The Fireworks – Switch Me On
Despite a fairly generic moniker, the full length for the UK-based The Fireworks, Switch Me On, manages to blow away any preconceived notions about this being just another run-of-the-mill indie pop band.
Author: John B. Moore
The Skeleton Twins (DVD)
Though billed as a comedy, The Skeleton Twins is a pretty dark offering. It’s got a stellar cast and an engaging storyline, but aside from two brief moments of levity, thanks to dentist office laughing gas and a cheesy Starship lip synch moment, this indie is mostly a bleak affair.
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys
Rarely has a book title been so accurate. In the surprisingly candid memoir by former Slits guitarist and member of the ‘70s British punk scene inner circle, Viv Albertine offers a compelling look at growing up in the vanguard of the music scene and her obsessions with the music, fashion and, well, boys.
Pay 2 Play: Democracy’s High Stakes
It comes as no shock to anyone who has been paying attention to politics, that the rich – from both parties – control our elections and own the politicians once they get in office.
The Adventures of Mrs. Jesus By Dan O’Shannon (Book)
If God doesn’t have a sense of humor, TV writer/author Dan O’Shannon is likely going to hell thanks to The Adventures of Mrs. Jesus. But I’ll gladly tag along with him.
108 Rock Star Guitars By Lisa S. Johnson (Book)
In 2013, photojournalist Lisa S. Johnson turned in a beautiful hardcover edition of her nearly 20 year quest to photograph guitars form some of rock’s most celebrated players. The result was fantastic, but the price of the book was a bit steep for many. A year later, the publisher is back with a softcover version, still wildly impressive, but with a much more palatable $54 price tag.
Filmstrip – Moments of Matter (Vinyl)
With jangly chords, some fuzzy guitar and nearly a dozen delightfully jagged songs, the Cleveland trio Filmstrip offer a stellar full length more in tune with the 1990s college rock scene than the current state of rock music.
Tetherball – Whimsy (CD)
“Whimsy” is a rather appropriate title for Tetherball’s debut full length; 10 songs of quirky, enjoyable pop songs that could be about nothing or could actually be revealing life’s secrets, depending on how deep you dig into the lyrics.
The Gromble – Self-titled EP (CD)
This five-song self-titled release from California Indie band The Gromble serves as a solid prelude to their forthcoming debut. The sound is a mix of alternative folk and Indie pop and ‘90s emo with just enough synthesizers to shade in the rest.
Ghostbusters Stay Puft Super Deluxe Edition (12” Vinyl)
Finally the one piece of nostalgia to unite vinyl nerds and kids of the ‘80s: The Ghostbusters Stay Puft Super Deluxe Edition 12”. Side A of this brilliantly creative set is Ray Parker, Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” theme (well, duh) and the flip side is a deliciously dated, but still entertaining “Ghostbusters Rap” by Run DMC (off of the Ghostbusters II soundtrack).
The Antics – Send it Out
On first listen, you’d swear the trio The Antics came out of some dreary old mill town in Northern England, playing alongside the early ‘80s bands on Rough Trade and The Factory.
Life of Crime (DVD)
If Life of Crime, the action comedy from director Daniel Schechter, seems oddly familiar that’s likely because it uses the Elmore Leonard crime book-to-movie formula that has been a staple since the 1985 Burt Reynolds’ movie Stick. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, you just know what you’re getting when you watch a movie based off one of Leonard’s crime novels: The criminal is usually the good guy; the guy(s)…
The Dog DVD Review
In a documentary that is equal parts creepy and fascinating, Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren, catch up with John Wojtowicz, the inspiration for the movie Dog Day Afternoon. Wojtowicz was played brilliantly by Al Pacino in the 1975 movie about a Brooklyn man who gets two buddies to help him rob a bank to pay for his boyfriend’s sex change. And as the doc shows, Wojtowicz has been milking the…
True Blood – Complete Seventh Season DVD
What started out as a brooding, darkly comical, sometimes romantic look at centuries old vampires in modern day rural Louisiana, where clothing almost seemed unnecessary, grew into a universe that included werewolves, werepanthers, fairies and a number of other odd combinations of supernatural creatures. The show started to almost fell apart midway through trying to top the violence and addition of new characters, but covered quite nicely in the last,…
Very Extremely Dangerous DVD
Rockabilly singer/guitarist/songwriter Jerry McGill recorded for the legendary Sun Records and was one of the shadow members of the Outlaw Country movement. He was also a bank robber, a burglary, a con man and drug addict, along with being a fugitive on the run from the FBI.
Streets of Laredo – Vols. 1 & 2 (CD)
You can throw a can of mustache wax on just about any street in Brooklyn and hit an indie folk band. But finding a great indie folks band in the borough is a much tougher task.
Bob Dylan and The Band – The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11
Aside from (maybe) The Dead, no other artists’ fans have been more rabid about collecting every scrap of recorded music put out by that musician than Bob Dylan’s acolytes. Ever since his label started releasing their Bootleg Series in 1991 – mainly comprised of outtakes, demos and live recordings, many that had never been heard outside of Dylan’s circle – fans have been speculating about the existence of more songs…
Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger
Those familiar with the James “Whitey” Bulger story have been saying for decades how the tale of the ruthless Boston gangster and his look-the-other-way FBI handler is the stuff of Hollywood movies. The attractive, yet wildly violent Bulger grew up in South Boston and quickly rose up the ranks of the Irish mob, while another neighborhood kid who grew up down the street from the mobster, John Connolly, became an…
I’m the Man: The Story of That Guy From Anthrax by Scott Ian
It’s a pretty rare occurrence when the guitar player is the focal point of a band. Yes, Jimmy Paige, Eddie Van Halen and a slew of other gifted six stringers have all received God-like adulation from their fans, but Anthrax is one of those rare instances when you can name check their guitarist, Scott Ian, before the long pause comes as you search around for the name of the singer.…
The Call (featuring Robert Levon Been of B.R.M.C.) – A Tribute to Michael Been (CD)
It’s always a tough act trying to replace a deceased front man. For every band like Big Country, who successfully (at least for a while) moved Alarm singer and longtime band friend Mike Peters to the front of the mic, there’s an INXS or Doors who have fumbled through various weak versions and ended up looking like sell outs. When the ‘80s band The Call lost its singer to a…