Stealth. That has been the watchword of the Koch brothers and their allies since they laid out their plan of attack on the country's political system some 40 years ago. Do all our work under cover of darkness, they decided. The other side won't know what hit them until it's too late.

True to its roots, the University of Arizona's Freedom Center, whose funders include the Kochs and members of the Koch network, prefers to avoid publicity whenever possible. It succeeded admirably when it managed to sneak the high school course, Phil 101: Ethics, Economy, and Entrepreneurship, into the TUSD curriculum. The school board had no idea the course was being taught at four of its district's high schools.

The course remained well below the TUSD board's radar throughout its first year, 2016-17, and into the second. That's when I got a tip about its existence and did some digging. In October I wrote about the course and its connections to the Freedom Center. Others in the media followed suit. The Freedom Center folks were not happy.

At a December meeting, the TUSD board decided to cancel the course at the end of the school year, though the members left the door open for putting it back into the curriculum at a later date. In July, the board took up the topic once again but tabled a vote on whether to reinstate the course. One reason was, the textbook, which was written by the same people who created the course, had not been properly authorized by the board.

Skip forward to the present. The district planned to have a 60 day public review of the textbook, which is standard operating procedure prior to authorization. The review was set to begin September 4, but the book's authors said they wouldn't allow the district to put a digital copy online, even though that's what most publishers do these days. That meant anyone wanting to take a look at the book had to go to a district office and sit there reading a hard copy.

TUSD responded by postponing the review until it can form a committee to evaluate the textbook.

On Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m., the Fox Tucson Theatre will host The Australian Pink Floyd Show. It is a tribute show that performs the music of Pink Floyd. The show includes a light and laser show, video animations, filmed sequences on a large LED screen as well as other special effects. These effects will be accompanied by several large inflatables like a pink kangaroo.

The Australian Pink Floyd Show began in 1988 and has performed in over 35 countries worldwide and sold-out audiences throughout Europe, UK, America, Canada, South America, Israel and Russia. The show has collectively sold 4 million tickets. The tickets for the local iteration of the event range from $37-$87.

  

Get a load of this: the Screening Room will get extra kinky this October with Dan Savage’s HUMP!, a home-made-porn film festival. The festival features short porno flicks, five minutes or less, all made by people who aren’t porn stars but get to be one for the weekend.

The self-proclaimed filmmakers and stars shoot their movies to show the audience what they think is sexy, wild or wacky. The films showcase a veritable pornocopia of different body sizes, shapes, ages, colors, sexualities, genders, kinks, and fetishes.

"It’s hard to believe HUMP! has been going strong for 13 years,” Savage says of the festival. “We are always amazed at the variety of films we receive each year. Choosing the films that ultimately make it in the festival is a huge challenge. Audiences will be watching things that take them outside their comfort zones. Some of it is hilarious. Some of it is romantic. Some of it is totally raunchy.” 

So if you feel like experiencing over a dozen new and adventurous homemade movies with a bunch of strangers in a dark room, get on over to The Screening Room. All-in-all, HUMP! is a celebration of sexual freedom and inclusion.

See the HUMP! Film Fest Oct. 11 - 13. The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. $20. humpfilmfest.com

Saturday Sept. 15:

Liverpool 2, Tottenham 1

Liverpool found its fifth win in five games with an impressive victory against Tottenham Hotspur. Georginio Wijnaldum opened the mark for the Reds in the 39th minute after some messy clearing in the box by the defenders, before he headed the ball across the line with the referee granting the goal. Roberto Firmino then gave the away side some breathing room in the 54th minute with a tap-in after some messy play from the goalkeeper and the defenders. Erik Lamela gave the home team a goal in the third minute of stoppage time, but it was too late to salvage a point. Firmino was named “man of the match” and Liverpool now sits atop  the league standings, behind Chelsea on goal differential.

