been scouring over a ton of new and obscure bands of late, but one of the first emerging acts I discovered this year remains arguably my best find — Brooklyn, New York’s The Antlers.  The band overnight earned a place in my favorite indie rock bands of all time, alongside the likes of Belle and Sebastian and Stars.

Fronted by Peter Silberman the band truly came together at the end of 2007 with keyboardist Darby Cicci and percussionist Michael Lerner.

The Antlers' full lineup came together at the end of 2007 and produced the brilliant album "Hospice" in 2009.

Prior to that Silberman had released a full length In the Attic of the Universe.  In the Attic… was ethereal, psychedelic, and dreamy.  Overall it was a very pleasant listen.  But at the end of the day it was just one more listenable, but unextraordinary record joining the masses of indie releases.

Clearly the addition of the new members and personal events in Silberman’s life (an abusive relationship) proved a catalyst.  In 2009 the band released Hospice an album that is nothing short of pure brilliance.

I’m always emphasizing that there’s plenty of good bands, but at some point you have to make an macroevolutionary leap in sound and production to truly stand out

The Antlers made that kind of leap.

Silberman’s voice bears a great deal of similarity to Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.  This lilting falsetto went from spacy on In the Attic… to painfully haunting on Hospice.  And backing it now is a wall of sound owing to the band’s new additions.

The result is a brilliant concept album telling the tale of an abusive relationship between a hospice worker and his terminally-ill patient.  The album’s opening track “Kettering” sets the tone for what is to come.  Its lyrics are crystal clear, poignant, and beautiful.  It’s the kind of song that makes the hairs on your arms and back stand on end.

Standout tracks on the rest of the album include “Sylvia”, the uptempo jam “Two”, and “Bear” — a track that may become modern indie rock’s counterpart of Ben Folds Five’s alternative rock class “Brick” (whoops gave away what the song was about!).  This is an album where every song is great, but some songs are absolutely startling in their brilliance.

The band (and French Kiss Records, their label) have been kind enough to leave up fan posted tracks on YouTube.  Listen through the album and see what you think:

"Hospice" Album Cover

Hospice by The Antlers
1. Prologue
2. Kettering
3. Sylvia
4. Atrophy
5. Bear
6. Thirteen
7. Two
8. Shiva
9. Wake
10. Epilogue

If you enjoy what you hear I have some very GOOD news for you.  The Antlers’ new album Burst Apart drops May 10.

But that’s not all.  On Sunday, June 12 The Antlers will be visiting The Magic Stick.  This intimate venue offers a great chance to see bands up close.  Don’t miss the chance to see this great act up close before they become huge.  My friends and I are going to be in attendance, so if you see me, say hi.

If you’re looking for a reliable and easy way to donate we encourage you to visit any of the following websites:

• AmeriCares: AmeriCares makes one promise to donors: “when people are in crisis, they will get the help they need, wherever they are, whenever they need it”. They also claim that more than 98% of their overall expenses go to support their programs. They are a part of the Better Business Bureau’s Accredited Charities.
• Red Cross: Not only does the Red Cross have a long standing history of providing relief efforts around the world but we are confident that the proceeds collected will truly reach those in need.
• The Salvation Army: According the Salvation Army website, they have been at work in Japan since 1895. They current operate more than 80 centers there, including two hospitals and four children’s homes. The website allows donors to select a fixed amount to donate or input any amount that they chose. Teams of Salvation Army workers were sent to Japan’s hardest hit areas immediately after the disaster occurred and will continue to remain in the region until enough work has been done to stabilize the most severe areas.

• · UNICEF: The organization is fundraising to help the children in Japan. The website claims that donations will go to help children with medical issues, housing issues, humanitarian needs or any other issue created by the catastrophe.  To donate, just click on the link and head over to the website.

If you’re looking to donate but don’t have a lot of time to deviate from your daily routine, here are a few simple and ultra convenient ways to contribute:

• Facebook: While you’re busy reading the latest Detroit Chic articles or updating your status you can head over to the “Causes” page and make a donation. There are currently 5,004 donors and 5,713 promoters on the site. Facebook set a goal to raise $300,000 and they currently report that they have raised $295,816.
• Apple iTunes: If you’re syncing your iPhone or updating your playlist, take a break and click on the Red Cross page. The donation is quick and the funds are processed through your iTunes account.
• Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make and automatic donate $10 to the Red Cross. Millions used this method to donate to Haiti victims and the campaign was highly successful. This is the fastest way to donate and your contributions will help support thousands.
• Text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 to the Convoy of Hope, a humanitarian aid organization centered in Washington, D.C.
• Text JAPAN to 864233 to donate a flat rate of $10. What’s an easier than sending a quick text? Nothing! So get to it!

*Photo is the property of Reuters and they retain all rights to it.

