By Jena

Published: December 19th, 2006

Off of Snyder Ave in South Philadelphia, where Jesus figurines ornament the windows and American flags flutter over the doors, there is a mish-mosh of cultures that co-exist and greet each other with friendly smiles. This is where photographer Zoe Strauss finds her muse. Her studio, among the other row homes, is clearly that of an artist. The room overflows with photographs, some in boxes that line the floors, the rest like wall paper, covering the walls. Never have I seen a display of such impulsiveness and unpredictability. Photos of abandoned hoagies, graffiti by the side of the road, and Eagles paraphernalia survive along-side intimate portraits of cross-dressers, abused women and drug addicts. On a rollercoaster of emotions, I am either ...

By Jena

Published: October 27th, 2006

Honestly, it wasn’t a particularly good day for me... I wasn’t banking on Philly’s subway station bringing me out of my funk. Dragging my friend with me, we arrived at 9th and Washington to the Italian Market, and I felt like a lost puppy among the hustle and bustle of the regulars. The market seemed to have a behavior to it that was remarkable mundane. As the women in their work cloths hurriedly picked up dinner, and the workers with their dirty aprons casually stacked crates, it was all the usual. I could sense an attitude from the people that it was their way of life, and for a moment I felt apart of that routine. We started down the East ...

By Jena

Published: October 2nd, 2006

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been searching the internet for a band to be my “new phase” and get caught off guard by some elitist rebel, abrasively ranting about their so-called hard knock lives as an outcast. The Indie Rock crowd is usually the first to gnaw at my ear drums. But all music has a place in my life, whether it’s keeping me going on one of my midnight runs, or getting me ready for class, and I continue to search for the undiscovered. So as my eyes scan past the Indie genre label to a picture of the lanky, shaggy-haired duet with raccoon-like painted faces, I was skeptical to say the least. But my negativity was ...