A.F.C. Bournemouth 4, Leicester 2

Bournemouth sits in fifth position after their exciting goal-filled game against Leicester. Eddie Howe’s men started the game strong, scoring three goals in the first half, including two break-away goals by Ryan Fraser and a penalty by Joshua King. The Foxes were slow to come back into the game, especially with Wes Morgan receiving a red card in the 69th minute. Adam Smith then knocked down a fourth goal for the home side in the 81st minute, guaranteeing three points for Eddie Howe and his men. Leicester were able to score two quick goals in the 88th and 89th minute from James Maddison and Marc Albrighton, respectively, but were unable to mount a comeback. Ryan Fraser was named “man of the match” and now has a total of three goals and two assists in this year’s campaign.

Chelsea 4, Cardiff City 1

Chelsea continue their red-hot start to the season with their fifth consecutive win over a struggling Cardiff City, who have yet to find their first win since their promotion. Sol Bamba gave the away team the lead at the 16th minute with a short-distance volley, before Eden Hazard took over the game for the home team with a hat-trick. Willian then sealed the victory for the Blues with a beautiful curling shot into the top right corner from outside the box. Hazard was named man of the match and now leads the league in goal scoring with now 5 goals to his name.   

Crystal Palace 1, Huddersfield Town 0

It was a tight game between the two lower-half placed teams, with Wilfried Zaha’s 38th minute goal being the only difference. Zaha had missed Palace’s previous game versus Southampton with a groin injury but was able to bounce back with a superb goal. Zaha came down the left wing, pushing the ball past two defenders before slotting it in the right side of the goal from a difficult angle, barely inside the box. Zaha was named “man of the match” and continues to be Roy Hodgson’s stand-out man. Huddersfield still awaits their first win of the season.

Manchester City 3, Fulham 0

Despite their hiccup against Wolves in late August, Manchester City continue to show why they are still favorites to win this year’s Premier League. The Citizens dominated all statistics of the game and cleanly took the three points they came looking for. Two early first-half goals from Leroy Sané and David Silva put the home team in the lead and two minutes into the second half Raheem Sterling extended that lead. Bernardo Silva was awarded “man of the match” for his playmaking on offense, including five key passes. Manchester City now sits in third only two points behind the top two, while Fulham fell to 15th place.

Arsenal 2, Newcastle United 1

After dropping two tough games to Chelsea and Manchester City in August, Arsenal have started to find their footing and now boast a three-game winning streak. Both teams finished the first half goal-less, but Granit Xhaka was able to score a beautiful free-kick at the start of the second half to give the Gunners the lead. Mesut Özil then gave the away side some cushion with a second goal in the 58th minute. The hosts were not able to fire back until stoppage time, where Ciaran Clark headed the ball home on a counter-attack, but it was not enough to salvage a point. Alexandre Lacazette was named “man of the match” for his constant attacking threat despite claiming a goal himself. Arsenal continue to climb the table, while Newcastle remain in the relegation zone with only one point.

Manchester United 2, Watford 1

Manchester United have now won two games in a row for the first time this season after their tight win over Watford. The Red Devils scored twice in the space of three minutes in the first half, with Romelu Lukaku scoring off of an Ashley Young cross in the 35th minute and Chris Smalling getting his own shot off in the 38th minute. Andre Gray pulled back a goal for the home team with a goal in the 65th.  Manchester United held on, despite constant pressure in the last 20 minutes and even a red card for Nemanja Matic in stoppage time. Marouane Fellaini was named “man of the match” as the club tries to push its way into the top teams. This was Watford’s first loss this season, but they still remain in the top four.

Sunday Sept. 16:

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Burnley 0

Wolves have now won three games in a row after their victory over last-placed Burnley. Despite 30 attempts, the home side was only able to score one goal, but it was enough. In the 61st minute, Raúl Jiménez was able to score from the center of the box with a shot to the bottom-left corner of the goal.  Burnley were rarely a threat with only a few chances coming to Johann Berg Gudmundsson late in the game. Joao Moutinho was named “man of the match” as he controlled the game with 77 passes, more than anyone else on the field. The Wolves are now in the top half of the table and hope to stay. Burnley, however, continue their worst start to a top-flight season in 91 years.  

