Mar 4th, 2010 · Though Snider's roots trace back to Portland, Ore., his music recalls headstrong Southern styles from Austin, Houston and Atlanta. With more than 10 albums under his belt, Snider continues to exude wit and optimism. Hear him perform live in concert from WXPN in Philadelphia.
Feb 24th, 2010 · The fifth-grade MCs in 3 Titans aren't exactly baby Jay-Zs, as far as flow is concerned, but there's charming cleverness to their ode to the importance of higher education. You'd have to have a cold, cynical heart not to be at least slightly moved by Khalil Jackson, Jorden Plaines and Dallas Ifill's optimism.
Feb 18th, 2010 · The dark sounds of The Courage of Others didn't come to Midlake easily: The band spent a year writing and scrapping new material before it even began to work on the songs that would make up the new album. The result sounds isolated and withdrawn without devolving into desolation: A glimmer of optimism takes shape in the layered harmonies and intricately arranged guitars. Hear a World Cafe session.
Feb 4th, 2010 · The country's unemployment rate hovers at 10 percent, and job cuts in January were at a five-month high. But a few recent announcements may give job searchers some hope: CarMax, Ford, Starwood Hotels and Oracle Corp. say they plan to add hundreds — or even thousands — of workers.
Jan 28th, 2010 · A Palestinian suicide bomber becomes just another outcast in a shabby Tel Aviv neighborhood in this Israeli fable of cross-cultural empathy. Director Dror Zahavi doesn't go so far as to contrive a happy ending — but he does put an awfully cheerful spin on conflicts that don't usually inspire much optimism.
Jan 28th, 2010 · Housing news this week has been mixed. Home prices are beginning to stabilize but the number of sales was worse than expected. Some economists see reason for optimism, while others say the government needs to keep propping up the housing sector.
Jan 12th, 2010 · Optimism among black Americans has surged more in the past two years than at any time in the past quarter century, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. African-Americans remain upbeat about economic and social progress, despite the deep recession.
Jan 12th, 2010 · Optimism among black Americans has surged more in the past two years than at any time in the past quarter century, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. African-Americans remain upbeat about economic and social progress, despite the deep recession.