Media Watchin’

Here are a few items worthy of note that we discovered poking around various magazines and such:

It’s fair to assume that because they’re based in NYC – the epicenter of the art world – New York Times art critics aren’t likely to be spending much ink on exhibitions tucked away far outside of the five boroughs, like, say, in Saratoga Springs. Which is one reason that we’re so thrilled to see Holland Cotter’s sparkling review of “The Jewel Thief” exhibit at Skidmore College’s Tang Museum. Kudos to curator Ian Berry…

Tom Lindsay and Michael Eck are the members of the folk duo Lost Radio Rounders. But they’ve also collaborated on some magazine articles for the pretigious, coffee-table-worthy magazine Fretboard Journal. Their latest tag-team effort – Lindsay snaps the photographs, while Eck pens the article – is on stands now in the current issue. This one’s about Woodstock guitar builder Joe Veillette, while a sidebar focuses on Veillette employee Martin Keith, who also builds a series of deluxe electric basses under his own name. Both Veillette and Keith are musicians who perform around the region in a variety of ensembles ranging Prana to Uncle Rock. Fretboard Journal is available locally at Guitar Center in Colonie and Borders in Saratoga Springs.

If you’re an indie rock fan, you’ve probably run across Jack Rabid’s magazine The Big Takeover sometime during its 30 years of ranting ‘n’ raving ‘n’ rock reviewing. In the current issue – No. 67 with Teenage Fanclub on the cover – the mag gives a big shout-out to Nippertown’s own The Last Conspirators, as Bryan Swirsky reviews the band’s latest CD, “When It All Comes Down”: “A five-song follow-up to ‘Warparty,’ this equally potent recording hints these guys are not only are on to something good, they’re just getting started. Fronted by Upstate NY punk legend, Tim Livingston (whose credits go back to Killed-By-Death style Albany punks, the Morons), the band fills the same sonic space as the Clash, Adverts, Ruts, Stiff Little Fingers and New Model Army. If you want to know where the real songwriters in punk are this day and age, look no further.”