About Eric Shapiro
Eric Shapiro
I am a lifelong New Yorker who spends a good portion of my time gorging on and regurgitating big meaty hunks of culture, musical and otherwise. I try my best to avoid the cliches that come along with wearing skinny jeans and flannel shirts in a cosmopolitan locale, but I'm writing for a website called Indie Shuffle, so it's probably useless. My life has its own personal soundtrack, but feel free to borrow a few tunes. Feedback is always welcome.
Indie Rock Review: Above The Fold Band – Deep End of Down – “Press On” Review
March 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally published on indieshuffle
In an album loaded with angst and heartache, “Press On” provides a much-needed dose of unrestrained optimism.
From its opening drum roll to its final chorus, this standout track exudes positive energy, suggesting that for all the sorrows chronicled throughout Above the Fold’s debut album, Deep End of Down, guitarist/vocalist Sean Gibson sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
“FDR and the Jews” Authors Richard Breitman and Allan J. Lichtman Speak at Center for Jewish History
March 8, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOn Thursday, March 7th from 6:30 to 8 pm, distinguished historians Richard Breitman and Allan J. Lichtman delivered a lecture at the Center for Jewish History, moderated by Elizabeth Borgwardt, on their new non-fiction book, Roosevelt and the Jews. Read More
What Game of Thrones Season 3 MUST Get Right (Spoilers)
March 7, 2013 | Eric ShapiroWarning: This article contains massive spoilers from A Storm of Swords and, by extension, season 3 of Game of Thrones. Read no further if you haven’t read the book and want to be surprised.
In only two seasons, Game of Thrones has established itself as not only a worthy adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s beloved fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, but one of the best drams on TV in its own right.
Kipsey’s Restaurant Brings Fresh Comfort Food, Laid Back Atmosphere to Kips Bay
March 4, 2013 | Eric ShapiroFor a lot of new restaurants, trendy is the name of the game. “What kind of gimmick can we come up with to get a bunch of impressionable tourists off the street into our establishment?,” you can almost imagine the … Read More
2013 Oscars: The Onion’s High-Tech Lynching of Beasts of the Southern Wild Star Quvenzhané Wallis
February 25, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDuring the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony (sorry, the Oscars), satirical publication The Onion set Twitter ablaze with an outrageous – and, many claim, racially-charged – tweet about 9-year-old Beasts of the Southern star Quvenzhané Wallis. And just what were those 17 inflammatory words that sparked such an uproar on the night of the Oscars?
American Idol Star Phillip Phillips Plays JFK Airport Terminal 5
February 18, 2013 | Eric ShapiroMost would not count waiting for plane flights as among life’s most pleasant activities. However, flyers lucky enough to be present at New York JFK Airport’s Terminal 5 (not to be confused with the concert venue) at 3:00 PM today … Read More
Marco Rubio’s State of the Union Response: Mitt Romney with a Latino Twist
February 13, 2013 | Eric ShapiroYou needn’t bother watching Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) strikingly mediocre response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address. It boils down to this: in their cynical analysis, the G.O.P. is convinced that its dogmas will sound better coming from the mouth of a Hispanic-American with humble roots than a lily-white plutocrat born with a silver spoon in his Mormon mouth.
Music Monday: Grouper – The Man Who Died in His Boat – “Vital” Review
February 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally Published on indie shuffle
Many artists, spurred by critical acclaim for an album, feel compelled to subvert listeners’ expectations with a radical departure from their sound, whether because they are emboldened by lavish praise or because they are determined to avoid being pigeonholed.
Music Monday: My Bloody Valentine – MBV – “Only Tomorrow” Review
February 11, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally published on indie shuffle
Twenty-two years after the release of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, cited by critics as one of the finest albums of the 1990s, the band’s new LP, humbly titled MBV, has finally arrived. Those expecting the band’s songwriter, Kevin Shields, to single-handedly change the direction of music like he did in 1991 will be surprised to find that the album picks up pretty much where its predecessor left off. That’s not to say it’s by any means disappointing.
Pondering the Ethical, Legal and Practical Implications of the C.I.A. Drone War
February 7, 2013 | Eric ShapiroToday’s tumultuous confirmation hearing for John O. Brennan, the Obama administration’s outgoing foreign policy adviser and current candidate to head the C.I.A., highlights a growing fault line among liberals, Democrats and progressive activist groups like Code Pink (and to a lesser extent, … Read More