April is Poetry Month!!

Greetings, readers!  April is a very special month.  Since 1996 it has been designated as National Poetry month.  What is poetry?  Poetry is one of those simultaneously almost indescribable and altogether wonderful expressions of humanity.

Like visual art (graphics design, pastel, charcoal, paint, sculpture, ink, and more), poetry comes in many different shapes and forms.  Some are very formulaic and require a precise and meticulous formation.  But often master poets and amateurs alike adopt a more free flowing style.

You don’t need an English literature degree to appreciate poetry.  Like art, to the expert eye a poem may hold additional meanings, but much of interpretation is a personal journey.

Poems are best enjoyed out loud.  Though some may be embarrassed at first, you will find that they are the perfect accoutrement for your journeys to the coffee house, your nights camping in the woods, etc.

You can write your own poems.  But you can also find great meaning and self expression in the poems of others!  Much like you may be drawn to certain quotes, certain poems can sum up a indescribable sea of emotions in a careful procession of prose.

Detroit Chic is looking for volunteers who would like to share a poem of their creation with our community in honor of National Poetry Month.

As it would be unfair to hold you to a standard I can not fulfill my self, I’ll act as your first volunteer and try to contribute on a weekly basis.

For me poetry is something very near and dear to my heart.   I’ve been writing poems since my teenage years.  I still remember going to poetry workshops at my local library.  As I grew older in my teenage years, I felt embarrassed by those experiences.  ”Poetry” wasn’t exactly a cool thing to be into like “music” or “sports” — not at my high school, at least.

But as I grew older I came to appreciate how truly “cool” personally connecting with and celebrating poetry is.  There’d be no music, without a sense of poetry, and no one can deny music is about as cool as it gets!

I’ll admit I don’t always make time for poetry any more.  But I’m very grateful for its impact on me, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without it.

To kick off the celebration of poetry month, I will share with you a poem I wrote today.  I wrote it soon after driving by a melting patch of snow, while listening to NPR’s discussion of Libya and the transition of leadership…

Dear Jay:

Me and my ex-boyfriend broke up about 3 months ago because he cheated on me (more then once). Since then, I’ve been working two jobs and trying to take care of our 10 month old daughter all by myself. I don’t think I have to say that it has been hard. But last week he started texting me and talking about how he wants to get back together. Aside from cheating on me, he also never got a job, never pays child support and spends most of his time at the gym with his friends or partying. He says that he has changed and I want to believe him but I don’t know what to do. My friends say forget him. But inside my heart, I want my daughter to have both parents in her life and to have a normal family. Can you help? I don’t know what to do!

Ericka – Detroit

Ericka,

This one hits SUPER close to home for me. I have to tell you right away though, do NOT let him back in YOUR life. My husband did the same thing to me after I waited a year for him to finish his service in Iraq. He came home and cheated on me while I was pregnant with our son, more than once. Since then I have been begging and pleading for him to come home and now when I look back on it, I was a fool. If this was a situation your daughter was in what would you tell her? Im so embarrassed that I let him do this to me and have me still there waiting (not saying you have). You have done GREAT. Keeping busy, raising your daughter…

Please know that a “normal family” is one that has love and respect for each other. Two parents who stay together, unhappy, for a child is NOT normal, in fact it will cause more tension and negativity that the child will pick up on. So, normal can also mean a step parent as long as they have vowed to show love to the family they take on. Now, I know its hard being a single mother, especially if your child was planned like mine was and I thought we both were going to be experiencing and enjoying this together, and I also know how you will always have that tiny string attached to her father because, well, its her father! But my best advice for you is actually advice I have given myself (as of VERY recent), keep him out of YOUR life, and let him be in the child’s as much as HE allows himself to be. Update him WHEN HE ASKS, send a photo, let him speak to her on the phone. There is no reason to keep her from him, she can decide one day how he measures up as a father, and maybe he’ll be great in this area. But, when the conversation begins to stray towards you, cut it short. This may sound harsh, but what is more harsh than cheating on the woman who carried your child for 40 weeks, gave birth to that child, and raised him/her? You are doing something truly AMAZING, and by him cheating on you he is telling you that to him, you are doing nothing of value. The coming back is because he realizes that his selfishness is quickly being replaced with loneliness, too bad. He made a choice, he is an adult and must live with that choice. Women have kind hearts and can allow for some error, but repeated error tells us that we are not valued the way we should be.

Keep strong and please know you are not alone. Sometimes I get the feeling I am and it breaks me down, then I get the gift of meeting people like yourself and knowing that WE ALL can do this, and we will find someone who can give us what we DESERVE for all of the hard work we have done and sacrifices we have been forced to make.
Go kiss that little girl and know that you are a great mother and she deserves to see you smile.

