South End residents who are bracing for the opening of the BU Biolab, where scary germs like ebola will be studied, have a reprieve. The "National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories" was supposed to open in the fall, but the National Institutes of Health has declared that its review won't be finished until "on or before" April 2009, the Globe reports. A panel had criticized the NIH in the past, saying its reviews of the Biolab......

A fire broke out yesterday afternoon at the emerging National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, which is going up in the South End. The fire was put out quickly and was "probably caused by careless disposal of a cigarette," the AP reports. Since the lab is being built, the "infectious diseases" aren't around. But the fire can't be reassuring news for those who are concerned about the presence of the biolab in their neighborhood. Opponents of......

Sunday's BPD Blotter described a woman who had a little too much to drink at an office Christmas party. Police found Kimberly M. Simon, 28, of Newton, sleeping at the wheel of her car, which was running. Further investigation revealed that she was plowed and that she got plowed at the office party. It got weird when police took Simon to the station: On arrival to the station, the suspect urinated on the floor of......

Here’s a novel idea: if a music scene wants to prove its relevancy through an award show, why doesn’t that scene put in some effort? Boston’s ties to regional, up-and-coming, and national talent were on clear display Saturday evening at the Orpheum Theatre, as the 2007 Boston Music Awards honored many a bold-faced musical name. Metal poster boys Killswitch Engage took home Act of the Year accolades, while critical darlings Lori McKenna and Martin Sexton......

Bostonist just left the 2007 Boston Music Awards, and while we'll have ruminations on the awards ceremony for your Sunday reading pleasure, you can find below the crop of winners from the 20th anniversary ceremony, presented here in chronological order: Outstanding Funk/Jam Band of the Year: Westbound Train Outstanding Blues/Soul Act of the Year: Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves Outstanding DJ/Dance Act of the Year: DJ BC Outstanding Rock Band of the Year:......

BARONESS Friday, November 30th Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, MA w/ Witchcraft, Radio Moscow 18+ / $10 ADV / $12 DOS MySpace: Baroness The debut EP First by Savannah's Baroness was a bit of al ife-changer. More of a life-reinvigorator. Produced by Phillip Cope of Kylesa, the three tracks harnessed much that had been missing from the blend of technical metal with a heavy dose of stoner meticulousity. To call the Southeast band "metal" is......

Drama, drama, drama. Massachusetts' favorite exile, singer/reality-TV star Bobby Brown, had a "mild heart attack" on Wednesday. At least, that's what his attorney said. Now, Brown is saying no such thing happened and that he was in the hospital for a checkup, not for treatment. Whatever his reason for being in the hospital, Brown didn't miss out on the publicity opportunity. The UK Sun has photos of Brown acting up in a hospital bed: "He......

John Kerry just can't catch a break. First there was that whole losing the presidency to G.W. thing, then the lack of education lands you in Iraq comment, and now this. A local Florida news station is reporting that a University of Florida student was tasered after asking John Kerry possibly controversial questions that included whether Kerry was in the "Skull and Crossbones" society with George W. Bush. That's the short story. Upon reviewing the......

Massachusetts might make it illegal to discriminate against heavy people and short people. The AP interviewed two women - one short, one large - about what they go through each day. And, if the measure passes, they'll have some legal ammunition if anyone gives them a hard time. Representative Byron Rushing is the force behind the proposed legislation. He tried it 10 years ago, but it didn't work out. Studies show that people who are......

--Sure, a little disorderly is expected on St. Patrick's Day. But some Dropkick Murphys fans took it to the limit at the band's show yesterday. The BPD rounded up six fans who had been ejected and weren't very happy about it. One of the guys, a Belmont resident, got so upset that he "punched and kicked several security guards." --More disorderly took place early this morning when two Dorchester guys got into it in front......

There's no good reason to be sitting at home carving pumpkins this week with all the good shows happening around the Hub. Take a moment to put down your $3 carving kit and your pumpkin to sing the pumpkin carving song as you head out to catch some live music. Oh, and if you wear your costume we won't tell. Tuesday, 10/24 Project Move with Elemental Zazen Local hip hop heroes Project Move and......

Why ramble? We've got shows to get out and see. We could put up a whole narrative about the state we were left in after NEMO and BeanTown Jazz swept through this weekend. But not now. Monday 10/2 Built to Spill with Helvetia Built to Spill delivers Indie Rock from when they first hit our radar on college radio and they actually were an indie band. They've been with Warner Bros. for what seems......

For those who were looking, British rockers Bloc Party could be spotted on Landsdowne St. this past September. For those with great foresight, the foursome could be found down Comm Ave. in BU’s backyard months earlier. And for those who missed them altogether in 2005, an early DVD release will hold us over until a new album draws them back across the Atlantic. Within six months, Bloc Party graduated from The Paradise to The Avalon......

We live in an iTunes nation. It's easy to pull a track down to your pod for under a buck. Bostonist still longs for cover art, liner notes, and that masterwork that is a multi-track collection of songs we call an album. Listed here is our much discussed, unbiased by payola, top 25 albums of 2005. After the jump you'll find where some of us stand individually on the subject of the years best. (Apparently......

Back in early August, Bostonist advised the timely purchase of tickets to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, performing at TT the Bears on September 14. Clearly someone was listening because the show has long sold out and a frenzy of desperate Craigslist posts (buying, not selling) has since ensued. The story follows suit for Sufjan Stevens, playing with Laura Veirs at the Somerville Theatre on September 8. Fortunately, the lineup of highly lauded bands......

Don't let the threat of snow cause you to hibernate this weekend, here are some events to get you off the internerd and away from the TiVo. Tonight in Somerville at the Independent, the Mash Ave party goes off on its regularly scheduled night. For those who don't know, a mash up is DJ Dangermouse's remix of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" with the Beatles "Helter Skelter" on the Grey Album. Next Friday, Solcofn from DC......

The 47th GRAMMY Awards aired last night on CBS and while Bostonist was hoping for something exciting to happen, like a wardrobe malfunction for example, nothing out of the ordinary really occured. Ray Charles was the big winner with the his collection of duets (completed a few months before his death), "Genius Loves Company" winning Best Album and "Here We Go Again," a duet with songstress Norah Jones, picking up Record of the Year. Charles......