West Ham United 3, Everton 1

West Ham finally put an end to their disastrous start with their first win. Andriy Yarmolenko’s two first-half goals put the away side in comfortable position before Gylfi Sigurdsson scored just before the half time whistle went off. Manuel Pellegrini’s men faced a difficult second half but were able to extend their lead in the 61st minute with a clinical strike from Marko Arnautovic, right after a one-two with Pedro Obiang. The Hammers were able to hold the lead for the rest of the game and climb out of last place. Felipe Anderson was named “man of the match” and showed why the club spent $47 million on him over the summer.

Monday Sept. 17:

Southampton 2, Brighton & Hove Albion 2

Monday’s game featured a lot of action as the two lower-half teams battled it out for important points. Southampton took the lead in the 35th minute after a beautiful 35-yard strike from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg finished in the bottom left of the goal. Danny Ings gave the home side a second goal from a penalty in the 65th minute, but Brighton were quickly to crawl back Shane Duffy’s header off of a free-kick. Glenn Murray ultimately tied the game with a late penalty in stoppage time, resulting in a point for each side. Højbjerg was named “man of the match” for his wonder-strike and midfield dominance. Both sides now have five points sitting in 13th and 14th place, with Southampton ahead on goal differential. This is second week in a row that Brighton have crawled back for a 2-2 draw.

Zach’s Team of the Week:

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

Defenders: Chris Smalling, Virgil van Dijk, Shane Duffy, Joseph Gomez

Midfielders: James Milner, Ryan Fraser, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

Attackers: Andriy Yarmolenko, Roberto Firmino, Eden Hazard

Honorable Mentions: Marouane Fellaini, Wilfried Zaha.

Welcome to the fourth (official) week of the college football season, better known as the unofficial opening weekend of conference play in the Pac-12.

It's been a no good, ugly year so far for most of the conference, with last week's disastrous defeats by Southern California (to the University of Texas) and ASU (to San Diego State) sucking the air out of an already well-worn cadre.

The relative winners last Saturday, in Oregon, Stanford, California, Colorado, Washington State and Arizona did so by beating up a litany of middling squads.

It's hard to get too worked up about your team's potential when you beat one of the following colleges: University of California-Davis (Stanford), San Jose State (Oregon), New Hampshire (Colorado), Eastern Washington (Washington State) and Southern Utah (Arizona).

Three of those teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as 1-AA), with UC-Davis, New Hampshire and Southern Utah combining to go 23-14 in the lower level of competition, with Oregon surviving against a mediocre San Jose State team at home.

It's arguable that the lone quality win that was earned last week occurred during one of the few intra-conference battles, with Washington surviving in the SLC against Utah, 21-7.

This week's slate of games will tell us a lot about the true pecking order within the Conference of Champions, with an undefeated Washington State squad squaring off against USC on Friday.

Elsewhere, Oregon and Stanford put their dueling 3-0 records on the line at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, while Washington and ASU meet late at Husky Stadium.

The only conference stinker of the week is Arizona's clash against Oregon State, which the Pac-12 banished to the depths of its TV network at 1 p.m. PDT.

Without further ado, here's how I see the conference stacking up heading into the fourth week of the season.

1. Stanford (3-0, 1-0)

Last Week: Beat University of California-Davis, 30-10

The Cardinal won a glorified scrimmage over in-state squad UC Davis in front of an announced crowd of 31,772 (Stanford Stadium seats 50,000, for perspective). David Shaw's squad rolled over Dan Hawkins' squad to improve to 3-0 for the season, despite one-man highlight reel running back Bryce Love missing the game with a concussion. They won by three scores over the Broncos, despite only out-gaining their foes by 43 yards (351-to-308), thanks to a defense that forced three UCD turnovers. The Cardinal won't have anywhere near as much fun this Saturday, when they'll make the trek into Eugene to face another undefeated team, Oregon, in a late-afternoon showdown. It'll be interesting to see how the Cardinal do in slowing down the Ducks' dynamic offense, led by quarterback Justin Herbert, who ranks fifth in the Pac-12 among QBs in passing yards per game (280.0) and first in touchdowns scored (12). The matchup to watch in the Cardinal-Duck clash is between Stanford's explosive wideout JJ Arcega-Whiteshide and Oregon WR Johnny Johnson III, who have 460 receiving yards and 9 touchdown catches combined this season.