With Love, (a fellow single mommy) Jay

Shamrock Pub in downtown Utica opens at 9am, serves a limited menu and charges no cover. Information and directions are available by calling (586)731-6886.

Old Shillelagh in Detroit is hosting its 20^th Annual Tent Party and claims to have the “largest St. Paddy’s Day celebration in Michigan”. Doors open at 7am and tents open by 8am. Cover is $10 and is good all day and night. There will be $4 shot specials at all bars and patrons are encouraged to find “Shooter Girls” for $3 Shooter Specials. For more information about the party or to find deals on local hotels you can check out: http://www.oldshillelagh.com/st_patricks_day.htm.

O’Connor’s Public House in downtown Rochester is scheduled to have Channel 955’s Mojo in Morning broadcasting live at 6am, a 4,000 square foot party tent, four bars and six different bands on four stages. The bar’s website claims that, “It’s the BIGGEST party in Oakland County!” There is no cover between 6am and 10am. Cover is $10 after 10am. A limo will be available on a first come first serve basis to take patrons anywhere within a 10-15 mile radius of the pub for roughly $10. For more information you can check out: http://www.oconnorspublichouse.us/ or call (248)608-2537.

Dick O’ Dow’s in downtown Birmingham opens at 7am and has three different bands scheduled. Live music starts at 10am and as always, there is no cover. Party goers can get more information by calling (248) 642-1135.

Hamlin Pub: has 6 locations in Rochester Hills, Lake Orion, Shelby Township, Clarkston and Chesterfield. Each location opens at 7am and live entertainment throughout the day. The Rochester Hills location will have 96.3 Radio Station at 10am, breakfast at 7am and specials on Irish Car Bombs and Jameson. The Chesterfield location will have a free breakfast for military, police and firefighters. The Clarkston location will feature specials on Bud and Bud Light bottles and Jello Shots. There is no cover at any Hamlin Pub location. Directions for each location can be found here: http://www.hamlinpubs.com/locations.aspx.

Muldoon’s: A Local Tavern has two locations; one in the heart of Downtown Utica and another in Rochester Hills. The Utica location will have a heated tent, green beer specials, a DJ inside and a band outside. The Rochester Hills location will have live music featuring 2 Days Gone, green beer specials and giveaways. There is no cover at either location. Contact information for both locations is available at http://muldoonstavern.com/

Dooley’s Tavern features 3 different locations. The Sterling Heights location opens at 6am and starts serving patrons at 7am. They will have live entertainment all day and a party tent. The 89X Radio Station will be at the Sterling Heights location from 7am-10am. Drink specials will occur throughout the day. The Roseville location also opens at 6am and starts serving patrons at 7am and will feature live bands and bag pipers throughout the day.  The Mt. Clemen’s location open at 7am and has live music all day. Cover is $5 at all locations and patrons may travel from location to location on the Dooley’s Party Bus. Buses run every 45 minutes and those taking the bus do not have to pay cover at each location, only once. Check out the Dooley’s website for location details or more information: http://www.dooleysirish.com/.

O’ Tooles Irish American Grill and Bar in Royal Oak will have green beer and a special food menu featuring Corn Beef Sandwiches and other Irish specialties. Bagpipers will play throughout the day and DJ Juice will play live music at 10pm. There is no cover if you beat the line and $5 cover afterwards.

Gus O’ Connor’s: in Sterling Heights opens at 7am with a continental breakfast. There will be live entertainment throughout the day including Irish dancers and bagpipers. There will also be a beer tent serving green beer and Guinness. Cover is $5. Contact information and directions can be found at: http://www.gusoconnors.com/.

This week’s question comes from Alaina in Romeo:

My boyfriend and I recently moved in together (like 3 months ago) and everything is great. But there is a problem- HE IS SO MESSY. I try really hard to talk to him about it but always ends in a fight. I really care about him and I’m happy that we’ve taken the next step in our relationship but I can’t live in a pigsty any longer. How can I get him to help without sounding like his mother?

Alaina,

YIKES! This is something I’m sure a LOT of women can relate to! The thing is though; he chose to make a decision to SHARE a home with you. He needs to learn to treat it as such. This isn’t his room anymore where his mother comes in lovingly and turns clothes on the floor into perfectly folded fresh laundry in the drawer. I’m sorry that when you try to express yourself it turns into a fight, but I think it may be because he’s not realizing WHAT exactly you are mad at. If this was his home on his own and you complained then yes, he could get upset. Maybe approach the situation differently. Instead of coming at him attacking the life he has ALWAYS known (aka a mother’s love) maybe tell him that you live differently and in a tidier manner. And then you both can find a common ground of what he can be a little messy with and what should be squeaky clean (and REALLY put emphasis on when guests arrive!) But I will say that this has to be something you must keep talking about, because I truly believe being open and honest, even if it’s something someone does not want to hear, is the right way to go about a relationship you’d like to last. And by the sounds of how things are going it looks like he is your “one” Good luck with the adjusting. This should be an easy fix and you two will be one step further in the relationship!

