Posted By Jordan Adams on Thu, Dec 28, 2017 at 6:00 AM

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Courtesy Images

Earlier this week, we revisited some of the best Vermont singles of 2017 — no easy task when you have world-class talent dropping records left and right.  The endeavor was so daunting, in fact, that we needed to break in to two parts. Check out the exciting conclusion, below.

Tags: Barika , Kat Wright , Josh Panda , Loupo , Stephanie Heaghney , Max Bronstein , Sam Paulino , Somba , Swale , Image , Video , Web Only

Posted By Jordan Adams on Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 6:00 AM

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Courtesy Images

2017 was a bountiful year for Vermont music. Numerous established acts added to their legacies with sparkling releases. And an influx of new talent turned heads and left its mark, as well.

To make sense of it all we're recapping the best local singles of 2017. Listen to and enjoy part one of this two-part series below — and tune in for part two on Thursday, December 28. But be warned: These tracks are bound to get stuck in your head for weeks to come.

Tags: singles , Emma Cook & Questionable Company , Near North , Ebn Ezra , Guthrie Galileo , Clever Girls , Image , Video , Web Only

Posted By Jordan Adams on Fri, Dec 22, 2017 at 6:00 AM

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Courtesy of Kayhl Cooper

Sabouyouma

Noise Ordinance has spent hours cataloging and chronicling the Vermont music scene through high-quality studio session and biographical videos. Like, a lot of videos. In fact, the Burlington-based music publication and production company has produced so much content that when combing through the archives to identify our favorite performances from 2017, we had to split the results in two.

Tags: Noise Ordinance , Sabouyouma , Erin Cassels-Brown , JUPTR , Smooth Antics , Yes Darling , Ryan Montbleau , Hayley Jane , Midnight Snack , the DuPont Brothers , SoundBrother , Image , Video , Web Only

Posted By Jordan Adams on Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 6:00 AM

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Courtesy of Kayhl Cooper

Left to right: Danny Whitney, Loupo, Stephanie Heaghney

If you're fortunate enough to get some time off for the holidays, you're probably looking forward to filling your break with as much activity and productivity as possible. But let's face it: Despite your good intentions, we all know that you'll devote at least one day to reconnecting with your couch. And on that day, you're going to need something to binge-watch.

Tags: Noise Ordinance , Navytrain , Cole Davisdon , J Bengoy , Ivamae , Steady Betty , Loupo , Stephanie Heaghney , Danny Whitney , Swale , Image , Video , Web Only

Posted By Dan Bolles on Tue, Dec 19, 2017 at 3:57 PM

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Courtesy of 'Take Magazine'

'Take Magazine'

Take Magazine is calling it quits. In a December 15 post on its website, the arts and culture mag announced that it would cease publishing online content by the end of the year and publish one last physical issue in early 2018.

The reason for the abrupt closure should come as little surprise to anyone familiar with the modern print media landscape: declining revenue.

"We just didn't didn't get the traction, particularly with advertisers," Take publisher Michael Kusek told Seven Days. "And with readers."

Tags: Take Magazine , Michael Kusek , publishing , magazines , Image , Web Only

Posted By Kymelya Sari on Mon, Dec 18, 2017 at 1:02 PM

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Kymelya Sari

Volunteers and members of Green Mountain Bhutanese Organization

Some say that sports bring people together. That was literally true last Saturday, as Bhutanese communities from Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y., were in Burlington to meet old friends and compete in the second interstate volleyball tournament.

Hosted by the Green Mountain Bhutanese Organization, the daylong event was held at Edmunds Middle School.

"Because of this sport, we can bring our community together, to spend leisure time together," said GMBO president Raghu Acharya.

Tags: Volleyball , Green Mountain Bhutanese Organization , P S Volleyball , Upstate Dragons , Image , Web Only

Posted By Pamela Polston on Tue, Dec 12, 2017 at 3:43 PM

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Courtesy of Catherine Brooks

Catherine Brooks (at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan)

The Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh might not be known for festive parties, but that's exactly what took place on November 30. The occasion was to honor outgoing director Jane Williamson for 20 years of tireless devotion to the museum — not to mention achievements that earned the venue national acclaim.

A highlight of the evening was a big surprise: Staffers pulled down a temporary banner to reveal the words "Jane Williamson Gallery" installed in relief over the entrance of said gallery. The room, used for exhibitions and events, is on the first floor of the museum's newest building. The capacious contemporary venue is a far cry from Williamson's tiny, cramped former quarters in the bathroom-less historic former farmhouse.

The event's other surprise, at least to many of the assembled guests, was from Williamson herself: She announced that the new director would be Catherine Brooks, former president of the Rokeby's board of trustees.

Tags: Rokeby Museum , Rowland and Rachel Robinson , Underground Railroad , anti-slavery , Ferrisburgh , Image , Web Only

Posted By Sadie Williams on Tue, Dec 12, 2017 at 12:10 PM

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Oliver Parini

King Street Center and community volunteers painting the Moran Plant with Clark Derbes in 2015

A colorful collaborative mural on the west side of the Moran Plant building recently received some uninvited additions. "Fuck me," one carelessly scrawled message reads. "Pussy" and "Anal" also made the grade, as well as a handful of hastily fashioned octopi, or maybe squid. In contrast, there are also a few little red hearts. The bare brick walls on either side of the mural were untouched.

The original mural was created in August 2015 and was a collaboration of artist Clark Derbes, 10 kids from the King Street Center, nonprofit developers New Moran and more than 40 community members. At the time,  Derbes told Seven Days, "I think the kids that were there will maintain a sense of ownership over that project," referring to the then-anticipated redevelopment of the Moran structure by the New Moran team.

Tags: Clark Derbes , mural , Moran Plant , New Moran , King Street Center , graffiti , public art , Image , Web Only

Posted By Sadie Williams on Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 4:18 PM

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Caleb Kenna

L to R: Jack and Lydia Clemmons with their daughter Lydia

Tucked among Charlotte's many scenic vistas is a 148-acre family-owned farm that has quietly become a vibrant multicultural center dedicated to celebrating African American heritage through the arts.  The Clemmons Family Farm launched programming in the summer of 2016 and began hosting public events this past summer. And it just got a massive boost toward future programming in the form of a $350,000 grant from ArtPlace America's National Placemaking Fund.

Tags: Clemmons Family Farm , Lydia Clemmons , Jack Clemmons , ArtPlace America , Charlotte , Image , Web Only

Posted By Sadie Williams on Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 3:24 PM

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Bad Luck Goods

Mary, Mary Patch

The recreational use of cannabis is yet to be fully legalized in the great state of Vermont. But plenty of locals still partake, including a growing number of medical cannabis users who do so legally. And that's to say nothing of industrial hemp — that's cannabis low in THC — which is increasingly harvested for its cannabidiol, aka CBD.  CBD is extracted in oil and added to lotions, salves, chocolates and oil-based pills of all sorts. It's an easy, plant-based way to mellow out after a long day — especially before the parade of anxiety-inducing holiday parties and family events .

With that in mind, we've put together a little gift list of seven CBD and THC-related goodies for you and your loved ones this year.

Tags: Cannabeat , cannabis , medical cannabis , gifts , CBD , hemp , Image , Web Only , Video