Tuesday, June 18 2013
Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2013: ‘Pussy Riot’ + ‘Salma’
Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer and Salma tell the stories of smart, provocative women breaking through literal and ideological boundaries.
How They Rock You: ‘Queen On Fire: Live At The Bowl’
A Queen show embodies the hypnotic, fascistic properties inherent in arena-sized rock performances, a la Triumph of the Will.
Consumption, Creation and the Law: ‘Democracy of Sound’
Democracy of Sound examines the roles of piracy and copyright law in the last century and has something to say about the fate of both in this century.
Tea Leaf Green: 18 May 2013 - San Francisco
The buzz around the album is that it’s a little more experimental, with the band dabbling in a wider sonic palette for maximum creative expression while also tapping into how the talent in the band adds up to a greater whole than the sum of its parts.
I Want to Ride My Bicycle: ‘Pedal-Driven’
Pedal-Driven is sure to please fervent mountain bikers with the conflict it drums up.
Sigur Rós: Kveikur
Sigur Rós' "dark album", Kveikur, doesn't do much to push the Icelandic band into new sonic territory, but it does refine its decades-tested style in the best way possible.
The Thrill Has Gone in Yasutaka Tsutsui’s ‘Paprika’
What should have been a lively romp from a notable author gets mired in the mundane.
Quasimoto: Yessir Whatever
The astro-traveling, high-pitched, bad character of hip-hop makes his return after an eight-year break.
Anouk: Sad Singalong Songs
If Frank Sinatra is up in heaven, kicking back with a bourbon on ice after the big show we call life, he’s probably listening to Anouk’s Sad Singalong Songs.
Lust for Youth: Perfect View
While Perfect View isn’t a bad album, it doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself from the pack of dark wave synth acts with an infatuation for the early ‘80s that have come about in recent years.
Bill Ryder-Jones: A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart
A defiantly old-fashioned, exceptionally good quality collection of lush, broken-hearted pop songs from the Coral's former guitarist.
Grandchildren: Golden Age
Golden Age doesn't get caught up in the nostalgia its name implies, but its lofty ambitions aren't met by its uneven tracklist.
Hervé: Art of Disappearing
I’ve come to know it as a grower -- a curiosity I wouldn’t dream of playing for a friend but a secret I might keep, locked within my music player.
Monday, June 17 2013
Human Rights Watch Film Festival New York 2013: ‘deepsouth’ & ‘The New Black’
deepsouth and The New Black both explore American social and political history, but they take different approaches to addressing GLBT rights in America.
‘30 Rock’ Lived (and Died) By Its Own Rules
Although its references to the 2012 political seasons will be as dated as Murphy Brown's Dan Quayle references, 30 Rock, against all odds, goes out on a perfect note.
Loud Guitars, Psychotic Singers, Demonic Drums: ‘Detroit Rock City’
Investigative reporter and Detroit native Steve Miller takes us from the glory days of Grande Ballroom to the time when Kid Rock rapped -- and beyond. Wayne Kramer, Jack White, Violent J, and others appear.
Love Disinterest: “Savage Wolverine #6”
Writer Zeb Wells takes Wolverine down the road less taken as he develops the plot without relying on the gimmick of a love interest in Savage Wolverine…
Bonnaroo 2013: Day 2 - Friday Is Bonnaroo in Full Swing
The variety of music to absorb on Friday posed formidable challenges, and navigating from one stage to the next all day is a good way to lay waste to your body, which happens to be one of Bonnaroo’s most-popular pastimes.
Cognition—Episode 3—The Oracle
As Cognition hurtles towards its final episode, I cannot wait to see if the team can maintain its momentum.