Best of luck!

-Jay

Submissions should be sent to detroitchic.contactus@gmail.com. Photographers should include their name, title of the photo, contact information and a short biography (less than 150 words). Only one photo will be accepted from each photographer.

Photos will be accepted in the following categories:

• Nature
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Let’s see those winning shots, Detroit!

In 1999, Detroit police officers began moving out of the city after the state revoked mandatory residency for municipal employees. Today, 53 percent of Detroit’s 2,845 police officers live outside of the city.

But now, Bing plans to lure 200 Detroit police officers back to live in the city through a plan that will offer them renovated homes for as little as $1,000. This plan is part of Bing’s Public Works Program, which aims to move residents from dangerous areas to safer ones with better city services. The renovated homes will be located in the East English Village and Boston-Edison neighborhoods, which are considered the safest areas in Detroit.

To do this, Bing will use $30 million from the Neighborhood Stabilization fund to renovate 200 homes with forgivable loans and no down payments for Detroit police officers. Each home will receive $150,000 worth of renovation, and will be energy efficient. Officers who accept the incentives and move into a renovated house will be required to live there for a period of time that was not specified on Monday, or they will lose the incentives.

Detroit police officers and city residents alike have expressed positive opinions of the new plan. In fact, 50 officers inquired about the plan by Monday evening. Officer William Booker-Riggs, who currently lives in Southfield, plans to accept the offer and move back to Detroit.

Officers who are already living in Detroit will receive the same incentives as those officers who are being lured back to the city if they agree to move to one of the two neighborhoods.

“It’s good to serve where you live,” said Detroit police officer Yolanda Sharpe, a 13-year veteran who lives in the city.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing

In addition to officers and residents, the Detroit City Council is enthused about the prospect of safer neighborhoods due to more police officers living in the area as well.

“Anytime we have people moving to Detroit, it’s a great thing,” said Councilman James Tate. “The challenge will be making the move worthwhile to police officers. We definitely want to look at how City Council can help and make this plan as efficient as possible.”

The next step is to offer the same incentives to city firefighters. Bing says he’ll “beg for additional dollars” to make it happen, and firefighters have been receptive to the idea.

“We’re excited that the mayor is looking at positive avenues,” said Dan McNamara, president of the firefighters union.

Bing has high hopes that this new plan to move Detroit police back to the city will act as a model for others to live where they work in order to produce better neighborhoods.

“We hope this serves as a call to action for other corporations, organizations and individuals to live where they work,” said Bing. “Detroiters want to live in safe, clean neighborhoods. They deserve nothing less.”

Click here to check out the audio clip from Detroit Chic’s EXCLUSIVE interview with DJ Beaver!

This week’s question comes from Madisin in Saint Clair Shores:

“I know that I shouldn’t be snooping through my boyfriend’s phone but I did and found some text messages from another girl about meeting up with him. I don’t know this girl and he has never mentioned her before. He has never cheated on me (that I know of) and always treats me good but this really worries me. Should I be worried? Should I confront him? Please help, I’m about to lose my mind and my boyfriend is starting to notice something is up.”

Madisin,

I’m NOT one to snoop in a man’s phone. I am nowhere near the perfect girlfriend, but I know that things can be taken the wrong way when we feel like our security is being threatened. You should have concern but no worry. You have to remember men and women are the only two sexes in the world. He is bound to have a relationship with a girl other than you, not romantically. Now you are in a tough spot: your mind is racing and you’ve become “less” of yourself but if tell your boyfriend his trust will be broken. I think you know what you have to do. You need to admit to your snooping and ask him directly. It would be fun if life were a movie and you and a girlfriend could tail him around spying, but this is the real world and things like that may dig you deeper into a hole should this turn out to be nothing. I know it’s hard to accept, but if he is cheating it will surface somewhere. I once had a guy who spent every second with me. One morning I woke up and he had left for work. I wanted to be cute so I logged on his computer to change his background image to a picture of us and his facebook chat was up.  I read through an entire conversation with a girl. I found out he was cheating but to get there I has to betray his trust. Two days later someone told me about his little affair. I would have found out either way.

Some girls have such a perfect guy that they get nervous and look for flaws (I’m guilty of this as well). He treats you good, ENJOY IT! Not many out there will.

So, yes, confront him, apologize and do expect there to be some tension from him for a while for the snooping. But at least this way you will start to act more like the girl he’s used to. If he is cheating, that’s a whole other issue I would love to help you with.

Goodluck : )

-Jay