Tuesday, June 18 2013
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.
‘Witness: A World in Conflict Through a Lens’ Raises as Many Questions as It Answers
HBO is to be commended for risking such an undertaking; it could have sailed along on another few seasons of Game of Thrones, etc. But it is programs like Witness that may prove the more enduring legacy.
Kanye West: Yeezus
Yep, it's here. It may not change the game like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy did, but there's still plenty to keep your attention on album that, of course, has to be called Yeezus.
John Fogerty: Wrote a Song for Everyone
With a songwriter of Fogerty’s calibre, you want him to keep going. Wrote a Song for Everyone certainly convinced me that he has, but more than that, it made me eager to hear him continue to do so.
The Heart Is An Unknown Country: ‘Bobcat and Other Stories’ by Rebecca Lee
This collection of short stories is a sharp, seductive venture into the foibles of marriage, infidelity and friendship among today's 30- and 40-somethings, with echoes of Updike, Freudenberger and Noah Baumbach.
Beach Day: Trip Trap Attack
Beach Day will not win any awards for being the most original band in the universe with their '60s girl group, surf rock and garage sounds, but the group is competent enough to provide a somewhat winning formula.
Benga: Chapter II
While there's nothing wrong with an artist exploring new avenues and using diverse styles, it seems Benga is possibly being carried by the tide and not forging his own paths and directions.
Willy Moon: Here’s Willy Moon
Even if the Elvis by way of trip-hop premise of Here’s Willy Moon is a gimmick, who cares when it’s this fun?
