We know the news hasn't been good for the Seattle Times folks of late, or for their soon-to-be ex-colleagues at the Blethen Maine Newspapers (the Press Herald/Sunday Telegram, Kennebec Journal, and Morning Sentinel).

It's been bad for a while, but it just got even worse. Sure, we told you back in August 2006 that the Press Herald would soon be for sale, and we told you (20 minutes before the Press Herald's own Web site told you) when that became official company policy on St.

As longtime Mad Horse Theater Company artistic director Andy Sokoloff leaves the company in pursuit of a new career, some longtime members are stepping in to take over.

Barb Truex, who has helped with Mad Horse for several years, will be the new executive director. Christine Louise Marshall, a veteran performer and costume designer for Mad Horse, will be the artistic director.

If Carl Wilson hadn’t mentioned Elliott Smith in his book about Celine Dion (reviewed here), I don’t think Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste would have made such an impact on me. I spend about one paragraph of the review hinting at the emotional ton of bricks Wilson’s book heaved upon me:

“Those who bemoan it [naked inspiration and catharsis in popular music] aren’t necessarily averse to emotion - the artifacts of indie culture are, by and large, quite sensitive - but they recoil at seeing it laid bare.

Rustic Overtones have released a video from a song off their once-and-future "new" album, Light at the End (reviewed by Sam Pfeifle back in July), in honor of today's national release on Velour.

The song is "Letter to the President," which is in rotation on the Overtones' MySpace page if you want to just listen to it.