2. Washington (2-1, 1-0)

Last Week: Beat Utah, 21-7

Washington did what it needed to in order to survive in the Wasatch against Utah on Saturday, knocking off the Utes, 21-7, to improve to 2-1. The Huskies offense, behind senior QB Jake Browning, did just enough to get the win, with Browning throwing for 155 yards and a touchdown, while back Myles Gaskin pounded the ball up the middle, gaining 143 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. The Huskies' defense was the real MVP on the road, limiting Utah to 138 passing and 123 rushing yards, while forcing three turnovers in the process. The Huskies haven't looked like world-beaters so far, losing to Auburn to open the season, before rebounding against North Dakota in week two. They do, however, appear to be the conference's second-best team so far, ahead of an intriguing home game against ASU at 7:30 p.m. PDT in Seattle.

3. Oregon (3-0, 0-0)

Last Week: Beat San Jose State, 35-22

The Ducks are a mystery wrapped in an enigma, mostly due to the pathetic schedule they've played under first-year coach Mario Cristobal. Oregon has beaten a trio of no-name opponents, in Bowling Green, Portland State and San Jose State this season, by a combined score of 155-60, with the aforementioned Justin Herbert leading the way at QB, throwing for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns, to a mere four interceptions this season. We'll know for sure whether the Ducks early-season success is a fluke or not come Saturday, when they'll host the Cardinal in the heart of the Willamette Valley.

4. Colorado (3-0, 0-0)

Last Week: Beat New Hampshire, 45-14

The Buffaloes have looked awfully impressive this season, against in-state rival Colorado State, former Big 8 rival Nebraska and New Hampshire, outscoring the four by a score of 123-55. It's clear that the Buffs are the class of the classless Pac-12 South, which says more about their competition than their accomplishments to-date. Their success rests on the rocket arm of quarterback Steven Montez, who's looked phenomenal to-date, with 855 passing yards and 8 passing touchdowns in four games, throwing two measly interceptions so far. Montez is one of, if not the best all-around QBs in the conference, and has the potential to guide the Buffs to heights unreached since their pinnacle in the early-1990s. It'll be interesting to see how CU fares in its conference opener against UCLA a week from Friday, and whether their early season success is for real, or simply a Rocky Mountain aberration.

5. California (3-0, 0-0)

Last Week: Beat Idaho State, 45-23

The Bears' first three games, against UNC, BYU and Idaho State have shown that coach Justin Wilcox's Berkeley-based football renaissance is alive and well. The Golden Bears have looked sharp in their three games, with their 21-18 win over the Cougars in week two looking better and better by the day. The Bears don't have the sexiest offense in the conference by any means, with QB Chase Garbers slinging the ball modestly well, with 454 yards and 6 touchdowns in three games, while Patrick Laird leads the team in rushing, with 147 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. The biggest difference between Wilcox and his predecessor, Sonny Dykes, is on the defensive side of the ball—with Cal ranking third in points allowed (19.3), fourth in yards per game allowed (302.3) and first in interceptions forced (7) this season. They'll have a chance at proving their early success is for real a week from Saturday, when Oregon comes to Berkeley in what could beat a battle of undefeated teams, depending on how the Ducks fare against Stanford this week.

6. Washington State (3-0, 0-0)

Last Week: Beat Eastern Washington, 59-24

Washington State's early success has, like most of its conference mates, come at the expense of mediocre competition, beating Wyoming, San Jose State and EWU. That said, they have looked dominant in those three contests, outscoring their foes to the tune of 131-43 in three games. The Cougars open conference play on Friday night, when they'll face the daunting task of traveling to the City of Angels to face Southern California, who's gotten waxed by Stanford and Texas in consecutive weeks. It'll be interesting to see if the Cougs, and senior QB Gardner Minshew can continue their early success, with Minshew leading the conference in passing yards (1,203), to go with a respectable 8 passing touchdowns this season.

