Wednesday, May 22 2013
Waiting to Be Discovered: ‘Starlet’
In the land of make-believe where even dogs can have alter egos, jobs don’t define you, mistakes can be overcome, and it’s never too late to reestablish trust.
Howard Kaylan’s ‘Shell Shocked’ Makes Readers, Turtles and Zappa Lovers Laugh
Howard Kaylan recalls his days as part of a hit-making band, a friend to a musical giant, and his tenacious grasp on his dream.
Cut and Pasty: “Fearless Defenders #4”
The Fearless Defenders book has been a welcome surprise among the Marvel NOW! Push. But the art…
An Engaging Crime Thriller Set in Postwar Britain: ‘The Bletchley Circle’
With excellent performances from the entire cast, particularly Anna Maxwell Martin as pattern-seeker Susan, The Bletchley Circle is simultaneously a riveting whodunit and an enlightening window into a period of recent history.
‘Nightfall’ Ramps Up the Tension and Subverts Expectations
A tortured detective hunts for a killer in this twisted modern noir tale.
Majical Cloudz: Impersonator
Canadian electro-minimalists Majical Cloudz’ debut for Matador, Impersonator, is the confessional album for the age of austerity.
Eluvium: Nightmare Ending
Matthew Cooper finishes a once-abandoned album and in the process offers a guide to all the sides of Eluvium's music and a wonderful banquet for fans.
‘Hi, This Is Conchita’ Is an Unorthodox Set of Tales from an Up-and-Coming Peruvian Hotshot
Disparate threads appear united at first only by certain themes—sex, commerce, the threat of violence—but become progressively enmeshed in ways both clever and disturbing.
Os Mutantes: Fool Metal Jack
Continuing on with a hunger to constantly challenge both themselves and their audience, this version of Os Mutantes upholds the band’s legacy and legendary status.
Steve Forbert: Alive on Arrival / Jackrabbit Slim
The foremost virtue on each of these albums -- musically, lyrically, and especially vocally -- is Forbert’s exuberance, the unabashed joy of discovery he makes palpable on nearly every one of the tracks here.
Cheech & Chong: Animated Movie Musical Soundtrack Album
Cheech & Chong have made a great career out of hilarious drug-fueled comedy. However their "comeback" release to coincide with their their new animated film shows that the best of their more complex comedy may well be behind them.
Good For You: Life’s Too Short to Not Hold a Grudge
Old punk musicians playing new punk songs. Ah, the circle of life.
Tuesday, May 21 2013
Looking for the Perfect Moment of Abject Failure: ‘Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself’
George Plimpton was a blue-blooded aesthete who chronicled his many failures and never cared about being called a dilettante.
How Much?: “Ten Grand #1”
Can we escape our fate? And is doing so only a question of substantiation? The substantiation by means of a certain weight of money, or maybe the transubstantiation of piety in a hyper-noir landscape…
‘True Blood: Season Five’ Runs a Little Dry
There are moments when we imagine that a character might actually meet the true death, leaving Sookie without a vampire lover to come to her rescue, for once.
‘Captain America’: It’s Not That Bad
This much maligned film captures enough of the spirit of Captain America that Marvel fans will probably want to own this odd piece of ephemera from before the age when Marvel movies became a juggernaut.
‘Fear of Food’ by Harvey Levenstein
Raised on a lifelong media diet of “good” and “bad” foods, some Americans tend to approach the dinner table in a state of panic.
‘Dark Circles’ Presents a Good Argument for Birth Control
When the kitchen sink starts calling you names, it's time to grab the baby and move out.
The National: Trouble Will Find Me
The National keeps on growing older gracefully with the impeccably executed Trouble Will Find Me, but it might just be that the venerable group has reached the point of no-longer-increasing returns.
