Popular Voices, Cultural Matters 2012-02-09T13:07:08Z Copyright (c) 2012, PopMatters.com ExpressionEngine tag:popmatters.com,2012:02:09 tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154123 2012-02-09T14:00:06Z 2012-02-09T14:00:06Z Allison Taich Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein were not out to throw a big production, nor re-enact characters and sketches. Instead they were onstage as Fred and Carrie, real people with a knack for casual conversational comedy looking to hang out. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/moving-pixels/35.154360 2012-02-09T13:00:00Z 2012-02-09T13:00:00Z Scott Juster Despite sharing many of the same problems, I'm willing to cut Mirror's Edge more slack than Sonic CD. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154406 2012-02-09T11:50:43Z 2012-02-09T11:50:43Z Shawn O'Rourke When examining a work whose mythology is an expansive as Star Wars, it almost becomes a historiographical investigation as opposed to a literary one. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/short-ends-and-leader/17.154321 2012-02-09T11:00:17Z 2012-02-09T11:00:17Z Sean Murphy Ben Gazzara: 1930 - 2012. What can you say about Gazzara? He was relevant in every decade going back to the '50s. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154330 2012-02-09T08:30:19Z 2012-02-09T08:30:19Z Comfort Clinton POPMATTERS SPONSOR -- Just as folk music provides a basis for the synth music of Au Revoir Simone, so too does Erika’s striped sweater act as a basic essential: a starting point from which the artist builds and transforms, dazzling audiences along the way. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.153749 2012-02-09T08:00:48Z 2012-02-09T08:00:48Z Comfort Clinton POPMATTERS SPONSOR -- Much like her music, Erika’s look here combines unexpected and playful pairings in a cohesive way to create a style that’s bold and unique. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/feature/21.150874 2012-02-09T07:00:20Z 2012-02-09T07:00:20Z Jonathan Tjarks Rappers have always wrestled with the question of how to succeed in a society where the odds are stacked against them. The biggest difference now is that their middle class listeners have the same worries. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/column/19.153360 2012-02-09T07:00:15Z 2012-02-09T07:00:15Z Alan Ranta To create something or to create something that creates something; that is a question. But if you lead an electric horse to art, does it dream of the avant-garde? ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/feature/21.154361 2012-02-09T07:00:10Z 2012-02-09T07:00:10Z Michael D. Stewart It's the turning of the final tide, the groundbreaking Blue Estate wraps issue #8, which closes the second volume of the collected editions, and launches issue #9, which opens the final volume. The stakes, and the value, couldn't be higher. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153839 2012-02-09T07:00:06Z 2012-02-09T07:00:06Z Matthew Fiander The way we heal is a huge part of the sweet exhaustion of Tramp, but it is a double-edged affair. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153876 2012-02-09T07:00:05Z 2012-02-09T07:00:05Z Dave Heaton It leaves you with the impression that Bentley has made something special here -- not just his most consistent album and 2012’s first great country album, but even more. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153516 2012-02-09T07:00:04Z 2012-02-09T07:00:04Z John Garratt Math whiz Lawrence Ball adds another baby step of progress for Pete Townshend's "Lifehouse" project. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.153851 2012-02-09T07:00:04Z 2012-02-09T07:00:04Z John Bergstrom tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.153765 2012-02-09T07:00:03Z 2012-02-09T07:00:03Z David Maine tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153696 2012-02-09T07:00:03Z 2012-02-09T07:00:03Z Craig Hayes While heckles are raised when terms like "vintage" and "retro" are tossed about, the Devil's Blood has undeniably evoked the electrifying rush of '60s and '70s occult rock. What other sprits they have invoked along the way, well, that's a whole other story. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.152504 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z Chris Conaton Orchestra of Spheres should be recognized for its willingness to take chances and experiment with instrument-construction and sound in general. Unfortunately, the band’s ratio of hits to misses on this album is right about 50/50. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154342 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z Brent McKnight Fans of classic yakuza films and Japanese new-wave cinema have reason to celebrate today with Criterion’s release of Seijun Suzuki’s 1966 Tokyo Drifter, and his 1967... ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154380 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z Carolyn Kellogg These stories are told with thick, evocative language that speaks of viscera and flowers and poetry and violence, from times distant and more recent, ringing individual and unique. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.151456 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z 2012-02-09T07:00:02Z Timothy Gabriele tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.153618 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z Stephen Haag tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153868 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z Robert Alford Michael Lewis explores the global economic crisis through the eyes of a financial disaster tourist -- and brings back a collection of exotic stereotypes about the people and places that he visited. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153874 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z D.M. Edwards Stalactites in the canyons of your mind. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154064 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z 2012-02-09T07:00:01Z Pat Kewley This ambitious three-hour-plus examination of Japan's notorious radical left-wing militant group loses its way in the narrative fog. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154166 2012-02-08T20:00:00Z 2012-02-08T20:00:00Z Comfort Clinton Though this was clearly a defining year for the actress, here are five other interesting things to know about the Oscar nominee's career in the entertainment industry. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154248 2012-02-08T18:00:25Z 2012-02-08T18:00:25Z Jane Jansen Seymour Pretty Lights has released a new song “We Must Go On", along with a self-produced video. It presents the hip-hop vibe with an uplifting yet reflective vocal hook, saying “times will get... ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/notes-from-the-road/27.154318 2012-02-08T17:00:33Z 2012-02-08T17:00:33Z Dave MacIntyre With Justin in control, a great pre-existing catalogue and their highly promising new material, The Darkness has exactly what it takes to get back into the limelight. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154165 2012-02-08T16:00:49Z 2012-02-08T16:00:49Z Comfort Clinton Ah the internet. Bottomless pit of knowledge about news past and present, outlet for self-expression, facilitator of human connection, and… mecca of questionably offensive video montage parodies? ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/sound-affects/34.154220 2012-02-08T15:00:00Z 2012-02-08T15:00:00Z Enio Chiola In the wake of Madonna'a ostentatious Super Bowl halftime performance, PopMatters presents a rundown of the Queen of Pop's 15 finest singles. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154162 2012-02-08T14:45:17Z 2012-02-08T14:45:17Z Alan Ranta Just when you thought the phenomenon of the Weeknd would burn bright and unchallenged on the East Coast, Vancouver duo Evelyn Mason and Jeremiah Klein rise up, armed with their deadly self-titled... ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154068 2012-02-08T14:00:24Z 2012-02-08T14:00:24Z Justin Cober-Lake The Old 97's use two decades of experience to make being professional feel like anything but that. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154362 2012-02-08T13:15:00Z 2012-02-08T13:15:00Z Cynthia Fuchs Beautifully and evocatively, Bill Morrison's film traces the changes of fortune for the mines and miners, the industry and communities of Northern England. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/moving-pixels/35.154154 2012-02-08T13:00:00Z 2012-02-08T13:00:00Z G. Christopher Williams It isn't really a song about video games, of course. However, it is interesting for what it implies about games by taking gaming for granted as a normalized cultural practice. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/feature/21.146572 2012-02-08T07:00:20Z 2012-02-08T07:00:20Z Jennifer M. Perdomo Looking beyond the aesthetic surface of the series, what is the true motivation behind Mad Men’s frank depictions of these troubled social times? Is sexism being used as some sort of nostalgic trope, or does Mad Men actually delve deeper and explore these issues? ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/feature/21.148757 2012-02-08T07:00:15Z 2012-02-08T07:00:15Z Kevin Dickinson Granted, Link does “hiyah,” “eyah,” and “ahh” his way through all of his post-64-bit adventures, but no amount of elfish interjections can change his status as a silent protagonist. Is a failure to communicate much, a failure to communicate? ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154046 2012-02-08T07:00:06Z 2012-02-08T07:00:06Z Daniel Tebo After eight years spent growling for others, Mark Lanegan returns with his most musically diverse album to date. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154284 2012-02-08T07:00:05Z 2012-02-08T07:00:05Z Alexander Heigl Die Antwoord may be strange and engrossing, but are they making good music? Yes and no. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153641 2012-02-08T07:00:04Z 2012-02-08T07:00:04Z Josh Langhoff A modern take on disco music; an old-fashioned take on male wish fulfillment. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.153869 2012-02-08T07:00:04Z 2012-02-08T07:00:04Z Adam Finley tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.153615 2012-02-08T07:00:03Z 2012-02-08T07:00:03Z Stephen Haag tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.152941 2012-02-08T07:00:03Z 2012-02-08T07:00:03Z Jedd Beaudoin Lost rock 'n' soul classic from spiritual seeker. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.151331 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z Joshua Kloke Sultan blends together his doo-wop, garage, and punk influences, presenting himself as a peerless artist. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154258 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z Michael Barrett These two early curiosities from Robert Altman's career are available on-demand. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154327 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z Dan DeLuca Ian Rankin's dialogue rings true; a sense of life as actually lived, and the lessons to be learned — or not — from history, all framed in an engrossing story never told hurriedly, but always well-paced. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.152533 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z 2012-02-08T07:00:02Z David Maine tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/37.153440 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z Philip Majorins Unstandard possesses appeal and surprise for fans of classic and modern jazz. It is steeped in tradition, yet free from constraint. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.152470 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z David Maine Tuareg rock youngsters are fatally hampered by bad production. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153864 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z Sarah Watson This book reveals Stanley Ann to be an intellectually curious, passionate, idealistic, and unconventional woman whose sense of wonder and love shaped the lives of two children -- including the one that would become the 44th president of the United States. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154129 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z 2012-02-08T07:00:01Z Anita Schillhorn van Veen Of his nearly 30 films, these three by Theo Van Gogh each focuses on verbal wrestling between a man and a woman. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.153734 2012-02-08T07:00:00Z 2012-02-08T07:00:00Z Dave Heaton The feeling that this is your neighborhood bar band gives the music a punch of energy that’s memorable. At the same time, the stories in the music, and the ways they’re told, are less distinct, even generic. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154102 2012-02-07T22:15:28Z 2012-02-07T22:15:28Z Jane Jansen Seymour In honor of Roxy Music's 40th Anniversary, the Vinyl Factory has just released two remixes of the band's most iconic tracks. The new vinyl 12" features a dub-inspired remix of "Love Is the Drug" by... ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154297 2012-02-07T20:15:11Z 2012-02-07T20:15:11Z Comfort Clinton Sinead O’Connor's newest album grapples with many themes familiar to the singer’s past work: love, loss, hope, redemption, and coming into her own, among many others. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154061 2012-02-07T18:15:48Z 2012-02-07T18:15:48Z Justin Cober-Lake Performing as Azure Blue, Tobias Isaksson looks back to the 1980s for much of his sound on his new release Rule of Thirds. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.151983 2012-02-07T17:15:26Z 2012-02-07T17:15:26Z John Bergstrom After Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode high and dry in 1981, no one would have guessed he and the man who succeeded him as the band's primary songwriter would ever collaborate again. Yet Clarke and... ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/sound-affects/34.153604 2012-02-07T17:00:21Z 2012-02-07T17:00:21Z Allison Taich Hundreds of disposable cameras? Alter-egos known as "Captain Tipsy"? Determining what makes a Tickhead? All in a day's work for Deer Tick, who tells PopMatters all about it while still basking in the critical glow of its latest disc. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154253 2012-02-07T15:15:00Z 2012-02-07T15:15:00Z Comfort Clinton House of Blondes is an up and coming electronic duo from NYC and their vibe is electro synth, and their sound is akin to the likes of Daedulus, Holy Fuck, Amon Tobin and Hot Chip. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/short-ends-and-leader/17.154242 2012-02-07T15:00:23Z 2012-02-07T15:00:23Z Bill Gibron While some want to question his authorship, there is no denying the lasting influence of William Shakespeare. These 10 titles prove that with accolades to spare. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154314 2012-02-07T14:15:00Z 2012-02-07T14:15:00Z Cynthia Fuchs The journey in Unfinished Spaces begins with reconsidering the hopes and confusions of Cuba just after the Revolution, the politics and the struggles that go on to this day. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154304 2012-02-07T14:04:02Z 2012-02-07T14:04:02Z Mike Ward If you’re a statistically average person, what are your chances of following these people’s lead and successfully preparing for social collapse? Well, pretty long, unless you have quite a few acres of land lying fallow in the country and a couple hundred thousand extra dollars. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/media-center/15.154204 2012-02-07T14:00:06Z 2012-02-07T14:00:06Z Cynthia Fuchs Stanley Nelson’s exceptional documentary tells the story of the Freedom Rides, from their initiation in May 1961, by James Farmer and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), to the Interstate... ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154306 2012-02-07T13:56:00Z 2012-02-07T13:56:00Z Michael Landweber Hopefully, the found footage gimmick will give way after the first episode, since it would be a shame to shoot all of the Amazon from one camera on some guy’s shoulder. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/blogs/moving-pixels/35.154296 2012-02-07T13:00:00Z 2012-02-07T13:00:00Z Eric Swain Two men dictated by driving: one driven by an intense focus on the calm precision necessary to master the physical science of it all, the other driven by the raw emotional power that a two ton extension of the self provides. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/review/5.154302 2012-02-07T12:20:29Z 2012-02-07T12:20:29Z shathley Q I'm sure the smile used by Becky Cloonan to signal her enjoyment is a perfectly good smile. But the smile she draws on Conan is sublime. It opens the character in a way very few writers have been capable of. ]]> tag:popmatters.com,2012:pm/feature/21.153838 2012-02-07T07:00:20Z 2012-02-07T07:00:20Z Joseph Natoli Downton Abbey reveals not only the play of chance that often confounds choice, but the power of social class to confine choice within established boundaries -- and we're comfortable with that. ]]>