Motel Destino’s Heat and Architecture of Desire
Karim Aïnouz’s films portray characters in states of displacement. In Motel Destino, that displacement becomes spatially literal.
Reviews
Reviews of popular culture related areas, including music, film, TV, books, games, comics, and more.
Alice Coltrane Knew No Boundaries
Rather than rescuing a forgotten figure, Cosmic Music enlarges the frame through which Alice Coltrane is seen.
Morrissey Is an Incorrigible Sentimentalist
Morrissey’s Make-Up Is a Lie is a love letter to Paris: schmaltzy, befuddling, arresting, but, most of all, HIM.
All Hail Clifton Chenier the King of Zydeco
Everybody ought to dive into the wild, eclectic, joyful zydeco of Clifton Chenier. Even the accordion averse might decide they love it.
Indie Folk’s the Lowest Pair Embrace Challenges
The Lowest Pair’s new record is steady and confident. It sounds like both a journey and its end point, and in finding peace within turbulent seas.
‘Slow Stories’ Combines Brian Eno’s Music with Bette A.’s Ambient Fiction
Brian Eno and Bette A. are on the same aesthetic page with Slow Stories, wherein the two form a kind of high-concept ASMR experience.
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis Create Ecstatic Post-Hardcore Jazz
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis make fearless and non-smooth fusion with the clarity and dynamism of “post-hardcore” that wasn’t around in the 1970s.
Fågelle Finds Melancholy Release in Glorious Gloom
Glorious gloom permeates the musical catalogue of Swedish singer-songwriter Fågelle, and her album Bränn min jord overflows with it.
Armbruster Gleefully Confounds Expectations, Again
Connor Armbruster is not only a brilliant musician but a refreshingly restless one Half My House is a unique and tuneful spin on traditional Irish music
Alice Coltrane: Conjurer of the Majestic
Andy Beta’s Alice Coltrane biography, Cosmic Music, is an excellent work about this forward-thinking and often misunderstood musician.
Mitski Disappears with Grace on Eighth Album
On her eighth album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, singer-songwriter Mitski employs a country-folk sound to reflect the peace found in isolation.
Shane Parish Recontextualizes Techno on Ingenious LP
Shane Parish thrives on conceiving projects that seem contradictory and overly challenging, yet come off as effortless and innovative.