7. Utah (2-1, 0-1)

Last Week: Lost to Washington, 21-7

The Utes had a grand opportunity to take a monumental first step in their quest to clinch their first Pac-12 South championship on Saturday night against the Huskies. Unfortunately for Kyle Whittingham's squad, they fell flat in that endeavor, losing in a listless effort, 21-7, to the Huskies. The Utes enter their bye week with more questions than answers on the offensive side fo the ball, looking sloppy against their first two opponents, Weber State and Northern Illinois, before looking downright incapacitated against the Huskies. The Utes rank in the middle of the conference offensively, sitting seventh overall in rushing (153.0 YPG) and ninth in passing (247.7 YPG). The Utes will have to step it up on that side of the ball on the other side of their week off to have a shot in their division, which is ripe for the picking, with USC and UCLA at historical low points right now.

8. Arizona State University (2-1, 0-0)

Last Week: Lost to San Diego State, 28-21

The New Leadership Model in Tempe crashed to earth in spectacular fashion against San Diego State on Saturday night, with the Devils' inept rushing attack cursing them to a 28-21 defeat against the Aztecs. The Devils, who captured the nation's hearts after a butt-ugly 16-13 win over Michigan State in week two, with a last-second Hail Mary that was originally called complete subsequently getting overturned in the game's final seconds. It was an odd final sequence, as SDSU defensive back Trenton Thompson was called for targeting after tackling ASU wideout Frank Darby near the Aztecs' goal-line. The refs decided to review the targeting penalty, as well as whether Darby actually caught the ball or not. They decided that Thompson did in fact commit targeting, but that Darby did not maintain possession of the pass, which meant that the Devils only got a 15-yard penalty, instead of the ball at the SDSU 5 yard line with mere seconds left on the clocks and a seven-point deficit. The Devils' final play from the line of scrimmage fell incomplete, capping off a wild win for the Aztecs and a crippling defeat for first-year ASU coach Herm Edwards. Edwards' squad looks to get back on-track this week in the Emerald City against Washington, kicking off in Seattle at 7:30 p.m. Arizona time.

9. USC (1-2, 0-1)

Last Week: Lost to Texas, 37-14

Few teams have looked more discombobulated this season than Clay Helton's Trojans squad, with Saturday's embarrassment in Austin serving as the latest chapter. The once-mighty Trojans were drummed by the Longhorns, 37-14, with UT scoring 34 unanswered points to bury their visitors from LA. The Trojans defense wasn't terrible against the Longhorns, holding them to 394 offensive yards in the loss. The problem, as has been the case for much of the young season, was the team's inability to do anything constructive on offense, with the Trojans once-vaunted rushing game racking up negative yards on the ground. True freshman quarterback JT Daniels showed flashed of brilliance, with 322 passing yards. The problem is that no offense can survive when there's literally no threat of running the ball for positive yards, and USC is no exception. Expect Helton's bunch to do everything they can to establish the rush on Friday, in a must-win game against Washington State in the Coliseum.

10. Arizona (1-2, 0-0)

Last Week: Beat Southern Utah, 62-31

The Wildcats found salvation against an FCS school that most in attendance had likely never heard of before Saturday's clash, beating Southern Utah to the tune of 62-31. There were several highs for the Wildcats, no doubt, in their first win of the season, including QB Khalil Tate's passing explosion and Tony Ellison's 111-yard receiving performance at wideout. The Wildcats did what they had to against a lesser opponent to pick up coach Kevin Sumlin's first W in Tucson, but still managed to surrender 31 points and 463 offensive yards to an FCS program. This week's clash against Oregon State shouldn't be a lot tougher, providing the 'Cats a final punching bag before their real conference foes line up in succession. It'll be interesting to see whether Tate, who had 19 rushing yards on four carries against SUU, will be healthy enough to run it more against the Beavers this week, or if Arizona's offense will rely on its stable of running backs to provide balance as the season progresses.

