Music

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[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
Say Anything: Say Anything

Max Bemis and co. have returned with one of the most self-referential albums to ever grace the emo-rock canon, and lo' and behold, it's one of Bemis' best.

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Wolfmother: Cosmic Egg

This is not a new castle, but it's a fairly impressive renovation of the existing foundations.

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The Swell Season: Strict Joy

The duo from Once return with a fine new album. It's mostly about how their real-life relationship fell apart, but with strong songwriting and gorgeous singing.

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Neon Indian: Psychic Chasms

Synth pop, effects-heavy rock, and dreamlike euphoria are the driving forces behind Neon Indian’s pleasurable and bright look at pop psychedelia.

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Karen O and the Kids: Where The Wild Things Are

Karen O’s lively soundtrack sounds best where the wild things aren’t: in the most straightforward bits of childlike indie-pop.

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Slaraffenland: We're on Your Side

This slightly unclassifiable Danish quintet are good to have on your side, like a friend whose support is rock-solid if uneffusive.

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Gloria Jones: Share My Love

With generous remastering by Reel Music, the luster of Share My Love is ever-glistening. A rare gem from the Motown catalog finally gets its due.

Short Takes
[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
:. Toto La Momposina: La Bodega
:. Shelley Short: A Cave, A Canoo
:. Boys Named Sue: Greatest Hits Volume Sue
:. Groupshow: The Martyrdom of Groupshow

Events

[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 23 September 2009 - New York
To cap off their stellar year, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs captivated a massive hometown crowd at the legendary Radio City Music Hall.

[Thu, 5.Nov.09]
Yo La Tengo: 6 October 2009 - Chicago
Even in the moments when they seem to be teetering on the edge of control, like during one of Ira’s guitar tirades, every single note and squall of feedback feels necessary.

Mixed Media

POPWIRE
News, Reviews and Commentary from the World of Popular Culture

[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
:. Craig Ferguson’s autobiography is a testimony to America’s eternal appeal to immigrants
:. INTERVIEW:‘Chill’ out over the chair, says ‘Brothers’ star Mitchell
:. ‘Dawn’ of the new millennium: High-profile remake of a 1980s cult favorite
:. INTERVIEW:Chicago band The Academy Is … shakes up its sound once again
:. INTERVIEW:Jeff Bridges abides, and works like crazy
:. ‘Unmistaken Child’ a must-see documentary
:. INTERVIEW:Sit down and shut up: Don Rickles is in the house
:. Roland Emmerich’s latest big-budget doomsday extravaganza is his ‘darkest film’ to date
:. In concert, Jewel remains a diamond in the rough
:. INTERVIEW:Hit repeat with Steely Dan and ‘Aja’
:. INTERVIEW:Lily Tomlin has had an extraordinary career being ordinary
:. Film changes student’s course: ‘Precious’ star pursuing acting

 
FEATURES
Fast Food TV
By Ian Chant
[6.Nov.09] :. The Next Iron Chef is not a show about cooking. It is a show about people freaking out; cooking just happens to be what they’re doing while they’re freaking out.

Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu Noir
By Alistair Dickinson
[6.Nov.09] :. These five films from the golden-era of the legendary Nikkatsu studio shows off the never-ending ways Japanese filmmakers were able to combine the best elements of pulp and epic Japanese storytelling.

COLUMNS
Moving Pixels: Parent-Child Bonding: Video Games that Bridge the Generation Gap
By G. Christopher Williams
[6.Nov.09] :. Can Gen X parents bond with the newest generation of gamers given the ways that cooperative gameplay has changed over the years?

The Rockist: Metal, Back from Purgatory
By Michael Brett
[6.Nov.09] :. The Rockist attends his most eagerly anticipated metal show in over a decade only to find... the Banana Splits?

Books

lead book review image
[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
:.
The Death of Conservatism by Sam Tanenhaus

Tanenhaus elegantly argues that the American conservatism might be at low ebb, but that should not be expected to last. Nor should liberals (as prone to premature gloating as their rivals) even want it to happen.

:.
The Music Room by William Fiennes

Those who suffer from epilepsy, their families and friends, can only throw light at this neuro-spectre, as Fiennes does, showing us Richard in all his damaged Richardness, a man who truly haunted a castle.

Multimedia / Comics

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Multimedia

[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
:.
Brütal Legend

Brütal Legend might actually be the best use of Jack Black yet, affording him a starring role that caters to his comedic roots and sensibilities while allowing everything around him to be more over the top than he is.

Comics

[Thu, 5.Nov.09]
:.
Slingers

Marvel's recent republication of The Clone Saga lights a way in this economic downturn: that old gems can be mined once more. Why not republish the hidden treasure that was Slingers?

Film / TV

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Film

[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
:.
The Men Who Stare at Goats

Setting up easy targets, The Men Who Stare at Goats seems less clever than behind the times.

:.
Endgame

Endgame crafts a crackling thriller out of the tangle of crafty maneuvering and happenstance that put a stop to South Africa's apartheid.

:.
The Fourth Kind

Where is Fox Mulder when you need him?

:.
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is concerned with lasting effects -- on individuals and especially, on communities.

:.
Disney's A Christmas Carol

The combination of animation (where the laws of physics are conveniently suspended) and 3D technology is a powerful temptation, and here we see many of the ways in which those toys can be misued.

:.
Gentlemen Broncos

Even as Gentlemen Broncos makes sport of artistic hacks, it also delights in their creative process.

Television

[Tue, 3.Nov.09]
:.
By the People: The Election of Barack Obama

Now that the U.S. government looks mired in acrimony and frustration, it's good to remember when change seemed inevitable.

DVDS

lead DVD review image
[Fri, 6.Nov.09]
:.
Adult Swim in a Box

This is a compilation for that large demographic that yearns for narratives about a large, talking milk shake ordering a wife from Chechnya, or the micronauts going on a breast-climbing expedition. You know who you are.

:.
The 39 Steps

In Hitchcock's world, we don't write the play; we just have to know when to act.

:.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Those Aren't Pillows Edition)

it's safe to say that John Hughes has a secure legacy in Hollywood laughfests. No matter the age bracket, this film stands as one of his very best.

MOVING CITATIONS

Moving Citations:
Thoughts on Pop That Matter

[4.Nov.09]

Bad Music in Public Spaces (Travel and Leisure)
Monsters and the Moral Imagination (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
The Relentless Rise of Power Jeans (Wall Street Journal)

[2.Nov.09]

The Big Story: Our Embattled Media (World Affairs Journal)
The Book That Contains All Books (Wall Street Journal)

[26.Oct.09]

Same As It Ever Was (The Morning News)
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