New York City Opera celebrates the company’s hugely successful 2011-12 season with New York’s civic leaders on Wednesday, May 16, with its Spring Gala: An Evening with Deborah Voigt. The sparkling event will take place at the historic Loeb Central Park Boathouse in Manhattan and feature cocktails and gondola rides on the lake, as well as a formal dinner and dancing to the Jazz Age sounds of the Grammy Award-winning…
“Ryan Spaulding raved about Kasey Anderson so I bought all the records and I really dug them. I really found out how right Ryan was a few months later when Kasey came down to Austin last year to play Smoke & Sand, Ryan’s Smashing Life (RSLblog.com) & Tyrannosaurus Record’s 2011 SxSW showcase. His big lonely rock songs are addictive but he crushed at Smoke & Sand with an acoustic set. Maybe that’s why…
This movie is absolutely crazy. Where The Dead Go To Die focuses on a group of children that are hounded (literally) by a talking dog named Labby. Labby takes them on a number of adventures, many of which go beyond our dimension and time. Along the way, there is a tremendous amount of gore, nudity, and all the things that make a film great. The filmmakers tasked with making Where…
What Bad Weather California do on Sunkissed is create a new form of music that takes on various genres, whether it be desert-rock, punk, or even jam-band styles. The 11 tracks on Sunkissed cover a wide variety of tempos, influences, and styles, but Bad Weather California is a band that is talented enough to make it all work. The band is signed to the new Akron/Family label Family Tree, and…
The Veteran is a taut thriller that showcases the lengths that governments will go in using those that were brave enough to serve in the military. After coming back from Afghanistan, Miller (Toby Kebbell) has to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Rather than just take a normal civilian job, ey comes into a position where ey determines whether individuals are terrorists. After one of the individuals that ey is…
Esperanza Spalding is an astonishing performer, and puts forth eir all in creating a stellar album in Radio Music Society. It may be only two years since 2010’s Chamber Music Society, but I feel that there has been considerable evolution in terms of the types and styles of music that issue forth here. Radio Song is a straight flip of what one would expect; I believe that what Spalding is…
ThinQ is a drink that attempts to do a number of things. First off, it desires to taste good. The different efforts have solid flavors, but one can take up hints of the vitamins and minerals that are present. A can of ThinQ is a supplement – there are ample amounts of Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamins D and B6 / B12 / B3, along with Acai, CoQ10, and L-Tyrosine. There…
This is it. This is the release of the final few episodes of the Ben 10: Ultimate Alien show. Cartoon Network / Warner Brothers have included these episodes in a value-priced format (one can purchase it from online retailers for $20). This set contains the final 10 episodes, wrapping up nicely the loose ends that were present in the previous forty episodes of the show. With enemies seemingly ready…
Robert Nix cannot be pigeonholed; his work on Walk Down The Street simply defies genre convention. This is the reason that this release is so compelling. The album begins with the titular track, a ball of frenetic energy that firmly plants listeners in their seats. The momentum garnered by this opening is used to great effect in Should You Should I. This early-disc masterpiece pushes Nix’s vocals to the fore;…
The Chorderoys create an EP that speaks more to listeners than many bands do on a full-length album. The Train is the initial salvo on No Man’s Land, and it will immediately snare fans through a blending of intelligent arrangements and utterly soulful singing. The confidence exuded by the band will endear The Chorderoys to their listeners. Keeping things strong, the band is able to move to The Train. The…
It is not surprising that the Bible is a little obtuse at times. However, the messages that are contained among this prose are still solid ones with which to build a life on. Swoboda’s work in demystifying some of the more challenging bits of this holy book does for me what pastors have been unable to do. Messy: God Likes It That Way is a book that calls Christians…
Tito Ortiz’s Punishment Nutrition is one of the few celebrity-endorsed companies that can make supplmenets with the same high quality of tried and true fitness organization. We reviewed their Muscle Fusion protein a while back, and are pleased to report that their Thermofuse C4 is similarly amazing. Thermofuse C4 has a number of inclusions that are common (Caffeine, Acai berry extract), but the presence of Naringin and EGCG are…
The Danish four-piece comprising Iceage — Jakob Tvilling Pless (bass), Dan Kjær Nielsen (drums), Elias Bender Rønnenfelt (vocals/guitar), and Johan Wieth (guitar) — have kept busy since the release of their debut full-length album, New Brigade (What’s Your Rupture?/Abeano/Escho). Following a five-week tour of North America last summer, they released the video for “You’re Blessed,” which chronicled their tour of the states, received a thorough range of year-end accolades from…
On Friday and Saturday, April 20-21, 2012, a coalition of faith, academic, and community partners will sponsor “LaPaz: Peacemaking and Justice Summit.” LaPaz Summitwill be a training resource for congregations and community organizations that want to be beacons of peace and justice and equip them with the tools to do that. “At times those of us working out in the community can feel isolated and alone in our efforts,” says Jenni…
Frauleins in Uniform is a 1973 skin film that focuses on the titular characters, which are German women that look to further the Nazi cause by having sex with the soldiers. These romps are not enough for these sex-starved Germans, which turn to each other’s embrace. The film itself seems to be the influence for Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS, which was released a full two years after…
Oleg Prodeus continually innovates and inspires on The 13; this dense and diverse album works at a variety of levels. While individual tracks showcase Prodeus’ songwriting and arrangement capacities, I believe the album enjoys a cohesion that few titles ever reach. Savior begins The 13; this track unites a rich electronic-infused arrangement with darkly emotive vocals. The track recalls Muse and even Tool in sheer complexity. Can You Feel The…
In Cages are an incredibly eclectic rock act that looks to challenge the stuffiness of the genre. Their unique style ensures that listeners will take note, while their attention to detail and sheer musical ability will make a fan out of anyone. Dirty Water blends catchy arrangements with a down and dirty style; putting the guitars at front and center ensures that listeners stick around for the long haul. In…
This Machine is the Dandy’s 8th official studio album and was recorded over the course of 2011 at The Dandy Warhols rock clubhouse/ entertainment megaplex/studio The Odditorium. The band recorded the album with their longtime engineer – producer Jeremy Sherrer. Taylor-Taylor describes this record as “stripped down, woody and extremely guitar centric.” The album was mixed Tchad Blake who also mixed The Dandy Warhols Odditorium or Warlords of Mars and Come Down.…
I love the fact that Blu-Ray discs are decreasing in price. When the format first was released, individuals were hard pressed to find a title under $30. Now, preorders for a title like Roadracers can be found for under $10. This is particularly amazing given the work that Echo Bridge has done to this title. The sharpness of the print here is equivalent to what would be presented at…
Maryland rockers CLUTCH are kicking off their North American tour tonight in Norfolk, VA at The Norva. CLUTCH‘s upcoming tour features headlining shows, co-headlining dates with HELLYEAH and a radio festival appearance. A complete list of dates can be found below. CLUTCH is hitting the road in support of their double vinyl edition of Blast Tyrant which is available via Weathermaker Music. This 180+ gram expanded vinyl contains 16…