11. UCLA (0-3, 0-0)

Last Week: Lost to Fresno State, 38-14

It's hard to imagine a worse way for Chip Kelly's time in the City of Angels to begin, losing to Cincinnati, Oklahoma and Fresno in successive weeks. Kelly's squad has looked incoherent on both sides of the ball, with an offensive line that appears to be made of house brand Swiss cheese and a defense that's sprung more leaks than the Titanic. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been a sitting duck for the Bruins so far, completing a mere 54.7 percent of his passes, with two passing touchdowns in three games. The team's rushing attack hasn't fared much better this year, averaging 3.5 yards per rush in three contests, ranking dead-last in the conference in rushing yards per game, at 130.7 yards per game. It'll be interesting to see if Kelly can hammer things out before their next game, against Colorado in Boulder on Friday, Sept. 28, or if this season's dead on arrival.

12. Oregon State (1-2, 0-0)

Last Week: Lost to Nevada-Reno, 37-35

The conference's favorite punching bag of-late took another haymaker to the chin on Saturday, when the Mountain West's favorite sparring partner, Nevada, beat them 37-35 in Reno. The Beavers have what might be the Pac-12's worst defense, giving up 46.3 points per game, to go with 552 yards per game, 295.7 passing yards per game and 226.3 rushing yards per game (all of which are worst in the Pac-12 this season). The Beavers will look for salvation at home against the men from Tucson this week, playing the conference's second-worst defense, statistically. It'll be interesting to see whether Jonathan Smith's Beavers squad can hang with the Wildcats, who are 6.5 point favorites on the Beavers. Fans of both teams might need to keep a bottle of eye wash nearby, as this one has the potential to be rather ugly for all involved. 

There have been some interesting developments in the world of classic American staples recently, such as Heinz announcing their production of Mayochup.

What is this strange pink-ish orange substance you ask? Well, its apparently the perfect mix of ketchup and mayonnaise.

In April the internet furiously debated the new condiment, good or bad? It's something little kids have been making variations of for ages, but now the mixture is hitting shelves for real.

The condiment, however, will not make it nationally at first, and Heinz's marketing team has set up a contest to see which city will get the funny pink sauce first.

Through midnight tonight you can vote on Twitter for which city should get saucy first. The city that gets the most Tweets will get a Food Truck Takeover and be the first to officially try the new Mayochup: 

#Mayochup is here. And these saucy cities Tweeted #Mayochup the most. Vote for your city by Tuesday, 9/18 by 11:59 PM CST to be among the first to taste it.

— Heinz Ketchup (@HeinzKetchup_US) September 17, 2018

Voting ends tonight, so make sure to get your vote in.

Today marks another celebration of classic American food, as it is National Cheeseburger Day!

Now there is only one question left to ask... Would you put Mayochup on a Cheeseburger? 

Find more Claytoonz here.

Hot Blues & Brews Tuesday. Sometimes music and beer is exactly what a Tuesday calls for. In fact, it can only be a matter of time before they change the name of Tuesdays to “Bluesdays” or “Brewsdays.” But even before the name change becomes official, the Gaslight Music Hall is here to save you from the early-week slump. Mike Herbert’s Prison Band and the Bad News Blues Band are playing, and tastings specials by a local brewery will give you the extra little push you might need to get out on the dance floor. 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18. Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley, 13005 N. Oracle Road. $12.50 Details Here.

Olivia Gatwood: Smart, sexy and a damn good poet, 26-year-old Oliva Gatwood could be a reluctant mouthpiece for the post-#metoo world. Born in Albuquerque, Gatwood is a certified Sexual Assault Prevention educator when not writing or performing. Her hard-smacking, matter-of-fact take on being a 21st century woman in Trump’s America is catching on with readers and podcast listeners the world over. Last year, her book, New American Best Friend, won the Goodreads Poetry Award and the Button Poetry prize (both mad competitive) while her performance skills landed her a finalist in the National Poetry Slam. As an openly queer and sex-positive person, Gatwood’s thoughts on the male gaze, the sensuality of a female lover’s hands and her relationship with her dad are both relevant and authentic. Precisely rendered, her words never suffer the pitfalls of knee-jerk anger, rather weave a complex, searching viewpoint with poise, candor and dash of astutely-observed humor that’s beyond her years. With Joaquina Mertz on Tuesday, September 18. 191 Toole. Doors at 7 p.m. $12-$15. All ages. Details Here.

