Wednesday, October 1, 2008

First, an update from Peter Gordon:

Here's the latest. Note that I will now be publishing on holidays, so
every Monday to Friday until February 27.

The Sun may have set, but not the crossword. I had many puzzles in the
pipeline when the paper folded, so I will be publishing them online. Go
to cruciverb.com sometime this weekend to find out where to get them.
There will be 108 puzzles starting with October 1 and running until
February 27. The cost will be $12 for all 108 of them. I'm hoping to get
over 2000 subscribers so that I can pay the authors their fees and still
make it worth my time. If I don't get that by January, then it will stop
on February 27. If I do, then it can go on indefinitely. So spread the word!

For the October 1, 2, and 3 puzzles, they're still online at the Sun's
website, so you can get those three the way you've always been getting
them. (If that doesn't work, go to
http://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/08-nys-puz.html and click on the
appropriate date.)

--Peter Gordon

Title: Genre Artists
Author: Dave Tuller
Theme: Artists and bands who have a musical genre in their name.

• 16a: "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" band (PANIC AT THE DISCO). I was only vaguely aware of this techno-punk-rock band. Here's the song in question.



• 26a: Singer once married to Pamela Anderson (KID ROCK). This rap-rocker I know. If you want a challenge, try to transcribe the lyrics to this song.


• 30a: "Nights in White Satin" band, with "the" (MOODY BLUES). Total gimme. Classic song.


• 45a: Stuart Adamson's band (BIG COUNTRY). I have their self-titled album on vinyl, including the single of roughly the same name. Brings me back to college days.


• 48a: "The Godfather of Punk" (IGGY POP). This one I knew right off, too. Here's a good clip.


• 60a: "Shattered Dreams" band (JOHNNY HATES JAZZ). This is another one that I knew the name, but never really listened to. Here's a sample.

This theme I really liked. It's a great cross-section of music, with a cool theme to tie them together. I especially like that most of the genres in the name do not reflect the genres of the artists. I mean, Kid Rock is basically rock at some level. And these days there's a fine line between punk and pop, though not so much when Iggy was in his prime.

Sunny Spots:

• 5a: Cash register? (BASS). This took me a minute to figure out. I should have been primed to think musically and realize that the reference was to Johnny Cash. Very nice.



• 5d: Barbara Gordon's alter ego (BAT GIRL).

Sundries:

• 9a: Sit ungracefully, with "down" (PLOP).


• 13a: Home to the Browns and the Reds (OHIO). Also a great CSN&Y song.



• 14a: Boat with a thwart (CANOE).


• 22a: High level? (ATTIC). This one didn't fool me.


• 23a: Center of gravity? (VEE). Cryptic letter clue.


• 36a: Us folks, for short (EDS). "Us", the magazine.


• 38a: Jeanne ___ (PlayStation game) (D'ARC). I'll be honest. I would never have thought of basing a video game on Joan of Arc.


• 41a: "Bridget Jones" costar of Colin and Hugh (RENEE). Zellweger.


• 50a: ABACADA pattern followers, perhaps (RONDOS). More music, for the classically-minded.


• 51a: Former Avalanche goalie Patrick (ROY). Also former Montreal Canadiens goalie.


• 52a: Programs (CODES). It's a verb. It's what I do.


• 57a: Button label over a red dot (REC). As in record, on a tape or VCR.


• 1d: Language related to Nahuatl (HOPI).


• 4d: Food made from elephant ear (POI).


• 9d: Old card game whose name means "first" in Spanish (PRIMERO).


• 10d: Make a beam (LASE).


• 11d: Boat in the movie "Jaws" (ORCA). "We're gonna need a bigger boat...".




• 17d: Having good night vision (CAT-EYED).


• 24d: Dairy sound (MOOING).


• 25d: "Comprende?" (YOU DIG).


• 26d: Home of the Royal Botanic Gardens (KEW).


• 28d: Press releases? (CIDERS). Cute.


• 29d: "Sometimes a Great Notion" novelist (KESEY).


• 30d: 695% of CCCLX (MMDII). Ok, this one's a little out there as math goes.


• 44d: Despotism (TYRANNY). It's hard to see the word TYRANNY without thinking of "Pulp Fiction". The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men...


• 46d: Dubrovnik's land (CROATIA).


• 47d: Gazillions (OODLES).


• 49d: Smut (PORN). See how I avoided a picture here? Aren't you glad?



• 52d: Swiss ___ (variety of beet) (CHARD).


• 54d: Puff of a spliff (TOKE). Here's our regular drug reference.


• 55d: Bill's "Groundhog Day" role (PHIL). Great film.


• 57d: Casino's cut from a poker pot (RAKE).


• 58d: Book before Nehemiah (EZRA). Could have continued the musical theme with "Better Than ___".

Suns of Bitches:

• 64a: Literature Nobelist Lessing (DORIS). Not a name I knew.


• 7d: NoLIta neighbor (SOHO). I couldn't even parse this clue. Guess you gotta live there.


• 14d: Harvard alum (CANTAB). Okay, first complaint. Huh?? We're supposed to know that Cantab is short for Cantabrigian, which means hailing from Cambridge? Second complaint. According to my dictionary, Cantabrigian means a student or graduate of Cambridge University or a native or resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts. But most Harvard alums are neither natives of Cambridge nor residents of Cambridge; they've moved on. So double yuck on this one.

Certainly after yesterday I was predisposed to like this puzzle. And I did. I love the musical theme, and the fill was decent. A couple of icky spots, but overall not bad at all.

Thanks for listening.

- Pete M.