>> Before this week’s #SPOSEGATE, when was the last time a Maine artist wriggled their way into state legislative politics? You don’t need another take on this week’s GOP-manufactured controversy (though Sam Pfeifle’s certainly got a rascally one on page 4), but you can expect Spose—who knows an opportunity when he sees one—to get more out of this deal than any politician. The rapper’s printing up shirts bearing Collins’s image with a #pdank logo emblazoned on a banner over her mouth. Tacky? Clever? Sexist? Irreverent? An effective way to get otherwise-apolitical millennials to turn out the vote for Shenna Bellows this November? Depending on how you slice it, #sposegate (we can’t believe we’re calling it that either) is a little bit of each. But if it helps get Susan Collins and her straight-up evil, pro-Citizens United position out of office, we’ll take it.
>> Regarding the future of GRIME STUDIOS, our ears are planted firmly to the dirt. We at the Tabber make no reservations about fully supporting the relocation venture of this soon-to-be-former Thompson’s Point practice studio. The city needs music played; artists to congregate; noise not to die. Justin Curtsinger, Ahab of the Grime Studios project (see “Finding the Practice” by Nick Schroeder in the June 13 issue), is presently captaining an online fundraising campaign to move operations to 299 Presumpscot St., a location which we’re told bands will be able to play loud as they can without fear of disturbing the neighbors. What quality is more crucial in the modern city? Visit Curtsinger’s crowdfunding campaign at indiegogo.com/projects/grime-studios-relocation to learn more about the plans for the 25-room, 24/7 practice studio.
>> We’re blown back by the buzz all the way over here from Los Angeles rapper MILO’s new album a toothpaste suburb. Yeah, the dude’s originally from Biddeford (his mom, Shay Stewart-Bouley, writes the Diverse City column for this paper), but this has all the makings of a national breakthrough album for this hyper-literate, philosophical, and kinda tender young rapper. Dude’s got solid politics, too. In any case, we’re claiming him. Hear the whole damn thing at hellfyreclub.bandcamp.com.
