December 30, 2009

Music: Staggering (Boy Genius)

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January/February 2010 Issue

With their jangly guitars, headlong rhythms, and callow lyrics, Boy Genius would be an indie-band self-parody if they weren’t so darn likable. Produced by power-pop institution Mitch Easter—a veteran of sessions with R.E.M. and the dB’s—the Brooklyn foursome’s second outing advances the enticing proposition that a toe-tapping ditty can illuminate love’s complexities. Front man Jason Korenkiewicz croons, “I am so mixed up by every move you make” in “Scatterbrain”; on the title track he murmurs, “She is staggering; can’t look away.” Ultimate hipster move: The album is available only on vinyl, but comes with a link for a digital download.

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Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

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