The Vampire: A story of Count Dracula and his effort to make an innocent woman his bride who happens to be already married is a play at the Gaslight Theatre you won't want to miss. Sure to give you a good laugh, it's the perfect way to get you in the Halloween Spirit. Nothing like vampires to spark a craving for Halloween. 7 p.m. $22.95, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. Details Here.

The word “noise” comes from the Latin for “nausea,” and in a sense both words dominate this formerly-indie-rock trio’s new studio album. I say formerly because, from Double Negative’s first moments, with a repetitive wall of throbbing electronic distortion, audiences can tell the band has made a clear change toward the avant-garde.

Low’s new album would come as a surprise from any band, but especially from one celebrating its 25th anniversary, and one coming from a band credited as laying the groundwork for the “slowcore” genre.

Since their inception, Low has released numerous albums of gloomy, minimal indie rock. Double Negative, however, offers almost no rock sounds at all; the vast ambient soundscapes, the warped and glitched vocals, and the industrial rhythms strip away all identity.

Take the track “Tempest” for instance, where frontman Alan Sparhawk’s vocals are distorted such that they barely retain any human sound, much less recognizable words. Many songs have this quality, where the band uselessly attempts to scream over the blistering swells of noise, like trying to outrun an ever-closer monster in a dream.

This is not to say Low leaves no room for relief. Many tracks contain interludes where frontwoman Mimi Parker’s soft voice sweeps over icy piano keys before being swallowed up again. The track “Dancing and Fire” offers the most respite in the album’s bleak landscape, with post-rock guitar strumming shining like the sun after a deluge.

For such an overt album, it appears to only be this way in form, not in function. Because while track for track it can feel darkly overwhelming, it is, at least according to the band, a deeply political album. The ominous and surreal compositions on Double Negative were inspired by the Trump presidency, and when the lyrics are intelligible, they occasionally speak of war, confusion and longing. As Sparhawk puts it, “You don't know what you're even fighting for”.

Fans of Portishead might notice some similarities to the album Third. In that the band completely changes their sound into a more difficult and cryptic direction, trying the audience’s patience with moments of outright drone and experimentation. It is dense, but it is gorgeous.

For a synecdoche of the entire album, listen to the middle stretch of “Dancing and Blood”. Sparhawk’s and Parker’s voices give way to a cold, lonely guitar dissolving into digital artifacts, all the while a martial drumbeat steadily thumps along in the background, accompanied by electronic hisses.

This dissonant, sombre, and hypnotic album is like being crushed to death by a beautiful glacier. 

Double Negative was released by Sub Pop Records on Sept. 14.

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Downtown Tucson was crawling with hungry samplers on Saturday afternoon at the Taste of Tucson Grub Crawl.

The crawl started at the Independent Distillery, who were celebrating the third anniversary of their grand opening. Attendees then crawled to Thunder Canyon Brewstillery for appetizers and beer, Cartel Coffee Lab for Jenga and coffee, then to Insomnia Cookies for a cookie and another round of Jenga.

Next they traveled on to Berry Divine Açaí Bowls for a sample and explanation on what they make, then to Empire Pizza & Pub who graciously provided entire pies for the hungry crawlers. The group then finally headed to The Screamery for an ice-cream dessert. Other venders included Highwire Lounge and Johnny Gibson's Downtown Market.

After traipsing around town and filling up on all the great local grub, the crawlers headed back to the Independent Distillery for drinks and some live music.

The event, put on by HERO Events, raised money for charities focused on helping veterans. Mayra Hindbaugh and Brett Wagner of HERO Events organized the crawl and said that the money raised will go towards the veterans-helping-veterans organization Rally Point Arizona and to a veterans event they are hosting at Reid Park in on Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 10 and 11.

On Nov. 10 there will be a veterans rally with food, live music and activities from 2 to 8 p.m. The next day the group is hosting a motorcycle run and golf tournament at Forty Niner Country Club. Read more about Rally Point Arizona here.

The team at Hero Events said that they hope to add more restaurants and eateries to their Grub Crawl to expand the event next year.